Improving Kerb Appeal

The house we are selling, our home since December 2008, The Futurist (1905) has been on the market for one week.

We completed loads of internal snagging jobs, as developers call them, before instructing emoov. Now reading articles about kerb appeal, I got it wrong, it seems.

I should have tackled the exterior first.

Okay, I'm damning myself with very faint praise as I did sort of begin outside - raking and sweeping autumn leaf fall and weeding the gravelled front and side gardens, the drive and even the path. This is what actually generated our first viewing too so it did work - a chance conversation occurred, about why I was doing it. Next day, these people viewed.

This week, with the For Sale board up and the property portals of Zoopla and Rightmove indicating healthy interest, I spotted drive-bys. Several drive-through viewings actually, but no Big Macs being ordered (even though it's rained daily) so I took a long, damp critical look at the outside and began.

First up, the front door: sanded it, primed it and painted it in showhome white to cover the original Shakin' Stevens green door specks shining through. Did inside too in a fit of smugness.

Next the sash windows, original single glazed panes, restored expertly with draught proofing, new sash cords a few years ago (not by me, I must add) Cleaned, lightly sanded and primed with the inserts wiped with linseed oil.

Three gates and a garage door to tackle next - and then instead of this persistent rain, I'm expecting a deluge of viewers and offers. 

Now articles tell me to install exterior lighting, plant rambling wisteria, tidy the neighbourhood, trim hedges, plant pots etc. But it also says it adds no value to a house. I will do a modicum of these, but I think lights in a town road are not necessary and wisteria, I'm afraid, would look out of place, I think.

Cliché alert - don't judge a book by its cover, but it would appear buyers do.

The book cover is now shinier and more attractive. Will my actions though lead to drive-bys stopping and rapping the shiny door and asking emoov to arrange a viewing?

I'll let you know.