Curb Appeal...What is it and how can I improve it?

I have heard so many people ask if curb appeal really is that important. To answer that I feel I must first tell you what curb appeal is--it is what the prospective buyer first sees as he/she drives up to your home. It forms the first impression and sets the tone for the entire showing presentation. Is that important? I think we can all agree that it is. A positive first impression is critical when it comes to real estate--it could very well make or break a deal.

When I market a property I always ask a seller to walk with me to the street, then turn around and really, really look at their home. Read it like a book...from left to right. What needs to be emphasized? What needs to be de-emphasized? What needs to be cleaned, trimmed, or removed? How does the paint look? Are the gutters clean? Is the front door fairly freshly painted? Is the gate sagging? Are there toys, hoses and sprinklers strewn about the yard?

Get the picture? Pick out the details that need to be improved upon and get to work! A fresh coat of paint for the front door is such a plus! Remain neutral in color unless you can get by with a sunflower yellow, black or even brick red--those colors tend to be pleasing to the eye on front doors but must coordinate with the rest of the exterior to be effective. Are the eaves painted? Again, go with a neutral color. The reason is simple--you are trying to appeal to the majority of the people and the majority of the people go with neutral colors.

A clean appearance is nice. Even the most simplistic yards can be fantastic when it comes to curb appeal. What I mean is that everything should be well-placed and in order. Pick up the toys, garbage cans, sprinklers, hoses, etc... Try and keep the yard freshly mowed and pruned. Always have the front porch swept and tidy. Get rid of those pesky spider webs and dead bugs!

Need to take a picture? If you have a front-entry garage try standing on the opposite side of the home and take the picture de-emphasizing the over-powering structure of the garage. Never stand on the side where the garage is--it swallows the entire picture. If your yard is less than acceptable take a picture with lots of "sky" or get as close to the house as possible and avoid photographing the yard. Conversely, if you have a lush yard be sure to make it a focal point in your picture taking. I know of homes that have been sold because of beautiful landscaping--show it off!

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