You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. When it comes to selling your house, the initial thoughts potential buyers have upon arriving at your property will last. A poorly maintained house on the outside will raise concerns that what is inside hasn’t been maintained well either. This could lead to doubts about buying before they’ve even stepped off the street.
With this in mind, here are five ways that you can make a more appealing house exterior and entrance for buyers. There are solutions for a range of budgets and timeframes.
Rejuvenate your garden
Chipped furniture, dead flowers and weeds are unappealing for everybody. Rejuvenation doesn’t have to be very expensive or take months. In fact, you can do the necessities in a weekend. Pull up weeds, trim hedges and put out unique containers. Put a fresh lick of paint over any furniture, plant some new flowers and install brightly colored window boxes.
Replace your roof
A damaged roof will set off warning bells in prospective buyers heads that other things to do with the house are damaged. Hire a specialist company to replace your roof. Confirm their track record for providing homeowners with high quality products. A new roof makes your house more competitive against others on the street and in the market. It could also add value to your home. Either way, it reassures potential buyers that you take good care of your home and haven’t waited for an issue to deteriorate further.
Repave your driveway
If you’ve made a huge effort to make everything at eye-level and higher look fantastic, don’t forget to look down. How are the path and/or driveway looking? If they are cracked and damaged, replace them. If you have the time and skills, do it yourself. Otherwise, a landscaping company will be able to help. If time isn’t on your side, use a power washer to give everything a really good clean. These machines are strong enough to slough away even deep set dirt.
Add lighting
This point is especially pertinent if you are selling your home in the darker winter months. Also, if you think the majority of your viewings will happen in the evening. If you have the budget, add as much lighting as possible to the exterior and front of your home. It will make everything look warmer and more welcoming. It will also give prospective buyers a chance to see all of your hard work on the garden and driveway and roof! Even if budget is low, just install a single light to outside your front door. It may seem like a small addition, but it can make a big difference. We all know how much nicer it is to enter places that are lit up, not dull and dark.
Clean the windows
Even if you only have 24 hours notice, it’s worth doing this. Window exteriors are subject to the elements every second of every day. They mean that grime and dirt will build quickly. Ensure they are clean and sparkling.