Making a Great First Impression

Making a Great First Impression - Page 2

Page 2 of 7

The Exterior
Real Estate agents say that short of painting, simply making sure the exterior of the house is clean and looks maintained is very important.

Making your house appear as attractive and friendly as possible from the street is vital. "Curb Appeal" gets the buyers to stop and take notice, but most importantly gets them interested in seeing more of your home. It will be hard to get buyers interested in seeing the interior of your home and all of its potential if the exterior of your home creates a negative first impression.

Here are some tips to making your home more attractive:

Clear away any litter between the street curb and your front door
Remove any oil stains from the driveway
Repair any cracks or broken part of the driveway or walkway
Clear bikes and toys from the driveway. (When showing the house, keep driveway free of cars)
Remove weeds and grass growing in walkway
Trim back shrubs protruding into the walkway
Trim the shrubs away from house windows (for security and to make interior rooms brighter)
Weed the flower beds and add a layer of mulch
Prune dead branches and pull back anything creeping across the household
Cut the grass
(Autumn) Rake the leaves
(Winter) Shovel snow. Salt or sand icy area
Dispose of any pet debris
Wash down vinyl siding, if necessary
If the house is wood, scrape and paint required areas
Clean out the gutters
Repair or replace gutters and downspouts
Repair any parts of the roof which could be leaking
Replace any missing or loose roof shingles & flashing
Repair any house foundation cracks
Clean all windows, including those in the garage
Replace any cracked or broken window glass
Repair any wood that has decayed
Replace any bent or bulging window screens
Repair and/or replace caulking and weather-stripping around windows and doors
Clean storm windows - have them available
Confirm that exterior doors lock properly and they open and close easily
Oil any squeaky door hinges
Make sure the doorbells are working properly
Remove any seasonal house lights and ornaments
Ensure that there is a working light by the front doorbell
Tighten any wobbly porch or deck railings
Secure any loose porch or deck floor boards
Clean the lawn furniture
Place gardening tools in the garage or basement
Neatly coil any garden houses
Property is free of clutter, particularly scattered toys
Oil gate hinges
Gates open and close easily
Repair and/or replace any loose gate or fence posts

The Exterior of the House - Lasting Impressions

Shutters and front door painted in a spectacular color which complements the exterior of the house
An all-season wreath on the front doorbell
An attractive door mat
Flowers clustered around a lamppost or mailbox
Window boxes under windows and/or along railings (Winter: drape pine boughs across the empty boxes)
Hanging planters
Groupings of tubs with flowers on porches and decks (Winter: plant small evergreen trees in tubs)
Wood chips around trees and shrubs
Brightly colored bird houses
A hammock in the trees
Filled bird feeders
An open umbrella above your deck furniture
A chart outlining the location and names of all trees, shrubs, vines, perennials and bulbs on the property