You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a Good First Impression

Why is curb appeal important? Your home’s exterior sets the stage for what’s on the inside. Prospective buyers are more inclined to look inside if they like what they see on the outside. Despite its importance, curb appeal is typically the most overlooked area of home staging. Thankfully, enhancing the curb appeal of your home does not need to cost a fortune.

There are many ways to enhance a home’s curb appeal. Here are some areas to focus on:

FRONT ENTRY

The front entry of a home should be clean and inviting. Freshly potted plants around the entry are always welcoming. For example, cone shrubs or boxwoods placed on either side of the front door will frame it nicely. Choose plants that are approximately two-thirds the height of the front door. The door should also have a fresh coat of paint and clean, updated hardware. If your house is lacking color, consider adding window boxes on porch railings or under the front windows.?

LIGHTING

For the front entry lighting fixtures, think BIG. The height of the fixture should be approximately one-fourth the height of the door. Consider incorporating lighting into the landscaping as well. Properly positioned lighting can be used to draw attention to the best features of your home such as seating areas, water features, paver pathways, and more. Upward-directed lighting can be used under trees and to highlight architectural elements of the home.?Path lights should illuminate downward and be placed evenly on both sides of the path.

LANDSCAPING

A well-manicured lawn with established trees, shrubs, and plants will always enhance a home’s curb appeal. Most buyers today want low-maintenance landscaping with native plants. Remove any dead plants and replace them with colorful seasonal plants and fresh mulch. Boulders can be used to fill any voids in landscaping and flower beds.?

INVITING SEATING AREAS

Let’s face it. The past few years have been stressful! More than ever before, buyers are searching for a home that feels peaceful and hints at a lifestyle they would like to have. One fairly simple way to generate?this sense of peace and tranquility is to create an inviting seating area. If your backyard lacks privacy, create the illusion of privacy with an umbrella or pergola, and large planters. Arborvitae trees grow quickly and can also withstand the Minnesota climate. Take it up a notch?by adding a water feature–Wayfair offers many relatively inexpensive selections.

CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE?

Give your home’s exterior surface a good cleaning to make it look fresh and well cared for. Power wash the siding, driveway, walkway, fences and gutters. If you do not own a power washer, you can rent one from a big box store like Home Depot or Lowe’s.?Cleaning off cobwebs and debris around outdoor light fixtures will instantly make the space appear cleaner and brighter. If your wood deck has seen better days, products like Behr Premium Advanced Deckover can be used to bring it back to life.

STAGING IS NOT DECORATING, IT’S MARKETING

Every one of our clients is provided a free staging appointment with our Professional Stagers. At the appointment, you walk through your home with your stager where they provide you with a list of feedback and simple to-dos to prepare your home for showings. They make it?easy with a room-by-room checklist that you can work from after the appointment. They are sure to make note of any updates or upgrades you have made within the home which can increase your home's value.

As a Staging Strategist with Kerby and Cristina, my goals are to make our clients’ selling experience less stressful, to sell in the least amount of time, and for the most money. We want to market your home to the widest possible audience.

We know this can be an emotional task for homeowners as they shift from viewing their house as a personal, memory-filled home to a product they are now marketing to buyers who may not have similar tastes.

Working within the homeowner’s budget, we focus on projects that will provide the best rate of return. This may include recommendations for paint colors, items that should be replaced or updated, furniture placement, and items that should be packed away.?

I truly love what I do, and am honored by the trust that our clients place in me to prepare their home for sale! When working with the Kerby and Cristina Real Estate Experts to sell your home, our #1 goal is to make the process seamless and as easy as possible for our clients. We understand the emotions and overwhelm sellers often feel when it’s time to prepare their home for showings.

If you have plans of selling in 2022, let’s connect! Call today! 612-812-9262