Homeowners who are serious about selling their home quickly are smart to focus a great deal of their attention on landscaping and curb appeal. That’s right, sellers can have the latest trending features inside the home, but if it lacks curb appeal, buyers might not give it a second look. The outside of a home is the first chance to define the potential that awaits potential buyers inside, while enabling sellers to ensure that their home stands out, especially in competitive markets like Kelowna.
Setting Priorities
It’s easy to find yourself devoting time, money and effort toward getting the interior of your home ready. After all, you want potential home buyers to visualize themselves living – and loving – your home enough to want to make the purchase. While all of this is extremely important, make sure that the exterior of your home gets the attention it needs and deserves – or you could find that your home sits on the market for longer than you’d like.
Making a Good First Impression
Making a good first impression is important in many aspects of life. When selling your home, you might not get a second chance. Expect potential buyers to drive by the home and around the neighborhood when listing your home. Not only will they be looking at your home, they’ll be comparing it to your neighbors as well.
When potential home buyers drive by your home or arrive for a tour, they typically want to see a neat yard that’s freshly trimmed, windows that are in good repair and a porch that has been freshly painted (if there’s a porch). If a home’s exterior is cluttered, unruly or shows signs of not being well-maintained, buyers might not stop to find out about all the great features inside.
Keep Up With the Landscaping
It’s important to realize that your home’s landscaping needs constant attention the entire time it’s on the market. While you probably won’t need to repeatedly undertake large jobs like painting, installing siding or replacing windows unless something unexpected happens, you’ll need to maintain the lawn regularly. This means mowing, watering, and tending to foliage weekly.
Consider adding plants and shrubs that bring color to the yard. If done correctly, these pops of color can serve to frame a home and highlight the view. Choose flowers and plants that look good most of the year that are easy to maintain. Native foliage is a way to accomplish this. Though homeowners want a beautiful lawn, they don’t want to spend a great deal of time and money to maintain that beauty.
Revamp the Entry
When a potential home buyer looks at your listing, you want them to visualize walking in the front door. Consider updating your entryway to make it more inviting. Giving your current front door a fresh coat of paint or purchasing a new front door is a great way to do so.
Devoting some time to the exterior of your home can make the difference in it selling quickly and taking its time on the market. Keeping everything neat, colorful and inviting is important for anyone trying to sell their home the right way.
Contributed by: Greg Clarke Realtor and formost expert in buying and selling homes.
Greg Clarke Kelowna Royal Lepage Realtor
#1-1890 Cooper Rd., Kelowna, BC,
V1Y-8B7
Canada
Phone: 250.869.9119
gregclarke@royallepage.ca
www.GregSellsKelowna.com
