Today we have the first of a series of articles written by Rhonda Wilson, of Revealing Assets Home Staging and Decluttering Services. We have partnered with Rhonda to ensure our listings look their best and attract more attention from buyers. I can say from experience that Rhonda knows what she's talking about when it comes to preparing a home for sale, and many of our satisfied clients will attest to that.
Edmonton Home for Sale with great curb appeal
Curb Appeal, simply defined, is the overall presentation of the exterior (all sides and angles) of a property.
A property with a well-maintained and cared-for exterior tells buyers that the sellers have paid great attention to detail, have loved this home, and have taken pride in ownership. The state of a property’s curb appeal literally sets the stage for the overall impressions made on the buyer. Great curb appeal piques the buyer’s curiosity in a positive manner. If you impress the buyer outside, they are going to open that front door in a very positive frame-of-mind.
On the flip-side, if seemingly small details are overlooked outside, you have successfully caused the buyer to immediately question whether the interior of your property has been loved, maintained, or cared-for. This is not a good place to start with the psyche of the buyer. There are a lot of important details home owners can miss when it comes to curb appeal; ask yourself these questions before putting your home on the market:
1. Are all of your exterior light fixtures in good working order? Are there any bulbs burnt out? Could any of the fixtures use some touch-up painting?
2. Are your address numbers clean, clear, and easily seen from the curb? How easy is it for Realtors® and buyers to find your home? Is there any foliage blocking the view of your address from the curb?
3. Do you have pets? Is there any animal waste on your lawn/property? Have animals belonging to neighbours used your yard as a latrine?
4. Is the exterior of your home “Season Appropriate”? Are Christmas lights still up in the Spring/Summer/Fall? Are some of your Halloween decorations still lingering? You get the point.
5. Buyers will drive around to the back of your property. How does it look back there? Is the alley free of debris? Did the garbage-man miss collecting something? Have you been using your yard as storage? Would it look better if you were to rent a “POD” for excess storage? How clean and well-maintained is the garage exterior?
6. What is the state of the lawn/landscaping in the back-yard?
7. Is there evidence of pets strewn about? Have toys been collected and tidied up?
8. Have you pressure-washed the exterior of your home?
9. Are your sidewalks, planters, and driveway all in good repair and clean/clear of stains and debris?
10. Are there any boards or pieces missing from, or damaged on your fence?
11. Are weeds taking over the yard in any spots? Have you removed all dead or dying foliage on every side of your home and in your yard?
12. If you have a storm door, is it hanging straight and in good repair?
13. Could your exterior door use a touch-up paint job? What about the trim around all of the windows?
14. How are your eaves-troughs? Are they all hanging straight, fastened well, free of leaves and debris, and in good operational condition? If painted, has the paint started flaking off anywhere?
15. Are your window wells around your basement foundation clean and free of debris?
16. Are the exteriors of all of your windows clean?
17. Do you have steps leading up to your front door? Are they in good repair? Are they level? How is the railing if there is one?
18. Do your exterior doors open and close properly and effortlessly? Or is there an issue with fit?
19. How does your mailbox look? Is it clean, hanging properly, and not needing paint? If it is quite bad, replacing it makes a great impact! If it is full of unopened mail, remove it.
20. Do you have any colourful landscaping in place in the front of your property? This can be very inviting to buyers as long as it is maintained. Also a great touch is placing a planter with colourful and seasonal flowers right outside your front door, off to the side, or if there is enough space, one on each side of the door for balance is also great!
21. Do you have a “welcome mat”? If so, is it clean and in good shape? If you don’t have one, grabbing an inexpensive colourful one creates a welcoming message, and shows you care about whether dirt gets tracked into your foyer.
22. If you have a door-bell, buyers/Realtors® will instinctively ring it. Does it work? If not, replace or repair it.
If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions it's time to roll up your sleeves and improve your curb appeal!
Bonus tips - Here are two great curb appeal tips to keep in mind while you're home is for sale:
Try to NOT park in your own driveway. Buyers can more easily envision “coming home” at the end of a day if they can park in your driveway for the viewing. With the seller’s vehicle in the driveway, it is harder for the buyer to see it as their own “home”.
