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San Diego real estate library
Real Estate --- Make The Best Impression
When selling property, among the numerous factors you should
consider, curb appeal should be towards the top of your list.
When a potential buyer comes to see your home, they observe at
the homes around your neighborhood as well. You want your home
to stick out a little, not to look identical to your neighbor’s
house.
You want your house to stand out. You want people who drive by
say things like, “I like that house”, or “I wouldn't mind living
there”. You need to know what will make them say that. Check
your house again and see it's potential. Determine what would
make someone say those things about your house.
The first thing is a nice yard. You may think a small yard is a
draw back. It is not at all. You just need to know how to
improve it. You need to make it colorful. Put in some bright,
cheery flowers along the walkway. Put in a flower bed under the
windows, or along side the house. Weave out any unwanted trees
or shrubs. These things can make a small yard look even more
small. You want to give your home a warm and inviting look, not
one of cramped space. Make sure the lawn is mowed and edged
neatly. If there are bare spots, get some grass seed and resow
it into the lawn. Trim the larger trees so there is no chance of
dead branches falling. You can also notify potential buyers you
just had the trees trimmed. This means they do not have to do it
for a long time.
The next thing you need to look at is uniformity. Make sure all
the windows look the same from the outside. It actually makes
the house look more well kept. This can be done by installing
vertical blinds, mini blinds, or even shades. If you do use
shades, during the day make sure they are all at the same level
during the time the house is on the market. You want everything
to look uniform.
When you are examining the windows, take a look at the trim
work. If the windows have shutters but some are missing, either
replace the missing ones or take down the existing ones. You do
not want the house to appear as if it is in need of repair.
Missing shutters makes it look as though no one took care of the
place. The paint may be cracked and peeling. Get the scraper and
a bucket of paint and redo the trim work. This will make the
house look more clean and give the impression of good repair as
well.
You may have cement sidewalks or steps. If you do and there are
cracks, fix them. You can do this with a filler cement and a
trowel. This is a big improvement not only to the look of the
home but to the safety of all who come there. If the railing for
the steps is missing or broken fix it. Certain federal funding
will not go through on a house which does not have a hand rail
where there is more than two steps. Again, fixing the hand rail
makes the home look more complete and adds to the safety factor.
Of course you will want to repair any broken windows or doors.
This can really damage the curb appeal when a buyer passes by
and sees this. Also, if there is vinyl siding which needs
repaired or replaced, you will want to do this.
The key to making your house more appealing is looking at it
from someone else's eyes. If you can not do this, enlist the aid
of your family and friends. They can take a look and assess what
needs to be repaired in a hurry. Make a list and just do it. Not
only are you adding more value to your home, you are appealing
to more buyers. When you have more buyers, you can sell your
home in a lot less time. All you need is a little curb appeal.
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