10 easy ways to improve your street appeal.

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Rosamond Fowler
5 years ago
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BY FRAN SWEETMAN 10 easy ways to improve your street appeal. Doors hanging off hinges, overgrown weeds and a dead lawn all scream neglect. In a buyer s vocabulary, neglect equals bargain.

1 BY FRAN SWEETMAN 10 easy ways to improve your street appeal. Doors hanging off hinges, overgrown weeds and a dead lawn all scream neglect. In a buyer s vocabulary, neglect equals bargain. Follow these must do steps to make sure your property doesn t end up on the bargain list. Did you know that I can help you save on costly design mistakes by just one visit to your property? Most of today's buyers are searching in three stages to buy their next home; Doing a web search Doing a drive by Making an appointment to view In today's market most buyers are using real estate websites to start their research. The potential buyer takes just seconds looking at the photograph of your property before deciding if they are going to click for more details. Buyers are narrowing their searches by selecting fields such as suburb, number of bedrooms and maximum price. Once the search engine generates the properties that fill their criteria, buyers scroll through until they see a property that appeals to them.

That was it... your only chance to stand out! Your kerbside appeal needs to get you onto the buyer s first stage list before you have any chance that they will turn up for a home open.

My design and styling advice can give you a detailed hit list with purchases and recommendations to execute the professional transformation your home needs, to help it stand out in today s buyer s

2 That was it... your only chance to stand out! Your kerbside appeal needs to get you onto the buyer s first stage list before you have any chance that they will turn up for a home open. Savvy buyers are looking at street views in google maps to see what your property looks like without even leaving their chair! My design and styling advice can give you a detailed hit list with purchases and recommendations to execute the professional transformation your home needs, to help it stand out in today s buyer s market. Follow these steps to help get you started 1. Front door Remove all cobwebs, repair any replace any faulty hardware and oil the hinges. Remove old fly screen doors. Now is the time to make a memorable impression with a freshly painted front door in a stand out colour that suits the style of your home. If needed replace the door handle and knocker with new ones and buy a new door mat. 2. Windows Windows should be sparkling clean and window frames and tracks clear of dust and cobwebs. Remove flyscreens and hose clean before replacing. If you have timber window frames check to see if they require re-staining or re-oiling. If you have painted timber frames these should be in good condition with no cracked peeling paint. Sand and re-paint if required.

3. Porch or verandah Remove all cobwebs, sweep, wash and scrub porch flooring and steps. Replace any cracked or missing tiles or re-paint concrete with new paving paint.

If you have balustrade railing, check for any signs of rust or loose fixings and then repair and repaint as required. Make sure that all external lights are working and free from cobwebs. 4.

Lawns and verges should be free of weeds, cut every couple of weeks during the marketing campaign and keep edges trimmed with a lawn edger.

3 3. Porch or verandah Remove all cobwebs, sweep, wash and scrub porch flooring and steps. Replace any cracked or missing tiles or re-paint concrete with new paving paint. If your porch is brick or limestone, pressure clean then seal with a slate sealer if needed. If you have timber decking, nail down any popped boards then re-oil as per manufacturer s recommendations. If you have balustrade railing, check for any signs of rust or loose fixings and then repair and repaint as required. Make sure that all external lights are working and free from cobwebs. 4. Lawns and paths If you don t have time to weed and feed your front lawn to get it green and in top shape in time for your market date, you may need to invest in rolled lawn. Lawns and verges should be free of weeds, cut every couple of weeks during the marketing campaign and keep edges trimmed with a lawn edger. Paths should be free from weeds, swept clean and lawns trimmed neatly to the edge. 5. Fence Fences should be in good repair, have no peeling paint and not be missing any railings or posts. Bore stains should be removed or painted over. A fresh coat of paint on timber, metal or cement rendered fences makes your property a stand out.

4 6. Letterbox Your buyer s need to find you! Make sure that your house number is clean and clearly visible. If required, repair, repaint or replace your letterbox and/or house number. 7. Gardens and planting Weed all garden beds. Don t forget the garden beds in front of your fence and verge. Trim back overgrown plants and hedges and maintain throughout the marketing campaign. Remove any dead plants and replace with new ones. Mulch garden beds with a moisture retaining black mulch. Landscaping should enhance a property not hide it. Cut back foliage to reveal good architectural lines and allowing more light into internal front areas of the home. 8. Carport and garage If you have a roller door or tilt panel door make sure that it is in good working order. Remove any cobwebs and hose the dust off. Ensure all lights are working. Paint the door if the paint is faded and peeling. Leave garage door down for photography and viewings. If you have an open carport, sweep clean and remove any toys, bikes and camping gear. Your garage should show that your home is clean and uncluttered and has ample storage room without needing to spill into the garage area. 9. Roof, gutters and exterior walls Depending on the age, style and state of repair of your home, you need to stand back and look at your roof, gutters and exterior walls. Bore stains on front walls are the biggest turn off when buyers are looking at front elevations. If your bricks or render are stained brown by your bore, bring in the pressure cleaners or try bore and rust stain removing solutions. Gutters should be clean and in a good state of repair. Roofs should be pressure cleaned to remove any lichen.

5 10. Yard de-clutter Now is the time to pack any children s toys, trampolines, bikes and garden tools. You may love your garden gnomes, ornaments and hanging pot plants, but sorry to say, the time has now come for them to be packed away or given away! Your home is now getting market ready and that means appealing to as many buyers as possible. Your property needs to look well kept, easy to maintain and needs to start selling to the buyer before they step through the front door. Remember, houses sell from the front first. If the front of your home appears fresh and well maintained, buyer s will assume that the rest of the home is well maintained also. Once the front of your property has been cleaned and manicured now is the time to add the finishing touches. With my colour and design advice, let me help you make your first impression, the best impression. Fran is a designer and property stylist available from design consultation right through to home staging to help you get your property market ready. If you need help with property styling, design advice, colour selections, and internal and exterior staging contact OXYGEN DESIGN SPACE w: e: oxygendesignspace@gmail.com t: ! fran sweetman 2/2/2016

Presenting Your Home For Sale

Presenting Your Home For Sale First Impressions You don t get a second chance to make a good first impression There are many small, inexpensive ways of making your home more appealing to a potential purchaser.