SO YOU’RE SELLING! WHAT DO YOUR BUYER’S THINK?
First impressions are EVERYTHING they are cracked up to be.
September 19, 2018
All too often I see Sellers spend all their time, elbow grease and focus on the inside of their homes once they’ve made the decision to sell. Yes, it’s necessary, declutter, downsize the “stuff”, scour and clean, move and fuss and make everything inside as attractive to a buyer as possible. Then when they think of the outside, if they think of the outside, then they are just done, there’s no more energy or motivation to carry on. But wait, you must!
The outside, in particular the entrance of your home is so very, very important. It’s true what you hear, first impressions are everything and you only have seconds. Buying a home is very much about what you see and feel, an emotion. If in the first 30 seconds walking up the driveway to view a home a Buyer sees unkept grass, weeds, a chipped walkway and a dirty front door in need of paint, you’ve nearly lost the Buyer before they have even seen how wonderful the inside of your home is.
Some buyers even drive by a home to experience a neighbourhood before they commit the time to go inside. If your home doesn’t meet their initial “curb appeal” expectations then it surely doesn’t matter how hard you slaved inside. So then what? Plan accordingly. Expect to spend time and a bit of money on the outside of your home to really grab that buyer on that short stroll up to your front door.
Here is a check list of the must dos, modify as it fits your exterior space, but make sure you’re in ship-shape inside AND outside!
It might feel like a never-ending list, but it’s worth it in the end an could mean more than one offer or an offer beyond what you expected in terms of price. Maybe your REALTOR(r) is offering some professional landscaping assistance to take some of the work off you, ask, it’s worth the conversation. Or considering hiring someone to do it all for you, the increased buyer confidence in your home will translate in their offer. Once you’ve finished all this important details in the front, you will need to do the same thing in your back yard if you March, 2018 have one. The backyard is an extension of your home It’s that extra ‘outdoor room’ that, as Canadians, we long to use in the warm months so showcase it! Show a Buyer what they’ve been missing out on and what could be theirs! Clean up that table and chairs, put out some potted plants and set up a nice brightly coloured umbrella to give the space a great pop of colour. Don’t have the items but all in for making the space feel right? Your REALTOR(r) can point you in the direction of a stager who will often have these things in their inventory. It may cost a bit to rent the “fixings” but it will pay off in the offer(s)! Now go get’em :-)
Natasha Pedersen is a Real Estate Broker and has been a licensed REALTOR(R) since 2008 a
nd has been in the Real Estate industry since 2006. DIRECT 519-760-6683 www.GreatGuelphHomes.com
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