It could be that your family has outgrown your home, you have a new job in another state, or decided to downsize. Whatever the reason, you’re selling your home. You put it on the market, and despite other homes in the neighborhood selling quickly, yours just sits there with nary an offer. The inside looks great, but you just can’t get anyone in the door to see it. Essentially, like the woman in the literary classic, your home is wearing a scarlet letter.
The problem may not be that you have no curb appeal but that you actually have curb unappeal. Curb unappeal is far worse than just a lack of curb appeal. It can actually drive people away. In the numerous times my wife and I have looked for a home, we’re the people who drive by your house very slowly. When we do, we’re obviously looking at the type of construction, the facade style, and the layout. At the same time, though, we’re looking at how you maintain the entryway, the yard, the driveway, etc.
Admittedly, we’re the OCD buyer types, but what we see is what many other potential buyers see, too. Being able to picture yourself in a home starts at the curb. That’s why it’s so important to start your staging where the street ends and your property begins.
Curb appeal is easy. You don’t have to have a weed-free yard with golf course quality grass. You just need to pay attention to a few small things that make a huge difference. I’ll break it down into a few problem and solution areas that even the most unimaginative person with the opposite of a green thumb can overcome in a weekend or two.
Problem: The Scary Lawn
As I said before, you don’t have to have a perfectly manicured lawn. Most potential buyers don’t know the difference between Bermuda and Centipede grass. What they do see are bare spots.
Solution: Bare spots happen. If you have some, go to your nearest home and garden store and buy just enough pieces of whatever kind of grass you have. Dig out the spots and fill them with top soil. Then cut a piece of the grass to fit the spot. If you water even just that spot for the next week, it will fill right in. The other key thing to remember is that bare spots are highlighted when cutting your lawn too short. This means you should not…I repeat…should not put your lawn mower on the 1” setting. If necessary, let the lawn go for a few weeks until it reaches 4”. Then set your lawn mower to 3”. You’ll see how much lusher the lawn looks the moment you’re finished.
Problem: Orphaned Landscaping
When you moved in, the landscaping looked great because the previous owner was OCD about it. That’s part of what drew you to the property. Being a normal person, though with other priorities in life, the landscaping has since been on its own. Untrimmed shrubs and trees say only one thing to potential buyers: “We’ve been orphaned.” this is definitely not the look that you are going for.
Solution: If you have a newer home where the builder planted new trees, they have probably grown up more than a few feet. One simple act that makes a big difference in curb appeal is pruning the lower hanging branches. Doing so accentuates the upper portion of the tree. When it comes to shrubs, you can go one of two ways: rounded or blocked. I prefer rounded because nature abhors a straight line. Whichever way you go, simply cleaning the shrubs up a bit and giving them a definitive and uniform shape goes a long way toward making the drive-by prospect want to come inside. If you have mature trees, have any low hanging or dead limbs trimmed. It will open up the space.
Problem: No or Not Enough Landscaping
Another common problem I see is a lack of landscaping. Imagine going to a car dealer and looking at a brand new car that had no bells and whistles. Would you wanna buy it? Probably not. The same rings true for houses. While you don’t have to have a yard that is going to win your community’s yard of the month award, you have to have some semblance of landscaping.
Solution: Once again, this is not a hard or expensive thing to fix. All you really need is to add a splash of color. On the same trip to your local home and garden store to buy the grass, buy some flowers. Plant them in front of the shrubs you just trimmed. Put some around the base of the trees you just pruned. It really is that simple. Of course, while you are selling the house, you will need to be sure to water them at least three times a week because dead flowers are worse than the flowers. While you’re at it, spread some fresh mulch around them. It makes the colors pop even more.
Problem: The Junkie Yard
This one is not intended to offend anyone, but every neighborhood has at least one junkie yard. It may be trash cans left in the front of the garage all week. It may be lawn equipment or toys. It could even be a broken down car. In every scenario, it equates to curb unappeal.
Solution: Put everything away and keep it put away. If it’s a broken down car, have it moved somewhere else. It really is that simple.
Problem: The Abandoned Front Porch
Some people love front porches. Some people do not. If you’re one of those people who uses their front porch only has an avenue of ingress or egress from your home, there’s nothing wrong with that. That said, when you’re trying to sell a home, your front porch should look inviting, not like an abandoned and forgotten space.
Solution: When it comes to front porches, your local home and garden store and Wayfair have just what you need. Even if your front porch is not huge you should probably be able to find a slim rocker and table to place next to your front door. Add some tall, narrow flower planters on each side, and you’re almost there. The final touch is too buy a U.S. flag and flag mount. Once you have that installed, your front porch will go from being abandoned to welcoming.
Problem: Nasty Driveways Leading to Nasty Garages
This is one that I see far too often. Someone has a driveway that will fit at least four cars and a nice wide garage to store whatever the heart desires. The only negative – and it’s a huge negative – is when the driveway is stained, discolored, or otherwise less than clean. The same thing applies to garage doors, especially when they are white. Over time, like the driveway, they accumulate dirt and grind. If you live in a heavily wooded area, they may also accumulate a tinge of green. These are all detractors from curb appeal.
Solution: This is yet another easy problem to remedy. If you’re going to sell your house, pressure wash your driveway, and pressure wash your garage door. For that matter, go ahead and pressure wash the entire front and sides of your home. It will go a very, very long way toward making your home more inviting. If you are not the manual labor type, you’re sure to find a plethora of individuals and companies offering the service in your area.
None of the things that I have gone over are, as people like to say, rocket science. They are very simple things that do involve a cost. When you compare the hundreds of dollars of cost incurred, though, to the thousands of dollars that you stand to make and profit from selling your home, they’re no-brainers. Remember that selling your home is really no different than selling yourself in a job interview. You dress for the job you want to have. So why wouldn’t you dress your home for the buyer that you want it to have?
Hopefully these simple tips help you sell your home. As always, I encourage sellers to recruit the help of a licensed realtor. We know and share simple yet important things like this to maximize your potential profit. Yes, it may take a small percentage away from your profit, but if selling your home is what is important, you should do everything you can to make it happen. If you’d like, you can always give me a call for a no obligation assessment of your needs and how I can help you attain them.
Best Regards,
Justin E. Gehrke