Curb Appeal Exercises
   

 CURB APPEAL EXERCISES

A GUIDE TO ASSIST YOU IN ATTRACTING POTENTIAL BUYERS

Many home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house or take it seriously based upon its curb appeal-the view they see when they drive by or arrive for a showing. You can help make sure they decide to come inside your house by spending some time working on its exterior appearance.

It's difficult to look at our own house in the same way that potential home buyers do, because when we become accustomed to the way something looks and functions, we can't see its faults and be objective. Decide right now to stop thinking of the property as a home. It's a house, a property, simply a commodity you want to sell for the highest dollar possible.

Curb Appeal Exercise:

  • The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway to get a good view of the house and its surroundings.
  • Put yourself in the place of a prospective purchaser: what is your first impression of the house and yard area?
  • What are the best exterior features of the house or lot? How can you enhance them?
  • What are the worst exterior features of the house or lot? How can you minimize or improve them?
  • Park where a potential buyer would park, and walk towards the house, looking around you as if you were seeing the house for the first time. Is the sidewalk clean and tidy? What could you do to make it more attractive?
  • Take pictures of the exterior of the property. If you have a digital camera, view the color versions first, then remove the color and look at it in black and white, since it's easier to see problems when color isn't around to affect our senses.
  • Make a list of the problem areas you discovered. Tackle clean up and repair chores first.
  • Kill mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof, or driveway.
  • Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools.
  • Clean windows and gutters.
  • Pressure wash dirty siding and dingy decks.
  • Edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete or bricks.
  • Mow the lawn. Get rid of weeds.
  • Rake and dispose of leaves, even if your lot is wooded.
  • Trim tree limbs that are near or touching the home's roof.
  • Don't Forget the Rear View: buyers doing a drive by will try their best to see your back yard. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, include it in your curb appeal efforts.
  • Evening Curb Appeal: do your curb appeal exercise again at dusk, because it isn't unusual for potential buyers to drive by houses in the evening.,One quick way to improve evening curb appeal is with lighting: string low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and near important landscaping elements. Add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch. Make sure lighting that's visible through front doors and windows enhances the home's appearance.
  • Landscaping Decisions: there are times that adding elements to your landscaping can improve curb appeal, but there are other times when removing something is even more effective.

Most buyers cannot visualize changes, and often won't take a second look at a house if the first look doesn't appeal to them. Home buyers who can visualize changes, and are prepared to make them, expect you to reduce the price of the house to compensate for the work they plan to do.

A Few Curb Appeal Tips:

  • If you can budget it, a fresh paint job does wonders for a dingy house. Drive around your area to find color schemes that are appealing.
  • Install a more attractive front door, maybe something with leaded glass inserts.
  • If you can't justify the cost of a new door, consider replacing plain doorknob hardware with something more attractive. If new hardware is beyond your budget, repaint or stain the door and polish the hardware? If you brainstorm, you'll find that there's a solution to most problems-one that lets you stay within your budget. The trick is to find the areas where improvements are needed, then work on them as best you can.

For more information regarding curb appeal or discuss the wonderful Toronto neighbourhoods of Armour Heights, the Cricket Club, Hogg's Hollow or Bathurst Manor, please feel free to call Liz Gordon, Sutton Group Admiral Realty, Brokerage, at (416) 739-7200, or email at egordon@trebnet.com.