Curb appeal is one of the most important things when selling your house. Potential buyers can be drawn to your house if the front is appealing and eye catching. On the flip side, buyers can be turned away if the outside doesn’t draw them in. Simple things like flowerbeds and a clean yard can add up to 10% in the sale of your house. It’s ideal to start cleaning up the yard one month before you are going to show the house. Here are some tips to freshen up your lawn and make every buyer want to come in and see the house!
Spruce up outdoor containers. Container plants, especially large tropical plants, act as an outline for doorways, where buyers come in and out from. These containers also show the endless possibilites for decorating with container plants.
Touch up the mulch. Put a fresh layer in your flower bed…it will prove to be an instant fix! It makes everything pop by contrasting colors with the surrounding plants and flowers. The best part- it’s pretty simple and inexpensive.
Plant instant color. Go for a mix of several colors or a more uniform color scheme-whichever fits best with the house. Fltas of annuals are relatively inexpensive and make the landscape pop as well.
Shape overgrown trees and shrubs. It’s okay to prune shrubs and deciduous trees all year long. You want to make sure the yard looks maintained, and nothing says it’s not well kept like overgrown and dead branches.
Tend to perrenial beds. Tidy up plants and flowers that don’t look as good as they should. If a flower bed is in such bad shape that it needs to be romoed, lay new flowers or put a container in it’s place. If you are planning on taking some of the plants with you, now would be a good time to remove them from the yard.
Fix any irrigation issues. Irrigation repairs can be expensive, and you don’t want to pass that cost on to the buyer…take care of it now. Leave instructions for the buyer on how to maintain the sprinkler system.
Repair faucet leaks. Leaky facuets can be a turn off for buyers because it can sometimes mean that there are other plumbing issues. When you receive notice from your realtor that the house is going to be shown, turn on the sprinklers half an hour before the buyers come. It sends the message that the yard is well maintained and it also reduces the glare of paved surfaces.
Clean up water features. If you have a pond or water fountain or any other sort of water feature, make sure it looks clean. Remove all algae and leaves and make sure you clean the filter system so the water is clear.
Pressure clean dirty services. You can make grungy paved surfaces look good as new with a bit of pressure cleaning. You can rent a power washer (or buy one if you wish to take it to your new home). The pressure cleaner is also useful on fences and vinyl siding.
Clean up houseplants. Remove accumulated dust off of indoor plants with a damp cloth. Consider making rooms cheery by putting colorful plants like potted flowering plants or fresh cut flowers in various rooms.
With these simple tips, your home will be inviting to lots of potential buyers. I would love to help you sell your home, and give you more tips– send me a note.
