4 ways to improve curb appeal for a faster sale
When we discussed how staging can help you sell your home more quickly, we focused on things you should do to the interior of the house. But buyers might not be inspired to see what’s on the inside if what’s on the outside isn’t appealing. That’s why you need to ramp up the curb appeal of your place and make the exterior of your home more attractive than others on the market.
Let’s take a look at the four parts of your house’s exterior that should be buttoned up, beginning with the least expensive to fix:
At the very least, you want the outside of the home to be clean. Make sure there’s no cracking, peeling or major damage. If you’re not in a position to replace or repaint the exterior of your home, you can always use a simple garden hose or rent a power washer to tidy things up.
A freshly manicured lawn, new shrubbery and colorful flowers will go a long way toward attracting attention to your home. Especially if you top it all off with lighting that shows off these improvements after dark, because you never know when potential buyers might cruise by to have a look at that great new place that just hit the market! And remember, they can’t take note of the address if they can’t find it, so be sure to shine a light on your house numbers.
If your home is a bit dated, updating the windows and doors (especially the front door) can give your home a cleaner, newer look and be more appealing to your potential buyers. Especially if the windows are energy efficient and the doors have dead-bolt locks and other updated security features, things the next owner won’t have to worry about installing.
An obviously old or damaged roof and dilapidated gutters will be an immediate cause for concern for any potential buyer and are best addressed immediately, if possible. A new roof or replacement gutters are big ticket items that most new owners would rather not deal with just a few short years after moving in. Also, a new roof can bring with it a higher asking price because it will increase the value of your home.
The idea of investing in a home you won’t be owning much longer may seem strange, but remember, you’re trying to get the highest sale price possible. As the saying goes, sometimes you have to spend money to make money (if you’re able to, of course)!