Page 27 - Selling secrets 5 18 2023

Well-tended houses with trimmed bushes, groomed lawns,
attractive landscaping, and a “grand entrance” (discussed
shortly) will be more impressive than homes with an
unkempt walkway, uncut grass, and a paint-peeling front
door. The outside appearance of a property needs to be an
invitation to come inside. Potential home buyers are drawn
to welcoming entrances and uncluttered yards. They are
unlikely to be attracted to a home with dead shrubbery and
a weather-worn exterior.

A potential buyer is looking for signs indicating how well
the home has been cared for and maintained over a long
period. The buyer can be influenced by signs showing the
type of home owner currently living there. Packaging sells!
Starting at the curb, a well-manicured lawn and fresh
appearance of the exterior demonstrates that the home
owner is up to an appealing standard and shows that the
current home owner takes pride in the property’s aesthetics.
The outside appearance of your property should serve as an
invitation to come inside.

Beyond aesthetics, the buyer will be looking for evidence of
wear, tear, and neglect. Buyers who are greeted with peeled
paint, trash, and dead or unkempt lawns will assume that a
home neglected on the outside is neglected inside as well.

Look at your home as a prospect would. Drive up to the
curb and take inventory of everything that needs attention.
Simple improvements such as weeding, trimming, and
window washing can improve the appearance of a home
with little to no expense. Repair and repainting are costlier,
but often have a good effect on time-to-sale or sale price.
Low-cost investments such as power washing the house and
concrete, repainting trim, and adding landscaping also give
your house more curb appeal.

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