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Copyright © 2006 by Bob Schwartz San Diego real estate broker Certified Residential Specialist
Promotions Unlimited All rights reserved. You may reproduce materials available at this site for your own personal use and for non-commercial distribution. All copies must include this copyright statement. | | Real Estate --- Make The Best ImpressionWhen selling a house, among the numerous factors you should think about, curb appeal should be towards the top of your list. When a potential buyer comes to see your home, they observe at the homes around your neighborhood as well. You want your home to stick out a little, not to look the same as your neighbor’s house.
You want your house to stick out. You want people who drive by say things like, “I like that house”, or “I wouldn't mind living there”. You need to know what will make them say that. Examine your house again and see it's potential. Determine what would make someone say those things about your house.
The first thing is a nice yard. You may think a small yard is a draw back. It is not at all. You just need to know how to improve it. You need to make it colorful. Add some bright, cheery flowers along the walkway. Put in a flower bed under the windows, or along side the house. Weave out any unwanted trees or shrubs. These things can make a small yard look even more small. You want to give your home a warm and inviting look, not one of cramped space. Make sure the lawn is mowed and edged neatly. If there are bare spots, get some grass seed and resow it into the lawn. Trim the larger trees so there is no chance of dead branches falling. You can also notify potential buyers you just had the trees trimmed. This means they do not have to do it for a while.
The next thing you need to look at is uniformity. Make sure all the windows look the same from the outside. It actually makes the house look more neat. This can be done by installing vertical blinds, mini blinds, or even shades. If you do use shades, during the day make sure they are all at the same level during the time the house is on the market. You want everything to look uniform.
When you are examining the windows, take a look at the trim work. If the windows have shutters but some are missing, either restore the missing ones or take down the existing ones. You do not want the house to appear as if it is in need of repair. Missing shutters makes it look as though no one took care of the place. The paint may be cracked and peeling. Get the scraper and a bucket of paint and redo the trim work. This will make the house look more neat and give the impression of good repair as well.
You may have cement sidewalks or steps. If you do and there are cracks, fix them. You can do this with a filler cement and a trowel. This is a big improvement not only to the look of the home but to the safety of all who come there. If the railing for the steps is missing or broken replace it. Certain federal funding will not go through on a house which does not have a hand rail where there is more than two steps. Again, repairing the hand rail makes the home look more complete and adds to the safety factor.
Of course you will want to repair any broken windows or doors. This can really damage the curb appeal when a buyer passes by and sees this. Also, if there is vinyl siding which needs repaired or replaced, you will want to do this.
The key to making your house more appealing is looking at it from someone else's eyes. If you can not do this, enlist the aid of your family and friends. They can take a look and assess what needs to be replaced in a hurry. Make a list and just do it. Not only are you adding more value to your home, you are attracting more buyers. When you have more buyers, you can sell your home in a lot less time. All you need is a little curb appeal. 
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