5 Inexpensive Ways To Boost Your Curb Appeal

It's no secret that we're in the midst of a hot seller's real estate market. That means that good homes are going fast, usually at or above list price. This is largely the result of low inventory, where good homes are scarce, keeping competition for them - and listing prices - high.

Bottom line: If you've been thinking about selling your home, there's no time like the present. But before you put your home on the market, it pays to put some work into it to make it more attractive to potential buyers - and while it's the interior that often leads to the eventual offer, it's the exterior that first has to hook the potential buyer and capture their interest.

With that said, here's a look at five simple, inexpensive ways you can boost your home's curb appeal:

Paint The Front Door

Being that the front door is often the first thing that people see when accessing your property, painting it in a bold color can really help make it stand out. Just be sure that the color complements the house facade and doesn't clash with it.

Pressure Wash Your Siding/Brick

Siding, especially siding that is light in color, can get dirty over time. What's more is that it can often bleed its color onto any brick that is located below it. The good news is that for about $50 you can rent a pressure washer and give your siding and brick a good thorough cleaning. You may be surprised at how nice it looks afterwards.

Upgrade Your Mailbox

While the mailbox may seem like a big project, you can actually purchase a nice new one for only about $20. So if your home's current mailbox is rusted, dented or just doesn't complement the overall look of the house, buying and installing a new one certainly won't break the bank.

Flower Boxes

Is your front porch a little bland and in need of some color? If so, then flower boxes are a great way to do it. Put these in the windows or along the bottom of the front porch, and be sure to pick out some flowers that really pack some oomph when it comes to noticing and appreciating the house.

New House Numbers

A nice house number won't just make it easier for potential buyers to find your home, but if it's done the right way it can greatly enhance its exterior. There are many different finishes and styles you can choose from for this, and they're all fairly inexpensive.

For more information on some affordable ways to give your home a boost in curb appeal, contact your real estate agent today.

Is 'Curb Appeal' Really That Important When Selling Your Home? Yes - Here's Why

Do you remember the first time you shopped for or purchased a home? If so, think back to that moment. What did you first notice? Do you remember certain aspects of the home's appearance, or perhaps some unique landscape feature? Was it the bright color of the freshly-painted door or the glossy sheen from the clean windows?

The concept of 'curb appeal' – that is, how your home appears when viewing from the curb – is an important one, especially when selling your home.

Give A Strong First Impression

The first impression that your home gives is one that will last. If your paint is fading or chipped, your siding is damaged, your roof is in disrepair or your gutters are hanging loose, what do you expect a potential buyer to think? It's safe to assume that if you can't be bothered to pull the weeds in the garden or rake up the leaves that there may be other maintenance issues lurking.

Remember, your goal is to sell your home as quickly as possible and for the best price. If your house looks like it's in perfect shape from the outside, potential buyers will want to explore further.

Appeal To The Drive-By Buyers

You may not be aware, but many potential home buyers won't bother connecting with your real estate agent or showing up to your open house events. Instead, they'll drive by to get a feel for how the house and property look from the outside. Some might peer into your backyard or take a quick look around the lot as well. It's critical that your home appears in peak condition at all times during the sales process. If your curb appeal declines, you may end up losing out on a potential sale.

Set Your Home Apart From The Neighbors

Contrast is another reason why focusing on your home's curb appeal is important. Potential home buyers will be comparing your house with others on the same street and across the neighborhood. If your house is the best looking one on the block, it's more likely to sell for a high price than if it's the runt of the litter.

When you're ready to list your home for sale, our professional real estate team will be happy to share some more curb appeal tips. Give us a call at your convenience – we look forward to connecting with you.

5 Easy Ways to Brighten up Your Curb Appeal

It can be easy to forget, but the first thing people will see when they come to your home is the outside, so it's important to have a well-maintained and picturesque property that represents the inside of your home positively. If you're looking for a few ways to boost your outdoor space, here are a few tips to help with curb appeal.

Plant A Flower Bed

Whether you decide on a tiny plot or a much larger space, a splash of flowers is great for adding a warm, homey atmosphere to your front yard. This can easily be done by going to your local nursery, picking out some easy-to-maintain perennials and watching the blooms begin to appear.

Trim The Hedges

It's entirely possible that you have a few trees or shrubs in your yard that have gotten a little bit unruly, but a little time with the snippers for some shaping and the look of your yard will be automatically improved! If you have any shrubs or small trees that have seen better days, you may want to remove and replace.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint

It's quite common to hear how much a layer of paint can improve things but this is especially true when it comes to your front door. While a tired and dull looking door can reflect poorly on the house within, a new coat of paint will add instant shimmer to your exterior.

