When getting your home ready to sell, what areas should you focus your time and budget on?
If only selling your home was as simple as snapping your fingers. We'd love that, and we're sure you would too.
Unfortunately, reality is rarely that kind. Instead, there are a thousand little details that go into selling your home from hiring a real estate agent to home staging and curb appeal enhancements. It's every piece together brings in the buyer.
But if you've focused mostly on finding the right realtor and too little on curb appeal, you could be putting yourself at a disadvantage. Never underestimate the power of a great first impression, which starts with the outside of your home.
Staging a House to Sell
When getting your home ready to sell, the first area you want to focus on is the exterior. This is what a buyer will see first before they ever step a foot inside, so it needs to look polished and attractive. The question then is, "What should I concentrate my budget and time on?"
1. Create a Gorgeous Front Entrance
Homeowners who update their entry door can recoup a significant amount of the cost of installation. In particular, you should consider installing a steel entry door.
In addition, you want to clean your entire entrance. Remove any clutter around your entrance including furniture, pots, and entry mats and thoroughly clean everything, making sure to repaint or touch up as needed. You'll also want to polish any metal knobs or fixtures. A great entrance can ensure that every other part of your home is more inviting as well.
2. Repaint the Exterior
Repainting the outside of your home is a big job, but it's worth the results. A new coat of paint can seriously improve your home's curb appeal. Just make sure you do your research before you choose your exterior house colors. Not only do you want to choose colors that appeal to you, but colors that fit your neighborhood.
We recommend choosing bright and welcoming colors for your home, especially when it comes to your front door. A bright red or blue really pops. As for the overall color, we recommend choosing a light gray/blue color. A great color can help you sell your home faster and for more money.
3. Update Your Landscaping
Poor landscaping can distract from an otherwise beautiful house that has exceptional home staging. That's because no matter how great your furniture and walls look inside, if they can't get past the lack of imagination and poor curb appeal outside, it won't matter.
Make sure your shrubs are trimmed and not blocking windows and opportunities for natural light. Add color with freshly potted flowers and plants. Manicure your lawn and ensure there are no weed gardens and all mulch is in place.
A stunning landscape can make a buyer automatically assume and be ready for an equally stunning house.
4. Ditch the Clutter
When prepping the interior of your home, you don't leave junk everywhere. The same should be said for the outside. Streamline your exterior by removing evidence of a busy family life such as garden tools, bikes, toys, and trash cans. You'll also want to remove any extraneous furniture. Keep everything parsed down to the minimum.
5. Make it Livable
Finally, you'll want to make a great outdoor living space, if you can. Outdoor rooms are attractive to potential home buyers. Consider adding a seating area to your deck or creating a barbecue area with a fire pit. A few small items can expand your home's living space outside, adding to its attraction for buyers.
The reality is that buyers have very little imagination. If your home looks too much like you, then they won't be able to see themselves in your home. The goal is to make your home a blank slate that they can see fitting into seamlessly.
By focusing on improving your curb appeal, you focus on making a great first impression that will last throughout the buying process. After all, getting buyers in the door is the hardest step. Once they're inside, your real estate agent and you can take care of the rest.
Gustavo Gonzalez, Coldwell Banker