How Curb Appeal Can Make or Break Selling Your Home

Curb appeal is the appearance of the exterior of a home from a street view. A wide majority of prospective home buyers will not even consider purchasing a home if they feel that a home's curb appeal is not visually attractive. In this day in age, shopping online has become widely popular. The same goes for purchasing a home. Many home buyers have turned to shopping for homes on the Internet. According to the National Association of Realtors, 70 percent of people will not view an Internet listing if there is no photo, and many will browse past a listing if there are only a few photos. Since deciding on a home has a lot to with the visual aspect, positive curb appeal is extremely beneficial. Curb appeal forms a potential buyer's first impression. It is highly likely that buyer's will associate the condition of the exterior view of a home with the interior. In a buyer's market, curb appeal can be the difference maker in selling a home. Several things can negatively impact the the curb appeal of a home. Some things may seem very obvious and simple, but simple fixes or changes can be the deal breaker between selling a home quickly for the asking price, or selling a home months later for below the asking price. It is imperative that you, as a home seller, view your home from a street view, and walk the path that potential buyers and agents will walk as they approach your home. Probably the more important aspect to focus on is landscaping. Take note of raking, weeding, lawn mowing, or edging that needs to be done. Be sure to remove any objects in your front yard such as sprinklers, children's toys, or trash cans. Objects like these can negatively impact the appearance of a home from the outside. Another important area is the home's entrance walkway. Look for areas of opportunity such as cleaning, lighting, or painting. Look through your windows to see the view that potential buyers will see if they look in. Now that some basic things to look for have been addressed, what can you do to positively impact your home's curb appeal? Even if you, as a home seller, are not looking to empty the bank account sprucing up your home's curb appeal, there are a few things that can be done. Inspect the mailbox. Repaint or change the address numbers on your mailbox. Install lighting at the walkway or entrance to your home. There are many solar-powered landscaping lights that are fairly inexpensive, and that are eye-catching. A new welcome mat, and some seasonal, colorful flowers will also draw positive attention. An important note to make is that even though a home seller may think that nobody is viewing their property, people may drive by a property before or after work. Be sure to do a front yard walkthrough day and night to see what potential buyers are seeing.