Getting ready to sell your Boston home this summer? Home
prices edged up in April, making it the second year-over-year increase for
2012! Inventory is down, meaning it's a great time for sellers. With home affordability so high for Boston homebuyers, now is when you
should complete home projects, clean, declutter and get your home into the
Boston Real Estate market!
As your Boston Real Estate agent, I’d like to bring up a
major driving force as a home seller in the Boston Real Estate market: curb
appeal. Potential homebuyers do judge your house by its “cover” and will drive
right by if they don’t like what they see. Curb appeal is what will cause them
to ask for more information, visit an open house and remember your home in the
mass of options!
So, how do you win over homebuyers with your curb appeal?
Lucky for you, in the summer, your options are nearly endless. Here are some
ideas:
- Focus on your front door. This is the main focal point of homebuyers and house guests. Give the door a new coat of paint, hang a welcome sign or summer wreath, or get a whole new door if necessary. A bright colored door is a sure way of grabbing a buyer’s attention!
- Emphasize the front entryway. Aside from the door, you want the front entry to look as inviting as possible. Invest in a new welcome mat, hang a flag from a flag pole, flank the walkway with pots of flowers, clean the front stoop, repaint railings or posts and clean the light fixture.
- Clean your exterior siding. This might just mean a good power wash, or it might mean a new coat of paint. If you have moldy wood or loose bricks, it might mean a more complex job to get the exterior back into top-notch shape.
- Keep the lawn immaculate. This means you should keep it mowed and trimmed along the edges, and watered when it begins to turn brown. Remove all toys and garden tools after use so nothing is crowding the lawn. Pull weeds and trim bushes and trees. Plant gardens in the yard or add a simple bench for added appeal.
- Polish your address numbers. Whether they just need a scrub or a solid polishing job, make sure they are bright and easy to spot from the street. If they have rusted over or are too dull to see, replace them. You don’t want homebuyers getting lost!
- Clean the windows! Seeing water spots or dirt on the windows is a major turnoff when walking up to the front door. Clean windows just make the whole house sparkle more from the outside. Inside, you’ll receive more natural light! It’s a win-win for everyone.
- Don’t forget the mailbox! Often overlooked, the mailbox also catches the eye of buyers because it’s right by the street. It’s hard for them to ignore, even though you’ve come to do that. Repaint it, make sure it’s standing up straight and replace with a modern one if necessary.
Now that you’ve worked hard to get your house in good shape,
take a step back from your Boston home and look at your work. Stand out by the curb, or do a slow
drive by. Try to look at the house as if you were a homebuyer. Ask a neighbor
or friend to do so with you, because they might spot more than you will.
If you need more tips or a neutral opinion, or you’re just
ready to get on with the home-selling process, contact me, your Boston RealEstate agent! I am always ready to help sell your Boston home in the bustling,
summer Boston Real Estate market.
Phone: 617-642-7585
Email: pf@pattifine.com
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