Getting those buyers into your home

Spring is in full swing here in Connecticut. The trees are starting to leaf out, the daffodils and tulips have been up for a bit, some of the flowering trees are showing off for us. Things are looking great! Soon our gardens will be in full swing too.

What does this have to do with real estate? Plenty! If you are planning to sell your home, take a good look at the outside of your home. Curb appeal is the way to get the buyers inside your home. I can tell you for a fact that some buyers won’t even get out of the car if the outside isn’t appealing.

What can you do?

• Make sure you clean up the yard. Not just the leaves from last fall or the branches that might have fallen in the yard. Take a look at what you might be storing outside and get rid of it. You need to use a buyers eye, pretend it isn’t your house, take pictures and see how it looks. Too much “stuff” in the yard will turn buyers right off. The worst offence is old vehicles stored on the property.
• Paint your front door. A fresh coat of paint will do wonders for the home.
• Get some flowering plants and place them by the entrance, but keep them weed free!
• If you have a front porch, does it also need a fresh coat of paint? Is the furniture broken down? Make sure the porch is clean and inviting.
• Check your flower beds. Make sure they are weed free, perhaps a fresh coating of mulch will help.
• Keep the grass mowed, address any dead or brown zones in the yard.
• If you have a fence, make sure it in good shape.
• The driveway should be in good shape. If you have pot holes, fix them!
• Find a place to store those garbage cans. You don’t want potential clients getting out of their vehicles and seeing overflowing garbage cans before they see anything else!
• Check your garage doors. Are they worn out? Do they need a coat of paint? Is the wood in good shape around the doors?
• How is your deck? Make sure the wood is clean, the railings are in good shape and if it is painted, and the paint is peeling, give it a fresh coat.
• Check your gutters, clean them out and keep the leaders clear and in good working order.

If you want to get them out of the car and into the house you need to look at your yard and the outside of your home with a new eye! There are many websites with great ideas and photos to help you out. I found a few interesting ones, try Myhomeideas.com or a great article written by Elizabeth Weintraub about curb appeal on About.com.

© 2009 Andrea Swiedler. Unless otherwise noted, the content, both written and in pictures, is the property of Andrea Swiedler. If you wish to use something you see here, please email me (andrea@andreswiedler.com) with your request. Most likely I will oblige, with a link back to my original content as well as an acknowledgment. Although imitation is the highest form of flattery, please let me know before you decide to bestow this form of flattery on me! Thank you.

Looking to purchase or sell a home in the greater New Milford CT area? Please contact me , or visit my website to find out more about me.

What is good about New Milford and the surrounding communities? Check it out! More information about local real estate, local happenings and local photography.