Enhance curb appeal

First impressions are lasting impressions. A large percentage of home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house based on its curb appeal. This is the view they see on the internet and then when they drive by or arrive for a showing. That's why the appearance of your home's exterior - its curb appeal - is critical when merchandising your home. An inviting exterior entices prospective buyers to step inside with a "this could be ours" attitude. You can help make sure they come inside your home by spending some time to freshen up its exterior appearance.

Evaluate your home's curb appeal by actually having someone drive you up to your home and park in front. Chat with the driver about surveying your lawn, landscaping, paint, entryway, roof and gutters, windows and lighting. Note if there are some areas that could be improved to make your home look its best. Then do what many home buyers do and drive down the alley to check out the back.

Painting pays off

A new coat of paint can do wonders to restore a home's appeal. Is your exterior paint cracking, peeling or chipping? If your budget can stand it, a top-quality job of scraping, filling holes, priming and a fresh coat of paint will increase your home's market value. Choose neutral colors appropriate for the style of your home and that blend in well in your neighborhood. And consider the color of your roof when choosing paint color.

Make a grand entrance

Walk up to your front door like a couple of prospective buyers following their real estate agent. Where do they stand while the agent gets the key out of the lock box? Stand there and look around like a buyer waiting to go inside.

Make sure the key that goes in the lock box easily unlocks the door.

A neat, cheerful front entry extends a friendly invitation into your home. If needed paint the door and trim and polish or add new hardware. Does the door jam caulk need replacing? Are there active or old wasp nests that need attention?

In addition, details such as a clean working doorbell, a new doormat and a freshly painted mailbox add a warm, welcoming touch.

A common suggestion is to add flower pots by the entry for color. I personally question this suggestion as it draws bees and wasps right where buyers will be standing and waiting for their agent to open the door. Plus in the Texas summer heat, it means keeping flowers watered which is a constant chore you don't need to deal with. You decide the pros and cons based upon your entryway.

Let your home shine, even at night, by cleaning the entry lights. Make sure all accent lighting works and if those low voltage black plastic lights are looking old and tacky remove or replace them. Be sure the lighting illuminates your entrances, walkways and drive. And turn on all the outdoor lights when your home is being shown at dusk.

Clean windows have never been so important. Make sure that your interior and exterior windows are spotless and that your screens and storm windows are in good condition. The hose end window wash sprayer bottle is a quick and easy way to clean exterior windows and screens. If the garage is a focal point in the front of your home, take a serious look at it. A new paint job may breathe new life into it but be sure to clean chalky paint off before painting metal garage doors.

Basic outdoor maintenance counts

A well-manicured lawn and attractive landscape plantings enhance your home's curb appeal. Mow, water and fertilize the lawn regularly. DFW Texas lawns do amazingly well after aeration (making small holes in the soil) which is offered by lawn services or rent one from home depot (mark sprinkler heads and covers to avoid breaking them). Use a season long fire ant killer like Over And Out so fire mounds won't be an issue to buyers and their kids walking in your grass. Remove dandelions and other weeds that are visible to the eye. Keep crisp edging lines between your lawn, drive and walkways and be sure to remove grass from between the cracks.

Most home buyers get a termite / pest inspection. Walk the perimeter of your foundation and make sure there are no termite or carpenter ant tubes. Home inspectors want to see a couple of inches of concrete slab above the soil or mulch line for just this reason. They also don't want to see anything growing touching the side of the house so trim all shrubs back away from the brick or siding.

Do you have some bushes or trees that obscure windows and the front of your home? It may be time to cut landscaping back significantly, maybe even removed entirely. This advice is seasonal because significantly cutting back and pruning in the Texas heat may put shrubs and trees in major shock. If necessary, call a professional or talk with a Texas master gardener in your area.

Your walkway and drive also affect prospective buyers' perceptions of your home. Sweep them clean of all debris. Clean oil stains by rubbing them with kitty litter. Repair broken asphalt or cement and pull weeds from cracks.

If you have a fence, repair, repaint or stain as necessary. Just make sure the gate works as intended.

Remove rust stains caused by air conditioner condensate overflow drip pipes.

Landscape for a luxurious look

Landscaping (or lack of it) can have a powerful impact on potential buyers and how they view the "total package" of your home. Simple, inexpensive planting projects are often all it takes to perk up a landscape. When adding shrubs use DFW Area friendly shrubs like dwarf Indian Hawthorne which are hard to kill, don't grow taller than windowsills, stand up to our heat, do not attract bugs and stay green all year. Avoid red tip photinia up next to the home.

One of the best landscaping tips I have is to spray a season long grass killer on burmuda grass growing in the mulched areas, then after the grass has died, add a fresh layer of cedar mulch on top of the existing mulch. Cedar mulch is a natural insect repellant to keep bugs away from your foundation and going inside your home. Do not use pine bark which floats into the grass in a rain and is a natural food for termites and other wood eating insects. Also avoid the red dyed mulch as it can look tacky. Cedar mulch may cost a little more but it makes the best visual impact, is low maintenance, and helps retain moisture for your foundation shrubs and flowers to look their best.

If you need assistance in planning your landscape, go to the library and check out a Neil Sperry Texas landscape book. Call your local "keep our city beautiful" group and ask if a Texas Master Gardener will come by for a free consult. For a hands off approach ask a local professional landscape designer to prepare a customized plan that you can easily implement before putting your home on the market.

Colorful annual flowers in your front yard can enhance your home's curb appeal if done appropriately. One key element is to use color in masse, meaning plant one deeper color of flowers, like red or purple that make a strong visual impact, rather than many different colors or lighter colored flowers. Avoid planting flowers that will quickly get leggy or flowers that have a very short bloom time, like mums.

Remove Personal Landscape Art

Some Realtors avoid this subject but I think it's important for you to know. It's hard for a buyers subconscious to think about this as their next home when it's obvious this is your home. Just like you should remove most of the personal knick knack stuff from inside your home, consider the outside as well. Pack up your front yard gnome collection now for your next house. Same goes for the "Welcome to the Anderson's" wooden plaque, door knocker or door mat. You might be a die hard Texas Aggie, but it's time to take down the front porch flag.

Add beauty to the backyard

If you have a deck, patio, porch or other outdoor entertainment area such as a pool or hot tub, make the most of it. Keep these areas, as well as your backyard, clean and clutter-free; put debris in covered trash cans.

Roof repair

Leaking roofs and damaged downspouts and gutters signal that the home hasn't been well-cared for. So now is the time to repair roof problems or they will be asking for repairs after a home inspection. Once the roof is repaired, patch and paint the ceiling inside so buyers won't worry about roof problems. Go in the attic and fluff up any insulation that shows signs of water damage.

Merchandising tips

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Contact Mark Hitz, Realtor, DFW Realty Today for your Real Estate Needs. If you are thinking of buying a home, selling a home, or want to talk with an expert Real Estate Agent with detailed knowledge of local Real Estate, please feel free to contact us. Simply call Mark Hitz at 214-514-1800, or e-mail us. We'll be glad to talk with you, and help you in all of your Real Estate needs.