The Quest for Curb Appeal in Selling Your Home
My neighbors down the street are moving. Before I saw the “For Sale” sign, I knew something was up because they spent a significant amount of time sprucing up their home’s exterior as well as the yard. They repainted the trim, added window planters full of flowers, fertilized the entire lawn and trimmed the hedges. They are normally good about maintaining their home, but this time they went the extra mile.
As my husband and I have never sold a home, I was interested in knowing my neighbors’ strategy.
They learned from their agent that selling a home is just like marketing any other product: the better the marketing effort, the better the outcome in terms of activity and offers.
They willingly shared with me that selling their house involved a number of steps and that they were presently working toward the goal of “curb appeal. ”This intangible, subjective quality supposedly makes the buyers want the house so much from the time they drive up in front that they are willing to look inside and even come up in price to get it.
According to their agent, curb appeal is the buyers’ first impression of a home for sale. The exterior sets the tone and influences them to either drive past or go inside for a more thorough look. Usually if the buyers fall in love with the exterior, they will look more favorably upon what they find inside.
“National Association of Realtors’ studies show that over half the homes on the market are sold before the buyer even gets out of the car,” said Carlo Gobba, realtor with Century 21 Associates in Royal Oak. “This is a fact most people don’t realize.”
He said getting a home in “show” condition is the first step in disarming buyers to start thinking emotionally instead of practically. This tactic of building desire within the buyers to own and live the lifestyle that the exterior of their home appears to advertise helps sway their decision to go inside.
The obvious thing my neighbors soon realized in the home selling process is that sellers and buyers are opposite. One wants to sell the house for as much as possible while the other wants to buy for as little as possible. The key is for both to meet in the middle.
Another aspect about home selling is the importance of preparation and competition on the part of the sellers in getting their house ready.
Gobba said that how a home presents itself from the road can make or break the sale. Therefore, it’s vital that the sellers take an objective assessment of the home’s overall appearance, features, amenities, and other necessary considerations.
My neighbors showed their agent every nook and cranny of their house — inside and outside — and with his help, brainstormed to determine the required improvements, changes, additions, or deletions before putting the sign in the yard.
This appraisal and recommendation session outlined the most cost-effective ideas for enhancing curb appeal as well as making the most of their home’s interior presentation. They began with a thorough cleaning and de-cluttering.
“Not only is cleaning a house common sense but it also makes the home look more inviting and well cared for,” said Gobba.
He added that removing clutter should be a noticeable part of the cleaning process and that extra items in the home which can’t be thrown or given away should be placed in temporary storage for safekeeping.
“Eliminating clutter benefits the seller two-fold: the rooms seem larger and the buyers can better imagine themselves as the new owners of your home,” said Gobba. “For example, sellers should remove half of the contents of the home’s closets so buyers can see how large they are — or appear to be.”
“Putting family photos away also helps buyers see your home as their home because there’s less of the sellers’ presence.”
Gobba further advises sellers to consider the outlays of time, money, and energy they could choose to afford or put forth in their approach and execution. Consider first the return on investment before expending too much time and expense.
Home repairs are another important factor in preparing a home for sale as they eradicate buyers’ objections.
“Sellers should fix whatever they can, even bring in a professional when necessary,” Gobba said. “Resolving problems at this point is better than having to take care of them after the inspection.”
In addition to the cleaning, de-cluttering, and repairing, my neighbors also had to consider the competition. Spring and summer are the prime home selling seasons and their agent worked with them to set their home apart from the others on the market. While part of this would be his job in advertising and showing it to other agents, my neighbors worked hard to do what they could, hence their increased activity and improvements to their yard and home’s exterior.
“Sellers should consult with their agent to determine what the home needs to stand out,” said Gobba. “Aim for tasteful pizzazz when possible because it may make all the difference.”