Get in the habit (or set a timer if available) of turning on all exterior lights as soon as dusk sets in every day. This ensures that buyers/Realtors® can still easily identify and find your home, even in the dark. It also shows off the fact that the fixtures are all in good working order and maintained. You are also showing pride in your Curb Appeal!
Rhonda Wilson – CCSP™
Owner/Operator of Revealing Assets Home Staging and Decluttering Services
RevealingAssets@shaw.ca
We transform properties into highly sought-after products that sell in half
the time and for 7-10% more money. Through personal experience, extensive
research and training, and a compassionate approach, we De-clutter living/work spaces for up-lifting and positive life changes.
23. Show me the lower price. I can take care 1 to 22.
Never envisioned this day would come , when a seller has to go through such minute details to entice a buyer… Neither did all the speculators…
yes
Unfortunately these days you do have to go to some serious lengths to get your property sold. Some excellent tips there, thanks for sharing.
To “Online Property Lab”;
Thank you for your comment!
It is true! When the seller is pro-active and gets involved with details such as these, they are able to essentially determine the outcome of the sale!
Take care!
Rhonda Wilson
“3. Do you have pets? Is there any animal waste on your lawn/property? Have animals belonging to neighbours used your yard as a latrine?” – =) it is very important!
I Blame it on the sunshine.. it’s gotta be
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/08/19/blame-it-on-the-sunshine/
The ultimate tip… Lower your price
Cover story current issue of “Canadian Business”
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20100913_10006_10006&page=1
Its sad how the Realtors have abandoned their past clients, they add no comment here.
I’m sorry you feel that way. Realistically most people can see past the trolls who have nothing better to say than lower the price. The fact that they think that it is only price that matters shows that they have an agenda that they are cheerleading and truly don’t understand or want to participate in a meaningful way. I believe the silent majority appreciate insight and can see past these agenda driven comments. Unfortunately I just don’t have the time to respond to all the trolls. We do have a code of conduct and as long as they stick to it we do not edit or delete comments simply to sanatize the comments to our standards. What I’m not sure about is how you feel I’ve abondoned my past clients?
My husband and I recently sold our home, quickly and for a good price, with great support from Rhonda Wilson. Selling a house is a big event, and things that we may wish didn’t matter, do. Having a solid checklist of “to do”‘s really helped us to manage what we could, then relax and enjoy showing our home in its best light.
Hello again, Monica!!
We keep running into one another! I love nothing more than hearing about the success of my former clients. This is why we do it!!!
To everyone reading this blog topic, Monica and her family really stepped up to the plate following my Basic Guidance Home Staging visit with them, and followed my To-Do list to the “T”!
The result was that buyers were drawn to their property and were willing to pay more for it due to the fact that it was “Move-in-Ready”.
They really paid a LOT of attention to detail, and ensured that all of the architectural features were highlighted!
Paying such attention to detail, and ensuring that your product matches your price, ensures that you will be successful!
I wish you, Monica, so much success and happiness in your next home and this next exciting chapter in your lives!
Sincerely,
Rhonda Wilson
Shill, lol
Pets is a huge issue for a lot of buyers. Some people who are not so pet-friendly won’t even consider a home that has pet hair all over it. Sellers need to really make a serious effort to get the pets out of the home when showing it to buyers.
Hello, Carmen!
Thank you so much for your comment. This is so incredibly important.
When buyers view a home, their psyche is operating on an entirely different level, as this is an enormous purchase decision.
A buyer doesn’t even have to see the “hair”. All it takes is catching a glimpse of a pet toy, or a pet bed, or their food dishes. Even if the pets have been diligently removed from the property for the day, their paraphernalia also must be out of sight.
Even though said buyer may love animals and could even have 22 of their own, the though of a pet living within the walls of a prospective new home convinces them that there will also be a lot of animal-related damage throughout the property.
I have even seen buyers who end up psycosomatically convinced that pet odours exist when there are none. This is triggered by simply seeing pet dishes and toys.
Even going a step further, there have been cases where buyers with pet allergies will also psycosomatically enter into allergic reactions in a property that has been thoroughly cleaned of dander, hair, and waste. This, again, was brought on by simply seeing a pet bed or another item.
Removing pets and all of their belongings from the property when selling simply helps to eliminate the buyer’s instant instinct to wonder, or search deeper, for maintenance issues or damages.
Great comment, Carmen! Thank you again!