The "Wow Factor": | Real Estate First Impressions

First impressions count in real estate

In the world of real estate, curb appeal is everything. Whether you’re selling your home, getting ready for some special entertaining, or just sprucing things up for spring… you need to make an impact in a flash. The place doesn’t look so good from the street, but it’s gorgeous inside? It better be… it takes a lot of work to correct a bad first impression. (And a buyer may not take the time to get as far as the front door.)

Take some time this month to rethink your home’s first impression. Here’s some quick tips to help boost the “wow factor”:

• Take a drive or a walk. Then come back down the street towards your home as if you are the one seeing it for the first time. Take a notebook and be objective. Is there clutter in the lawn, driveway, or yard? Maybe that pile of discarded garden pots that you’ve been meaning to recycle? Check out the roof. What about the eaves trough? Anything looking crooked or in need of repair? Any cracked windows or peeling paint? What do you see when you look in the windows? Paraphernalia piled on a window ledge? Tatty curtain liners? Make a note of everything you see.
• A yellow front door. Real estate agents have joked that they can sell any house if the front door is painted yellow. Or if the home smells like green apples! What do these anecdotes tell us? Savvy agents know how easy it is to impress buyers with a little spit and polish, and a dash of flair. Your front door is a focal point; make sure it looks fabulous.
• Sparkling windows. Your windows and doors must not only be in excellent repair, but the glazing must be sparkling clean too. If the exterior of your home is well kept, you’re sending a signal that everything else is well caredfor, too .

• A pot of pansies is worth its weight in gold. Make sure you have some lovely pots of flowers flanking the entrance of your home. If you’re making an impression in the winter, it’s worth beautifying your entryway with two urns of evergreen.
• Impressive house numbers (matched to your home’s “look”), a doorknocker, a kick plate, and sturdy doorknobs say to a buyer: welcome to this solid wellmaintained home. And remember that everything must work … especially the doorbell, the door handle, the swinging screen or storm door, the front porch light, the mailbox slot…. You can’t afford to slip up here at the very entrance of your home!
• Wonderful walkways. An attractive front pathway will entice buyers into your home. A few twinkling lights sprinkled here and there create a magical mood for lateday visitors. Spotlight a lovely tree or trimmed shrubbery for nighttime curb appeal too.
• Enhance and downplay. Accentuate the positive, and eliminate the negative. If you have a pleasing curved pathway, edge it, and line it with boxwood shrubbery. If you have an attached garage, paint it out (camouflage it with the colour of your exterior), then make your front door pop by painting it an impactful colour.

You’ll be pleased by the big impact that just a little effort can make. If you’re selling your home, then it’s in your very best financial interest to make sure your home has great curb appeal . And even if you’re not, imagine how wonderful it will be to welcome family and friends to your own front door!