Curb Appeal Mistakes Home Sellers Can’t Afford to Overlook
As home sellers, you must control everything that you can in order to get your home sold. One of the most underrated pieces in the home selling puzzle is the use of curb appeal.
Believe it or not, curb appeal can impact home sellers’ ability to get a house sold. In fact, studies have found that sellers can achieve a significant return on investment when it comes to boosting curb appeal. First impressions make a big difference, and when a buyer pulls up to your house, the first thing they are going to notice is either the curb appeal, or the lack of it.
For this reason, it can be in a home seller’s best interest to spend a few weekends getting your home and yard cleaned up and ready for your listing pictures.
If you are preparing to sell your house, be sure to avoid making the following curb appeal mistakes.
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Ignoring Your Home’s Exterior
When it comes time to sell a home, most sellers focus solely on preparing the inside. Forgetting to make the effort to get the exterior to match the interior can be costly.
When a house is updated and beautiful on the inside, but looks run down on the outside, it can be hard to get buyers out of the car and in the door. Make a great first impression by updating the outside of your house and not just the inside.
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The “Under Construction” Look
We all have one house in the neighborhood that seems like it is only half finished. Half the house is re-sided, or half has been painted and the other half has not. This is not only a surefire way to get your neighbors grumbling, it will also have potential buyers whispering to themselves.
Before you start a project that you have the resources, time, and money to finish the job.
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Looking Trashy
Looking “trashy” is never a good thing. Especially when it applies to your house. However, trash is something that becomes easy for homeowners to get accustomed to and overlook.
Buyers, however, will not overlook this. It doesn’t matter if you have just a few overflowing cans or a yard full of junk, you need to get it cleaned up. Remove any junk that is in your yard, like that broken lawn mower with weeds growing up around it. Place your trash cans inside of your garage.
If you don’t have a garage try to put them on the side or backside of your house, somewhere that is out of the way. If you want to sell, keep in mind that buyers do not want to see your trash when they come to look at a house.
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Making it too Personal
Getting overly personal with decorations is an easy trap for sellers to fall into. When you are getting ready to sell your home be aware that this is not the time for extremely personal touches on the exterior of your home. Decorations like yard gnomes or flashy paint colors are not going to do you any favors while trying to sell.
Once your house goes on the market, you need it to appeal to the vast majority of buyers. For this reason, sellers will want to make the home as neutral and tasteful as possible. If there are any touches that scream “personality” take the time to address and update.
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Overdoing It
Some outside decorations are good for landscaping and curb appeal, but overdoing it can be a real concern. When sellers create elaborate landscaping presentations it be a big turn off for buyers. All these see if how much maintenance will be required to upkeep.
For this reason sellers should carefully pick and choose a few items that make your yard look nice or show a way that the buyer could enjoy the outdoors. Consider features like a rocking chair on the porch, but leave it at that.
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Lack of Landscaping
Again, just as too much landscaping can cause a buyer to walk away, not enough landscaping could cause a buyer to not even walk in. You don’t want the front of house to look barren and cold.
To help make the home feel welcoming, plants some trees, shrubs, and flowers around your house and yard. Bring in some brightly colored flowers to add pops of colors. You do not need to go overboard, but do not skip this step altogether.
Don’t forget to add a welcome mat, and take down the sign with your family’s name on it. You want buyers to fall in love with your house from the moment they pull up. Leverage your curb appeal to get your home sold fast.