Street Appeal

Your home is immaculate, it is well decorated, and it is in superb condition but no one wants to see it. Instead of looking around the inside of your home, take a walk to the street and make an assessment. After all, this is where the prospective buyer makes a decision to either request an appointment or pass on by. Street appeal alone will not sell your home but it will get prospective buyers inside.

To push this point a little, remember the statement that 75% of the calls to the Real Estate Office come directly from the sign in the yard. It is not because it is a pretty sign, it is because they are looking at your home from the street and they know it is for sale. They like what they see.

When prospective buyers meet with a Realtor for the first time, they select houses from the Multiple Listing Service, either through a book or on the Internet. Their selection is made based on what the house has inside, but the option to tour is based on the picture they see in the listing. Again they are looking at your home from the street.

You do not have to have to do a major remodeling of your home to improve street appeal. Some simple things like mowing the grass does wonders. If your shrubbery has overgrown your home, cut it back. Buyers want to see the house, not the bushes. Get rid of children's toys or other clutter that may be on the lawn. Most housing developments prohibit parking boats, trailers or derelict cars in the driveway. Unfortunately, some people still do it. If you are a culprit and you really want to sell your home, get rid of the junk.

The MLS System is full of homes for sale where the owner has made no effort to improve the appearance of their home. In a buyers market it is imperative that you view your home from the street with your Realtor and make an assessment as to how to improve it.