CHAPTER 4 Curb Appeal: Making a Lasting First Impression There is no second chance for a great first impression! Please have that in mind if you consider selling your home. In real estate, nothing sets the tone of a relationship or encourages a transaction more than first impressions. So, always consider the thoughts and emotions a potential homebuyer may have as he or she drives up to your property for the very first time. Think of “curb appeal” as the home seller’s shop window. Like picking a lunch place on a busy avenue in a tourist spot, it’s either the outside presentation or, as we saw in the 80/20 rule discussion, some particular feature that brings in the customers. For most lunch seekers, it is the way the place looks (“curb appeal”), and to others, the soups and sandwiches they serve (specific desired feature). You do not have a lot of time to establish a curb appeal relationship with a prospective homebuyer. Whether cruising the web to view online photos from across the country or cruising by your home on a Sunday afternoon outing, home shoppers will decide at a glance whether they want to see more. Creating curb appeal is essential to attracting interest in your home. 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. Likewise, a neglected house can cause a buyer previously excited by the description to cruise right on by. 11
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