Thursday, October 14, 2010

Selling Your Home? Get Some Curb Appeal

You only get one chance to make a good first impression. This is especially true when selling your home.
A large percentage of home buyers decide to look inside a house based on its exterior appearance. You can have the nicest interior in the world, but it won’t even be seen if the outside of the homes leaves much to be desired.
So what can you do to make sure your home will attract prospective buyers, even in this downed economy?
Invest in some curb appeal.
If you’re trying to sell your home, doing everything you can to make your home look pristine can go a long way in attracting buyers.
What You Can Do
While you’ve grown accustomed to how the home looks, those searching for their next home tend to be more critical of its appearance. You should stop thinking of the property as a home, but more of a commodity to sell.
To do this, look at your home from the buyer’s point of view. Stop across the street next time you come home to get a better view of the house and its surroundings.
Ask yourself:
·         What are the home’s faults?
·         What are selling points of the home?
·         How can you accentuate the good qualities?
·         How can you improve or hide the bad ones?
Curb Appeal Tips
The devil really is in the details. Kill mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof or driveway. Clean windows and gutters. Mow and edge the lawn – get rid of weeds. Get rid of tree limbs that are overgrown that are taking away from the appearance of your home.
Is the walkway to the home clean and tidy? Is there anything you can do to make it more attractive?
A new paint job puts a whole new face on a home. Find a color scheme that you think would be appealing to home buyers. A new front door that matches that new paint job will also help.
Putting yourself in the mindset of a buyer and fixing your home up a little can go a long way in the success you have in selling your home.
If you’re thinking about buying a home, a home loan with Quicken Loans may be your best bet in beginning the new journey to your new home.