Keep It Tidy

Whether you have kids who love to play in the yard or you've been doing a little lawn maintenance, leaving out toys or shovels and wheelbarrows can really take a lot away from your property's look. While you may only be planning on keeping these items out for the short term, a quick pick up at the end of each day makes a marked difference.

Make A Stone Pathway

It may not be something you need, but a whimsical walkway with flattened stones can add a nice touch to your property and make it stand out. If you're feeling ambitious, you may even want to add a bench or a birdbath to make for a unique escape for your family.

There are a lot of simple fixes you can utilize that will instantly boost the look of your home's exterior. If you're fixing up the outside of your home in the hopes of putting your property on the market, contact your trusted local real estate professional for more information.

5 Easy Ways to Brighten up Your Curb Appeal

It can be easy to forget, but the first thing people will see when they come to your home is the outside, so it's important to have a well-maintained and picturesque property that represents the inside of your home positively. If you're looking for a few ways to boost your outdoor space, here are a few tips to help with curb appeal.

Plant A Flower Bed

Whether you decide on a tiny plot or a much larger space, a splash of flowers is great for adding a warm, homey atmosphere to your front yard. This can easily be done by going to your local nursery, picking out some easy-to-maintain perennials and watching the blooms begin to appear.

Trim The Hedges

It's entirely possible that you have a few trees or shrubs in your yard that have gotten a little bit unruly, but a little time with the snippers for some shaping and the look of your yard will be automatically improved! If you have any shrubs or small trees that have seen better days, you may want to remove and replace.

A Fresh Coat Of Paint

It's quite common to hear how much a layer of paint can improve things but this is especially true when it comes to your front door. While a tired and dull looking door can reflect poorly on the house within, a new coat of paint will add instant shimmer to your exterior.

Keep It Tidy

Whether you have kids who love to play in the yard or you've been doing a little lawn maintenance, leaving out toys or shovels and wheelbarrows can really take a lot away from your property's look. While you may only be planning on keeping these items out for the short term, a quick pick up at the end of each day makes a marked difference.

Make A Stone Pathway

It may not be something you need, but a whimsical walkway with flattened stones can add a nice touch to your property and make it stand out. If you're feeling ambitious, you may even want to add a bench or a birdbath to make for a unique escape for your family.

There are a lot of simple fixes you can utilize that will instantly boost the look of your home's exterior. If you're fixing up the outside of your home in the hopes of putting your property on the market, you may want to contact one of our knowledgeable real estate professionals for more information.

Discover Why Your Home Isn't Selling This Summer

Just when you think you've done everything you need to do to get your home ready for the market, months pass and your home doesn't sell. Consider a few factors that can effect your goal of selling your home.

Priced Too High - If your home has an excessive asking price, it will be harder to sell. With so many homes available today, a big price tag may turn buyers off.

And, your competition down the street may have the same home but a better price.

The Market - No longer can you simply put a home on the market and watch the offers roll in. Nowadays, you have to be diligent and knowledgeable in your approach.

Research the market value of homes in your neighborhood and know what kind of competition you're up against. And, understand today's buyers and what they need in order to make a good offer on a home.

Unfavorable Location - No matter how gorgeous a home is a bad location can hurt sales. Although you can't change the location, you can be creative in figuring out ways to appeal to buyers. Offer incentives to attract buyers or lower your asking price.

The Appearance - Does your home need some work? If so, you want to attack those issues first before putting your home on the market.

Things like dirty carpets and broken appliances can turn buyers off. Try staging your home. This will help to ensure your home dazzles potential buyers.

You Didn't Consult A Professional - Trying to sell a home yourself can be an extremely daunting task. That's why you need a real estate professional who knows the ins and outs of the industry and can market your home in the right way.

The good thing is that you can make changes that will improve the situation. Go over all the points listed and address any problems. Once that's done, you'll have a better chance of watching your home sell.

Improve Your Curb Appeal This Winter

After all of the excitement of the holidays, the sparkle of the lights and the over stimulation of decorations, the rest of winter can seem lackluster. Don’t let your home add to the dreariness of the season.

Spruce up your curb appeal with the tips below and inspire your neighbors to create well-groomed street that will make driver’s passing through smile.

Tend The Plants

If you’re currently located in a winter wonderland, then dig up any dead plants that won’t grow back. Replace them with cold-loving flowers, such as snowberry or lambs ear.

In warmer climates, this is the time for any landscaping changes you’d like to make. It will give your plants a chance to flourish by spring and have solid roots before the harsh heat of summer.

Light The Way

With daylight hours dwindling, well-placed outdoor lighting will help highlight your home’s best features in the evening.

Not only do they make your home look warm and cozy, but they also provide much-needed walkway lighting so that your guests arrive safely.

