Why kerb appeal matters
FIRST IMPRESSIONS are everything – at least when it comes to selling your home. The home’s exterior – including the front entry, yard, driveway and sidewalk — should serve as a snapshot of what’s to come when potential buyers enter your home.
Read on to learn 10 ways you can wow homebuyers from the kerb.
1: KERB APPEAL STARTS ONLINE
Since 88 per cent of homebuyers begin the process on the Web, fabulous photos are critical to getting homebuyers to the front door. Find the best time of day to shoot each room, avoiding too much sunlight, which will give the photo a glow effect. Overcast days are often the best time for a photo shoot. Take a digital shot and examine it as if you were a buyer, and get rid of extras – bikes on the front porch, platters stacked on top of the fridge
– that don’t show your
home at its best.
2: ACT LIKE A BUYER
Walk around your entire home’s exterior with a critical eye and a notepad and pen. Take notes on what looks ‘off ’ and needs repairing, replacing or cleaning. Get in your car and drive by slowly from both directions during the day and night. You might see something you’ve never noticed before, like a Frisbee on the roof or a missing piece of
Most homeowners don’t give their roofs a second glance, but the roof is an important kerb appeal item that buyers do notice. Is yours missing any shingles, or is it dingy and streaked? A good cleaning or, if necessary, a roof replacement will increase your home’s kerb appeal factor tremendously. If your house numbers aren’t easy to see or if they’re dirty and dingy, replacing them carries a tremendous impact. Consider the style of your house – traditional, transitional or modern – and create a harmonious or contrasting effect with new house numbers.
Homeowners often get used to certain defects – chipped paint on the front door from the keys banging against it, cobwebs on the porch ceiling, cracked or stained steps – and might need a new set of eyes to help them prioritise what needs to be fixed and cleaned up.