CHAPTER 6 Creating Curb Appeal Curb Appeal — The attractiveness of a property for sale and its surroundings when viewed from the street. Whether viewing an online photo or driving by your home, a home shopper will decide in a matter of seconds whether or not they want to see more. First impressions are powerful, and, as they say, you don’t ever get a second chance to make a first impression, so creating curb appeal is crucial to generating interest in your home. Curb appeal is so powerful a selling tool that your well- prepared house may even catch the attention of buyers who weren’t attracted by the written description of your home. Conduct an experiment. Take a drive around your neighborhood and the surrounding area to see what homes appeal to you. Homes with clean yards and groomed lawns will be more impressive than homes with cracked paint, loose shutters, uncut grass, and weed overgrowth. The outside appearance of your property should serve as an invitation to come inside. Potential home buyers are drawn to welcoming entries and uncluttered yards. Would you be attracted to a home with dead shrubbery and a weather-worn exterior? You may assume that the home is neglected on the inside as well as the outside. Herein lies the importance of curb appeal. When you drive up to your home, take an objective look and inventory the things that need attention. With simple improvements like weeding, trimming, and window washing, you can improve the appearance of your home in an afternoon. Low-cost investments like power-washing the house and concrete, repainting trim, and adding landscaping also add to your home’s
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