For a festive New Year’s sparkle, wrap white lights around the porch and in the trees.

Create A Custom Mailbox

Reclaim a vintage mailbox or get creative with paint to let the neighborhood know your family’s favorite sports team. A personalized letterbox says a lot about your household, so make it something special that doesn’t look like every other box on the street.

Also, visitors trying to find your home always appreciate large, easy-to-read address numbers visible from both directions.

Place Pots Strategically

Create focal points with terra cotta or colorful pots. Place them around your door to make a cozy entrance. Use evergreens and holly to give the curb appeal of your home a wintry feeling or brighten up a dark doorstep with cheerful pansies.

Paint Your Front Door

Perk up your curb appeal when the weather is dreary by painting your front door in a color that packs a punch. Try a vibrant red, bright blue or sage green. These colors will make your home feel warm and cheerful. However, don’t apply paint if the weather is below 40 degrees, because it will dry brittle and crack.

For more information about the Atlanta area real estate market, please email me at ed@edshort.com or call me at 404.918.2500.

~ Ed Short, Atlanta REALTOR®

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How To Paint Your Home's Exterior Walls

When preparing to sell a home, few things improve its curb appeal more than a fresh coat of exterior paint.  

Many people are intimidated by the thought of painting their home's exterior, and choose to hire a third-party to handle the work. But, you can do it yourself, with these easy steps.

First, before starting, you'll want to inspect your home. Examine all walls, look under the eaves, and pay attention to door frames and windows.  Be on the lookout for peeling paint, mildew and rough surfaces and make a note of them.

Next, gather the tools you'll need to do the job. These include :

• A power washer
• A 2-3” inch putty knife
• A 2-3” inch pull scraper
• A wire brush
• A sander
• Chlorine bleach

Then, to create a clean surface on which to paint, power-wash the walls with plain water. Detergents are not needed, and may not work as well as plain water, anyway.

Follow-up your wash with the putty knife and wire brush to remove the remaining paint. Note where paint has peeled, blistered or wrinkled. Avoid gouging the surface by holding the putty knife perpendicular to the wall, and by using moderate force.

For areas that won't easily clean, use your pull scraper. It's used the same way as the putty knife, but it has a sharp blade attached that quickly works through old paint.

Next, sand your home's exterior smooth using a piece of sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block. An electric sander may be more effective for large areas; it'll save you time and energy.

If during the cleaning process, you find mildew, be sure to remove it. A simple mix of chlorine bleach will do the job. Mildew will show through the new coat(s) of paint, so be sure to be rid of it before beginning.

Lastly, with your home cleaned and primed for paint, wait for "good painting weather" and get started. Soon you'll be ready to list your Metro Atlanta home for sale.

For more information about the Atlanta area real estate market, please email me at ed@edshort.com or call me at 404.918.2500.

~ Ed Short, Atlanta REALTOR®

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Simple Fixes To Help Your Home Sell More Quickly

If one of your New Year's Resolutions is to sell your Metro Atlanta home, there are a few simple steps you can take to help prepare it for showings.

With a prospective buyer in mind, take a tour of your home, making a list of the good, the bad, and the not-so-bad. You may spot areas in need of major renovation; and areas which could benefit from just a basic touch-up.

It's these latter areas which will likely yield the biggest return on your investment so, in preparation for making your home "buyer ready", consider these steps.

Landscaping 

The first thing a buyer will notice is the outside of your home. Sometimes called "curb appeal", first impressions are very important to the sale of your home. Therefore, be sure to trim bushes, rake leaves, and clean up the yard in order to make your house seem more inviting. Clear unnecessary clutter from the yard and walkway to your home.

Bedrooms 

Paint the walls of the room a light, neutral color to "open up" the space. Replace old light fixtures with new modern ones; replace all old bulbs; and consider adding a ceiling fan to each bedroom. This can increase the room's appeal. 

Bathrooms 

If your tub has seen better days, have it resurfaced. Remove mildew stains in, or around, baths and showers. Replace stained silicone seal and grout, where needed. Check all light fixtures for burned out bulbs. Add lighting, if necessary, to make the bathroom brighter.

Kitchen 

Your kitchen might also benefit from sprucing up. Do not gut-renovate your kitchen. Rather, refinish or paint its cabinets. Install new, clean-looking handles. Add a new back splash, if you think it will help. 

You'll spend a small sum to make these improvements but the rewards can be more home showings, which can lead to more home offers, which can help you get the price you want for your property.

Your home may also sell more quickly.

For more information about the Atlanta area real estate market, please email me at ed@edshort.com or call me at 404.918.2500.

~ Ed Short, Atlanta REALTOR®

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