10 Forgotten Tips for Preparing the Exterior of Your Home for Sale
September 17th, 2009 categories: Selling your Home
It’s the first thing they see when they drive up. It’s the last thing they see when they leave. There’s no amount of preparation worthwhile if the buyer doesn’t make it in the door. Make no mistake, the exterior of your home is definitely a ‘make-or-break’ part of a buyer’s decision process. Why not make sure they have a great first impression of your property? Here’s 10 Often Forgotten Tips for Preparing the Exterior of Your Home For Sale . . .
Tips for Preparing the Exterior of Your Home for Sale
- Keep your lawn cut and edged. Trim your trees and shrubs. Make sure and remove all dead limbs and debris. A clean yard is a salable yard.
- Add some color to your yard and front porch. Put out potted flowers or hanging plants. Decorate for the Season too. It’s hard to sell a home at Christmas with out some Christmas lights. Festive Decorations attract festive buyers!
- Arrange outdoor furniture neatly. Make sure all lawn equipment, bike and toys are put away.
- Repair any broken areas of your fence, deck or patio. These areas should be clean, spotless, and inviting. You’ll be amazed at what feature of your home the buyer attaches themselves to emotionally.
- Check the exterior of items like siding, window sashes, trim, shutters, soffit, and facia. Clean or power wash areas that need it and give special attention to whatever entrance buyers use to enter the property. As with people, first impressions count.
- Make sure your gutters are clean. Wash or paint if needed. Re-align any gutters that are jutting out or look crooked.
- Check the roof for shingles or flashing that may need replacing or repair.
- Always replace broken windows, doors and screens. Make sure each is in good working condition. Consider replacing ‘pet worn’ doors. You know what I’m talking about…
- Wash driveways and sidewalks. Patch holes and try to remove stains.
- Touch up ‘little things’. Make sure house number are straight and polished, the doorbell works, entry mats are clean… those kinds of things. They’re easy to do and keep the buyer from getting distracted from little things in minor disrepair.
I hope these tips help you out a bit in your quest to sell your home… whether with a Realtor or by yourself. If you are selling on your own make sure to check out my For Sale By Owner First Aid Kit™. You can also have a free listing on our 540fsobs.com page when many people go to look for homes that are For Sale By Owner in Northwest Arkansas. Hopefully, these resources will help you out. Give me a call if you have any questions or use one of our contact forms. Thanks for reading.
