might think as he or she drives up to your property for the first time. You’ve probably seen the “We buy ugly houses” signs nailed to utility poles. Rehabbers look for ugly houses so that they can pay the least amount possible and “flip” the houses for a quick profit. However, true home buyers —people looking for a home in which to live —are not lured by ugliness and “bargain basement” prices. Creating curb appeal is essential to attracting interest in your home from serious buyers. How your home looks from the road is so persuasive that a well-prepared house may catch the attention of buyers who did not find the written description particularly compelling. Conversely, a neglected house can cause a buyer previously excited by a printed or online marketing listing to cruise right on by.
SEEING YOUR HOME THROUGH FRESH EYES
Try this. Go out into your street and look—I mean really look—at your home and see if you can spot any imperfections. Is it appealing, pristine, and well-kept, or are there necessary repairs that you have been putting off? After you’ve lived in a home for a long while, you’re not likely to examine it objectively. Listen to suggestions from real estate experts, your friends, and/or potential home buyers about how you can make your house show better. Then, take a drive around your neighborhood and surrounding area and see which homes for sale appeal to you, and note why. Well-tended houses with trimmed bushes, groomed lawns, attractive landscaping, and a “grand entrance” (discussed shortly) will be more impressive than homes with an unkempt walkway, uncut grass, and a paint-peeling front door. The outside appearance of a property needs to be an invitation to come inside. Potential home buyers are drawn to welcoming entrances and uncluttered yards. They are unlikely to be attracted to a home with
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