Spring is the busiest real-estate buying season and it’s easy for clients with homes on the market to feel some despair. However, with some few tweaks, they can make their homes stand out from the crowd. Curb appeal is one of the major factors that determine whether buyers fall in love with a home or not. It creates the atmosphere for what buyers expect from a home’s interior. Since people buy homes based on emotions, sellers should influence these emotions by focusing on spring curb appeal. Here are some tips you can give home sellers who want to capture buyers.
Planters create the feeling of a well-loved home. They add color to a porch or patio and give the impression that a homeowner spends a lot of time improving his surroundings. They are eye-catching and add life to outdoor space. Advise clients to place colorful planters in their yards, porches, or patios to attract potential buyers.
Well-positioned flowers can make a home’s exterior look inviting. Tell clients to invest in landscaping to increase their properties’ value and make the exteriors bright and welcoming. If they don’t have money for landscaping, they can plant flowers to make their yards look pleasant and colorful. They can plant flowers in flower beds, porch ceilings, railings, window sills, and even flower boxes.
Plant shrubbery, grass and flowers for an appealing backyard too!
Shrubs or low-hanging branches can block the view of a beautiful home. Flowering shrubs should be trimmed as soon as they’ve flowered. Pruned shrubs create a great visual effect and are healthier. They produce more buds and don’t drop a lot of foliage. Trimmed trees on the other hand allow buyers to get a clear look of the house as they drive by.
Winter storms deposit leaves, sticks, and varied debris in gutters. Home sellers should clean gutters for curb appeal and check them regularly. Overflowing debris is not only an eyesore; it shows prospective buyers that the home is not cared for.
There are many ways home sellers can brighten and redesign their exteriors with paint. Those with low houses can emphasize the vertical features to make them look taller and more graceful. Those with high homes can highlight the horizontal features by applying contrasting paint on the window sills and fascia boards. Lastly, those with tall houses can lower them with dark colors and dark roofs.
Curb appeal also includes freshening up wood or vinyl siding
Paint can give siding a fresh new look. If the exterior surface was recently painted, the homeowner can clean the area instead. When cleaning siding, he should wear protective garments and work from the bottom up. Vinyl siding should be hosed down, sponged with a mild detergent, then rinsed. Aluminum and wood siding can be washed with a mixture of 2 pints chlorine bleach, 1 cup strong detergent, and 3 gallons of water.
If your client’s front door is dull and unappealing, advise them to get a new one. A new door improves a home’s appearance and can greatly increase the resale value. Research conducted by door producer Therma-Tru shows that home sellers can even triple the amount spent on new front doors when selling a home.
Exterior lighting can add drama, safety, and interest to a home. Many homebuyers drive by homes at night to check the safety and traffic patterns of the neighborhood. A well-lit home is clearly visible and gives buyers a feeling of safety. It has an illuminated walkway, driveway, and well-lit paths.
A beautiful home isn’t just memorable, it appeals to every buyer. If you want to sell listings fast, advise clients to revamp their homes’ exteriors. You’ll create a great first impression, and make both buyer and seller happy!
If you need Real Estate advice to assist your sellers or buyers look to the iHOUSE blog for helpful tips.
Ronique Gibson is an Associate Architect and a LEED Accredited Professional, who has been in the design industry for over 13 years. She started her design blog in 2009 and today it has become a premier destination for helping homeowners with everyday lifestyle challenges. Her readers check in daily for help with their homes, DIY project ideas, recipes, crafts, and inspiration to beautify and enjoy their homes.