Top 3 things every Seller should consider on their home’s exterior before listing their property for sale

Top 3 things every Seller should consider on their home’s exterior before listing their property for sale.

We have all heard that first impressions make the biggest impression, but sometimes sellers don’t even realize what a buyer is actually looking at first.  Yes, the interior appearance of your property matters, but it all starts outside.

OBAR (Outer Banks Association of Realtors) actually requires its agents’ initial listing photo to be a ‘front’ exterior property photo.  This first photo is the first thing buyers will see whether in person or online.  So what matters most in this photo?  When is the last time you, the seller, have entered your home through the front door or paid attention to what your mailbox looks like?  These details truly set that first impression, so here are the top 3 things sellers can do to help a buyer’s first impression be a great impression:

1. Look at your mailbox.  Does it need to be repainted, replaced, updated with more modern house numbers, re-landscaped?  The mailbox can literally set the tone since it is one of the first things a buyer sees and is looking for when driving around looking for addresses.  Be sure your mailbox looks its best and has easy to read house numbers!
2. Enter your home through your front door.  If you normally enter your home through your garage, you may not even realize your front door and entrance needs to be freshened up.  Does your door need fresh paint, do you need a new welcome mat, does the glass need to be cleaned, do you need to add a few fresh plants around the entrance.  Make your front door inviting…this is where the buyers will be entering your home even if you typically enter your home another way.
3. Overall landscaping and ‘aerial view’.  If you live in an area like the Outer Banks where aerial photos make a huge difference to show proximity to water, etc., you may want to take a closer look at a few things before you list your property.  Does your roof have shingles missing?  Does your exterior paint look really faded on one side of your property?  Does your landscaping need to be cleaned up?  Don’t let missing shingles, a faded exterior, and dead plants or grass be the focal point for buyers.  They may not even get to your gorgeous interior if they cannot get past the exterior.

The Heather Sakers Team has all the right local connections to help with your property’s first impression, and we can help you get your property picture perfect from the outside in before you list. We are always available to do a walk through with our sellers before listing a property and highly encourage this first step.  It can make a huge difference in your sales price and overall success of selling your property.