First impressions are lasting, and how your house looks at first glance to prospective buyers can determine a successful showing or not. Imagine this: you are looking at pictures of a new listing your realtor has sent you. The inside pictures are stunning, the house looks like everything you want. You book the viewing and pull up at the curb. You see shaggy grass, unkempt flowerbeds, peeling paint in the window sills, overgrown hedges, dirty windows… Doesn’t make you feel very welcome, does it? No matter how good the inside looks, I would always wonder if it is cosmetic or if the owners really did things the right way and if they really cared about their house. Maybe they did everything right, and just are not outside people.

Spending some time making your house look like a star upon first impression can not only increase the number of showings, but it can increase the market value. Would you be likely to offer full price on a gorgeous interior with an exterior that needs hours and hours of work? I don’t think so.

Here is how to make great first impressions from the moment prospective buyers’ drive up:

1. Keep the grass trimmed.
2. Give the sidewalks a quick sweep to remove any debris, including leaves and grass cuttings.
3. Ensure your flower beds are not overgrown and out of control. Spend an hour weeding and cutting back plants that have taken on a life of their own.
4. Trim the hedges and bushes away from windows, doors and walkways.
5. Put a nice pot of flowers by the door. This will make the house look more welcoming.
6. Clean up any trash, toys, eyesores that are in view.
7. Touch up paint where needed.
8. Pressure wash the exterior, sweep away cobwebs.
9. Wash the windows.

First impressions are so important; make sure your listing makes a great one!

When you drive up to your home in Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, Parkland County or the Edmonton area, do you feel proud of the way it looks?  Or is your home looking a little shop-worn and tired compared to other homes in your neighborhood? 

If you are thinking of putting your home on the market, it’s time to do something about the state of its curb appeal.  In today’s market your home is in competition with every other home for sale and it needs to stand out from the rest with a good first impression.

Maybe you’ve got a long list of face-lift and landscaping projects you’ve been putting off because you don’t want to spend 1000s of dollars.  Is it possible to do a few fairly simple and inexpensive things to make your home look attractive to would-be buyers so they will at least slow down for a second look? 

One of the most noticeable and least expensive fix-ups, especially if you do it yourself, is new paint.  If your home has paintable siding, consider freshening up the look with a new fashionable color.  It’s possible to be trendy while still coordinating with other homes in your neighborhood.  If your home has vinyl or metal siding, give it a good cleaning and paint all the trim with a color that complements the color of your roof.   

As with the interior of your home, clean and tidy goes a long way to impressing potential buyers and luckily doesn’t cost much.  Here are a few things to consider:

• Clean and shine everything.  Windows should sparkle, metal trim such as house numbers and door hardware should be tarnish-free, front porch should be clear of dirt and debris, driveway oil spots need to be banished, brickwork should be freshened, and so on.
• Get rid of the clutter.  Kids’ bicycles tossed down next to the driveway, leftover building supplies at the side of the house, bundled up newspapers and bottles waiting to be recycled – all of this needs to go.
• Manicure your yard.  Trim your lawn neatly, dig up any stray weeds, use an edging tool and string trimmer (“weed whacker”) for tidy borders.  Give your shrubs a haircut and tidy up the flowerbeds.  Consider some colorful flowering plants in pots or planters to add a few spots of brightness and cheer to the yard.  In the fall, rake up fallen leaves, and in the winter, keep your sidewalks and driveway clear of snow and ice.
• Repair any visible shortcomings, such as broken light fixtures or windows, loose shingles, crooked downspouts, falling-down fences, driveway cracks, uneven sidewalk blocks, and the like. 

How welcoming is your front entryway?  Staging your front porch with a few accessories, just as you would your living room, is going to make homebuyers want to look inside.  Paint or replace your front door, or even just the door hardware, mailbox, light fixtures, etc., with something more modern (another fairly inexpensive change).  It may seem a little cliché but a welcome mat on the porch and a wreath or basket of flowers on the door really do click with many homebuyers.  If there is room on your porch, items such as a flower-filled planter or rocking chair can add a great deal of charm to an otherwise nondescript area.  Other things to consider:  attractive new railing, striped retractable awning, ivy-covered trellis, hanging floral baskets… 

While it may cost you a little money and time to improve the curb appeal of your home, it’s definitely worth it.  It’s been shown time and again that a home that looks well-maintained and cared for sells faster and for a higher price. 

For more ideas, take a look at my Curb Appeal Pinterest board. 

Comments or questions about this article?  Call or text me at 780-910-9669, email me at barry@barryt.ca, or contact me here.