Curb Appeal

Curb Appeal for Home Staging

Potential buyers formulate their first impression of a home from the outside.  This is why creating an attractive, pleasant, and meticulously manicured exterior is of great importance while you get your home ready to sell.  Before you put your home on the market, make sure you are maximizing its appeal by refreshing the landscape and making your home inviting. CURB APPEAL IS REAL!

Here are 10 quick tips to improve your curb appeal for home staging:

1. Trim Trees & Hedges:  If you don’t have the tools or the skills to give your hedges a polished look, consider hiring a landscaper.
2. Edge the Grass:  Use an electric edger to make the lines that border streets, sidewalks, and driveways clean.
3. Mulch:  Add fresh mulch in green beds and around trees.  This is a very easy and inexpensive way to make your yard look well-maintained.  Consider mulching the backyard as well.
4. Powerwash:  Powerwash the driveway and sidewalks.  You can rent a pressure washer from Home Depot if you don’t already own one.  You will probably want to include aerial photos in your listing so make sure your roof is clean too.  Hire a professional if you need your roof pressure washed so you don’t get injured or cause roof damage.  Purchase rust stain remover and a scrub brush to remove unsightly hard water stains from your house and sidewalks.
5. Plant Fresh Flowers:  Adding a little color can really spruce up your curb appeal.  Be sure to plant your flowers a few weeks before your photographer comes to take listing photos.  You don’t want your newly planted flowers to go into transplant shock on photography day.
6. Make the Entryway Welcoming:  Add some potted plants but be careful not to go overboard.  Too many potted plants can create a cluttered look.  Inexpensive solar landscape lighting lining the walkway can also be very inviting.  This is especially important if you want to incorporate twilight photos in your listing.
7. Refresh your Fence:  Repair any broken slats in your fence as this is a key indicator of deferred maintenance.  If the fence is dingy, wash or paint it.
8. Mailbox:  Paint or replace the mailbox.
9. Front Door:  Give the front door a fresh coat of paint. Wash around doorknobs with a Magic Eraser & clean all windows.
10. Get a New Welcome Mat:   It may seem insignificant, but a worn-out welcome mat can make a bad first impression.

Curb appeal is especially important when listing a home for sale in Florida.  Many buyers move to the Sunshine State to spend time outdoors enjoying our warm climate.  If the front yard is not inviting, buyers will be turned off.  The marketing for your home should evoke feelings of a tropical oasis.  A well-maintained front yard with tropical landscaping can go a long way in attracting attention to your listing.