The Buyer's Guide to Real Estate

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Is Your Curb Appeal Distracting From Your Home?

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One of the most important preparation steps you can take to sell your home is to make sure the curb appeal is right. Potential buyers who pull up to a home that is worn looking are more likely to keep driving. You want to entice them to get out of the car and ring your doorbell. To help you avoid potential disasters with your curb appeal, here are some problems you need to look out for.

Overplanting

Filling your yard with a lot of plants and shrubs might be an appealing idea to you, but to potential buyers, it could be a turnoff. The more plants and shrubs you have, the more work it will require to take care of them. Unless you are targeting gardeners, you could miss out on some potential buyers.

It might be painful, but you should consider scaling back on the greenery in your lawn. Try to stick with greenery that complements your home without overpowering it. For instance, a few small plants in the front lawn should be more than enough. You also should get rid of any decorative items, such as statues, that are drawing attention way from your home.

Mismatched Home

Regardless of how wonderful your home is on the inside, if the exterior is vastly different, the curb appeal could suffer. Buyers might not make it to the point of asking for a tour of the interior if the exterior is trashy.

Just as sellers routinely stage the interior of their homes before placing it on the market, you need to stage your yard. Look for ways that you can make the lawn look more cared for. For instance, if the fence is falling down, fix it. The more your home's exterior matches the condition of the interior, the better.

Too Unique

Many buyers can appreciate a home that is not exactly the same as all of the others on the block. However, if you go too far with trying to make your home stand out, it could distract away from the reality of how great your home really is.

For instance, if you have painted a large colorful mural on your home, get rid of it. Your realtor can help you find other ways to help your home stand out from the others.

Your real estate agent can find other ways to spruce up your curb appeal and make your home more attractive to others.


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