Increasing Curb Appeal for Sellers

Selling a house can be like an interview, and making a good first impression for buyers is important.  A way to think about presenting your property is like being appropriately dressed for an interview.  I made the mistake once of not dressing up enough for an interview (I wore a sport coat with tie instead of a full suit).  Even though I was a great candidate for the job, not dressing the part affected me negatively.  It's the same with a house.  You can have a great location and features, but it's important to "dress" appropriately as well.

Exterior

If you own a house, it's good to put out fresh mulch and pull the weeds.  If you have stones around your landscape, line them up if they've gotten out of place.

If the exterior doors, especially the front, need painting, now is a good time to touch them up or give them a full fresh coat.

Giving the windows a cleaning is always positive.   While broken windows can be taken care of with a repair request, having them fixed makes a big difference to buyers.

In an ideal situation, it is great to pressure wash the house and driveway, or at least the sidewalks.

Make sure to keep the grass cut and trimmed.  If you can edge the sidewalks before the listing, that is even better.  Also, trimming down the bushes is important.

Try to straighten up a garage or shed as much as you can.

If you have a pet, do your best to clean up after it while the house is on the market.

Interior

The basics can sometimes get overlooked.  Make sure the floors are swept.  Don't leave dirty dishes in the sink or dirty cloths out in plain sight.  Replace any burned out light bulbs. Take out the trash if you just put something in it that stinks.

Buyers can look in your closets, cabinets, and refrigerator.  Try to declutter as much as possible.

If you have some noticeable areas on the walls that need to be cleaned or touched up with paint, go ahead and take care of those.

Ideally, you will not have anything out on your kitchen countertops.

Keep the temperature at a comfortable setting.


Some of this may sound like common sense, but these are things can make a property stand out more, which can make a difference when you have two close candidates in an interview.

Matt Gatewood

Realtor®

Keller Williams Louisville East

502-594-6582

www.gatewoodproperties.com