Don't Forget The Curb Appeal!

Christina Thurston from The Staging Group is back again for our staging series. Last time she visited, Christina discussed how to keep your home staged, in case you missed this post, just click here. Today she will be reminding us about our home's curb appeal, which is very important, so take it away Christina.....

Last time I discussed a few tips to help you keep your house staged while potential buyers are viewing your property.  Here is a quick recap:

·         Daily tasks: open all blinds, tuck away any dirty laundry and make sure that there are no dirty dishes in the sink.

·         Every couple of days: general tidy (picking up any odds and ends that may be starting to accumulate).

·         Weekly tasks: dust, sweep and vacuum.

·         When staging with me, I will provide you with many more tips and loads of hints as to how to you can keep the model look! 

So now that the inside of your house is looking picture perfect…..what about the outside?  Curb appeal is the very first thing that potential buyers see.  The exterior photo of your house needs to look great to draw buyers in but this is also the first thing that greets them when they arrive to view your property.  If the outside doesn’t look as good as the inside, the buyers are already walking through the door with negative feelings.  Why set yourself up for an uphill battle to win them over?  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

·         If you have dogs there should absolutely NO evidence of them on your front lawn (if you know what I mean).  Keeping with that thought, if you smoke, there should not be any cigarette butts on your lawn, walkway or entryway.  Please ensure all of this is cleaned.

·         Keep your grass cut/garden free of weeds OR sidewalks/driveway cleared of snow….depending on the time of year of course. J

·         Make sure your welcome mat is clean and not tattered looking.

·         Add some colour by adding flowers to the garden or adding planters to the entryway. 

·         Don’t forget the backyard.  A nice sitting area can be very welcoming and create the feeling of a relaxing little getaway spot.

Most of all, remember, you want buyers at the end of their day to say “do you remember the house with the”…amazing gardens, beautiful hardwood floors, fabulous fireplace, etc.  You do NOT want them referring to your house as the one with the messy kitchen or the one with the awful paint in the family room or any other things that distract them from the great features of the home.

As always, thanks for reading!

Christina Thurston

For more information about what The Staging Group can do for you, please visit them at http://www.thestaginggroup.ca/ or email Christina at christina@thestaginggroup.ca. You can also follow The Staging Group on Twitter @thestaging group and like them on Facebook.

Don't forget Christina is offering a FREE consultation to all my clients, provided that you use her service, how amazing?

In the meantime, do you practice the art of curb appeal at your home? How important is it to YOU? Christina and I would love to hear your feedback!