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Selling your house is an exciting process, but it can also be incredibly overwhelming. As soon as your house goes on the market you are fighting for the attention of every buyer in your price range.
It is important that the inside of your house be well kept and updated. You can get a few tips about what to do to improve the value of your house here. However, the exterior is the first thing that the buyer is going to see. Even if you completely remodel the interior of your house, neglecting the exterior will be a turn-off to buyers.
Since homeownership rates are at a 50-year low and the number of renters is continuing to increase, your pool of potential buyers might be smaller than you think. Because of that, it’s more important than ever to focus on curb appeal so that you capture the perfect buyer before any other seller does.
Install New House Numbers
When buyers are driving to see your house, they are going to look for the house numbers from the road. You want your house numbers to be easily seen from the road to help buyers (and guests) quickly locate your house. Make sure that the style you choose matches the overall look and feel of your house.
Paint the Front Door, Trim, or Shutters
The first impression that a buyer gets from your house is from the exterior. It can be expensive to repaint or re-side your entire house, but for around $30 you can purchase the paint you need to give your house an updated look by painting the front door, trim, and/or shutters.
Fresh paint makes the exterior look new and fresh. If you use a bold color you can help draw the buyer’s eye to your front door, which is exactly where you want their focus.
Replace Old Hardware
Hardware is both an easy and affordable item to update. If your hardware is outdated, it’s time to replace it. Make sure that your hardware matches your exterior lighting and mailbox, giving your front porch a cohesive look and feel.
Since one side of your doorknob will be showing on the interior, too, consider your interior style and choose something that works for your decor both inside and out.
Install Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting matters more than you think. Educated buyers are being told that they should drive by houses that they are interested in buying at night to see what the house looks like and what the neighborhood looks like at different times of the day.
You want to have updated outdoor lighting that meets the current trends, while still looking timeless. Place outdoor lighting around your yard as well as your door to highlight the beautiful landscaping. It’s also important to make sure that no lights are burnt out before putting your house on the market.
Update Landscaping
No matter how beautiful you make the exterior of your house, if your yard looks bad, that is what is going to stand out to buyers. Keep your yard manicured. If your grass is patchy, consider bringing in new sod.
Planting flower beds around the yard can create focal points that will draw the buyer’s eye around your yard to see everything it has to offer. You can also add brightly colored flowers in planters around your front door to draw the eye of the buyer to your door.
Upgrade Your Mailbox
The little things go a long way when selling your house. You would be surprised by the things that buyers notice. While the mailbox might seem like a small feature, if a buyer sees that you have paid attention to the small details, they will trust that you have been doing a good job at keeping up the entire house.
Build a Walkway
Why is your walkway so important? It leads potential buyers up to the front door of your house. If you don’t have a walkway currently, a simple straight concrete path will be an improvement.
But, if you want to step up the walkway, add in a contoured path. You can also choose materials such as bricks or patio blocks. A high-quality walkway can really boost your curb appeal.
When your house is on the market, you want to take advantage of every chance that you have to sell it. Make it appeal to potential buyers. Give your curb appeal the boost that it needs with these simple steps to pique the interest of the buyer and get them in the front door.
