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Sprucing Up Your Curb Appeal in Just a Weekend!

by Scott Darling


Most home sellers work full time, and getting the house prepped to be put on the market can be a second full-time job, depending on their to-do list.  As most every seller knows, curb appeal is vital for a great first impression, and carving extra time is 
a luxury, but with these tips and ideas, it can go from zero to fabulous in a weekend! 

 

  • Cleaning Pressure wash the exterior siding, fencing, the porch floor, concrete walkway and driveway, and as dreadful as it may be, clean out gutters. 
     

  • Painting These exterior items may need paint:  front door, shutters, window sills, exterior trim, garage doors, porch floor and railings, mailbox and address numbers. 
     

  • Replace Lighting fixtures that are dated or weathered should be replaced, and put up new address numbers, or mailbox if paint doesn’t improve their appearance, and get a new welcome mat. 
     

  • Inspect Go around the house and look closely at exterior trim, shutters, and window sills.  Examine concrete for damage, and make sure walkway pavers are stable and in perfect condition.  Make certain that all landscape lighting or irrigation systems are in working order. 
     

  • Lawn Care Not only should the lawn be mowed but using an edge trimmer to neaten up the walkways, driveway and planting beds makes a big difference.  Seed any dead areas of the lawn. 
     
     

  • Landscaping Weed flower beds, add seasonal easy-care plantings (annuals are best for season-long blooms!) and new mulch.  If a tree needs more than minor pruning, call a tree specialist. 
     

  • Decorative Remove personal yard flags, add some potted plants on the porch, highlight a shady spot with a simple outdoor bench and a few plants, and clean up outdoor furniture cushions or replace them. 

 

Much like the interior of the home, the outside should be clean, in working order, and clutter-free.  Before you get outside, go online and search recently sold homes in your market for some curb appeal inspiration, then put in a weekend’s time, and get that house sold!  

 

Courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

Photo credit: talktotucker.com

Staging & Curb Appeal Tips To Sell Your Home!

by Scott Darling

If you’re considering selling your home in the near future here are some things to be thinking about. Staging your home most commonly refers to paying attention to how your home shows on the inside to buyers. Curb appeal refers to how it looks to buyers on the outside. Staging and curb appeal are often thought of as separate issues.

stagingHowever, if you think of them together the results will often be more than just the sum of the parts. The things you do to improve on by staging and curb appeal may even enhance your enjoyment of your  home for the time before you sell. Let’s consider staging for selling in this blog…

There are a of lot things you can do yourself without spending big dollars, especially if you start well ahead of selling. “Streamlining” is a new term that encompasses “de-cluttering.” Things that we all get used to living with do not always make a positive impression on a buyer. So, look around your living environment and be honest about what you could maybe do without, especially for the short term.

You might find that you would enjoy a little less stuff around right now. That includes things that are in storage. If you haven’t used something in 2 or 3 years maybe you could do without it? For the things that you really do want to have handy, is there a better way to store them? Here are some easy staging ideas you can do yourself.

Talk with your favorite Realtor to get some suggestions. They may even know a reasonably priced staging professional who can help. But, if you’re the type to do it yourself there are all sorts of tips on the internet. A good start is to do some planning. Make a checklist for yourself to help organize the effort for the big picture.

Also think about things that can make a big impression. An example of a high impact effort that looks at both indoors and outdoors is dressing up the entry into your home. That idea and 12 other tips are included in an article you can access here. Work your way through your checklist and keep thinking inside and outside together. Over a relatively short period of time you’ll find you are making significant changes toward selling your home.

Information courtesy of Chester County PA Realtor Scott Darling.

Curb Appeal Sells Homes

by Scott Darling

Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this.

Copyright 2013 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

3 Tips To Boost Your Homes Online Appeal

by Scott Darling

Displaying blog entries 1-4 of 4

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