Curb Appeal

When your Realtor is taking you through the checklist of things to get ready before you list your home for sale make sure that you don't overlook this very important topic as so many focus on the interior of the home they forget that the focus on the exterior is also very is also very important when it comes to the sale of your home.

Sellers get so tunnel visioned and focused on having the inside of the home ready for sale the they often forget the extreme importance of the exterior of the home as well. Now I can't say it's the fault of the Listing Realtor but I have gone to many a listing where the outside of the home is so unappealing I can't imagine that it wasn't addressed with the home owner to fix it before listing their home and maybe they just chose not to do anything about it. All I know is that it is often overlooked and it is detrimental to getting you the top dollar for your home.

I for one feel that first impressions are extremely important and we have all walked by a house with the yard so messy that you can't help thinking if this is how the outside of their home looks like then I can't imagine how the inside of the home looks as well. Thus proving that you need to have that "Wow" factor inside and out to get you the most for your home.

I understand as well that over the years coming in and out of your home you just grow accustomed to how your home looks but before you list it for sale do yourself a favour walk around the block and come back to your house and give it a honest and sincere once over.

Is your yard weeded, trimmed and cut? Laneway swept and cleared? Trees trimmed and neat? Leaves raked up? Kids toys, bikes and debris put away? Eavestroughs emptied out? Did you powerwash your deck/fence to brighten it up? Did you powerwash any tiles or stones outside to brighten them as well or wash away any moss that has formed? How is your roof? Does it look old or on it's last legs? Are your windows clean? Is the paint peeling on your garage doors and windows? Are there oil spots from your cars on your laneway? Does your home have some features you want to showcase? (waterfall, coy pond, large deck, built in BBQ fixture, etc) Or do you have something you'd like to draw the eyes away from such as an old retaining wall etc ? All of these points can help sway a potential buyer to come into your home instead of passing it over and moving onto the next potential listing.

Last but not least you can't forget about "Evening Curb Appeal". This is very important as you have to think of when do potential buyers check out homes they may be interested in? Usually at night after work, couples may do a drive by to check out the houses they want to further investigate on the weekend, which brings the question does your home have  "Evening Curb Appeal"? By this I mean does your home have good lighting outside? Does it showcase any focal points that you want to drive attention to? Do you have a spotlight highlighting your landscaping? Is the entrance to your home warm and inviting?

These are all valid points that can only bring more value to your home but are often overlooked. Curb appeal helps and remember to market the whole package to the public before you list.