You have decided to sell your home….Now what?
This is a huge decision, both financially and emotionally. You want to put yourself and your home in the best possible position to get the best price for your home. In this series of four blogs, I am going to take you through the steps of getting your home ready and staging it properly. That being said, remember to talk to your real estate agent first. He or she will go over what it necessary and what is not. You certainly don’t want to spend more money or time when it is not needed. Let’s jump right into curb appeal.
Part 1: What is curb appeal and why it is important
Curb appeal is the general attractiveness of a house from the street to a prospective buyer. It’s important because it is the prospective homebuyers first impression of a property before they even step inside. The condition of your home outside gives people an idea of what they will find inside. If your house is covered up by overgrown shrubs, the grass is up to your knees, and there are toys, bikes, etc. in the yard, guess what? Your buyers will already have a bad impression before they even open the front door. That is if they decide to even tour the house.
Keep this in mind – Upping your homes curb appeal can increase its value by 5%-11%. According to HomeLight, 75% of top real estate agents across the country say a well landscaped home can increase the it’s worth from 1% to 10%. For a home priced at $266,300, that’s an extra $2,663 to $26,63 in your pocket.
So, in a hot market good curb appeal will get you more money for your home and in a slower market good curb appeal can help sell your home faster and attract more buyers, which can translate into possibly more offers. Buyer’s like to drive by before taking the time to view the entire home. Attractive landscaping and a tidy yard says “Welcome, come on in and look inside”.
Whether you are interested in selling or just want to make some improvements for your own enjoyment, is often an easy and inexpensive way to make your home look more appealing and boost its value.
Now that we have established how important curb appeal is, in Part 2 I will give your some projects that will help your home make a better first impression.