we-stage-jacksonville-jacksonville-fl-florida-home-exterior-palm-trees-large-windws-modern-design.png

In today's market, buyers do shop online first before actually making an appointment to visit the property. You want those listing photos to immediately grab their attention and make a great first impression. Today, I'll be sharing with you my 4 tips to put the exterior's best face front and forward.

Tip #1 - A Thorough Cleaning Goes a Long Way

we-stage-jacksonville-jacksonville-fl-florida-home-traditional-look-palm-trees.png

It always starts with a general tidying up plan. Simple, right? Well, as some of you might think, it doesn't stop there. Most of the time, the front of your home is the first one shown on the MLS. It's what gives home buyers their first impression of a property before even stepping a foot inside.

So clean those gutters and possibly replace them if necessary and wash the inside and outside of your windows. Power wash where needed most, usually the siding and concrete areas and any extraneous items left on the lawn should be cleaned up and packed away.

Tip #2 - Remove the Gaudy & Add the Gorgeous

we-stage-jacksonville-jacksonville-fl-home-with-red-flowers-manicured-lawn-large-black-door.png

Speaking of extraneous items left on the lawn brings me to tip number two. Please, please, please remove those over-the-top and sometimes polarizing lawn ornaments. Hint, hint - you know who you are here in Florida! No snapping swamp gator statues allowed EVER.

What you want to do is add some pretty pops of color to your flower beds and possibly add some pots of flowering plants by or near your front door. Pull those unruly, pesky weeds up and prune the hedges so there's no encroaching the walkways or blocking light from coming into the house. Lastly, remove the low-hanging tree branches. You want to see at least 6 feet of the tree trunk, sometimes higher depending on the size of the tree.

Tip #3 - No Remodel Needed to Refresh the Home

There are many small but impactful things a home seller can do themselves to get the front of their home ready for the big day which doesn't involve a remodel. I will always encourage my clients to paint the front door, even if it is in good shape. By adding a nice pop of color to it like my number one recommendation Tricorn Black by Sherwin Williams, then red or blue.

These needed and inexpensive updates could bring in $6,000 to $8,000 more in the sale of your home. Some other inexpensive updates would be to add a nice welcome mat by the front door, update the mailbox and replace those faded out house numbers.

Add some solar lights along the pathway that leads to the front door and replace the porch light fixtures and any accent lighting. I know personally that some of these homebuyers will do a drive-by at night just to see how the ambient lighting illuminates the home.

Tip #4 - Staging Sells the Home & the Lifestyle, too

Now, here comes the fun part. Hire that home stager and allow them to style your newly cleaned and refreshed exterior. We all know the impact home staging has on selling a lifestyle, not just your home. We talked much about the front of the home but the back of the house is equally, if not more important, especially here in Florida.

It truly is an extension of the inside of the house and many times can seal the deal, The same applies here as it does for the front of your home with landscaping, power washing, and removing weeds. However, if you do not have a patio set, invest in one. Homebuyers want to know that they can eat and entertain in this area.

If you do have patio furniture, make sure there is enough room to walk around it. We always shoot for good traffic flow. Lastly, they want to see how their children & pets can run around in the backyard so leave an open area in the middle for playing.

Looking for home selling and staging tips that will make your life easier? Sign up for our monthly newsletter so you don't miss out.

Warmly,

Theresa