Check that curb appeal : Rooftop Views

Rooftop Views

Check that curb appeal

You know it's true, a house is judged by how the outside looks. The inside could be absolutely perfect, but if the outside needs paint and the lawn needs to be mowed, the overall impression is liable to be bad. We have had buyers who would not go into the house after seeing the outside. Some tips for increasing the curb appeal include:

Drive up to your house and pretend you're coming to look at it as your possible new home. What catches your eye from the street. Do the bushes look overgrown or dead? Are they too small for the house? Trim the bushes and consider planting bigger shrubs if needed.

If your yard looks like a circus from all the yard art, pack away all but a favored few pieces.

Paint mail boxes, flag poles, windows boxes, trellis and most important, fences. Nothing looks worse than a white picket fence that is peeling.

Replaced broken bricks and repair cracked concrete on sidewalks and driveways. If the mortar on the home needs repair, consider tuck pointing.

Check out the screens on your porches and windows. If they are torn, have holes or are missing, repair or replace them.

If you have pets, make sure and patrol the yard for droppings before any showings. Potential buyers hate stepping in pet doo. And concerning pets, please have them elsewhere during showings. Even if Fido and Fluffy are friendly, the potential buyer may be allergic or just may not like dogs or cats. A barking dog in the backyard with big "DO NOT ENTER" signs does little to entice the buyer to stick around and look at the home.

There is a reason the old saying "you only have one chance to make a first impression" is so true. Make your first impression count.