Despite our best efforts, we do judge a book by its cover, people by their attire and a house by its appearance. Like it or not, first impressions form an opinion for everything that follows. Curb appeal can be a deal breaker, and houses with an attractive look from the street often sell for higher prices in less time than those with a bit of sloppy out front.
Additionally, there can be the assumption that if the exterior aesthetic of a property is important enough to be well-tended, the interior must be also. Perceived value rises, and more potential buyers are likely to want to see the entire property.
Sprucing up and maintaining the space around a home shouldn’t be about selling the property, although what it looks like from the front is always on the buyer’s mind. Homeowners should keep up the exterior maintenance and attraction for themselves, adopting the mindset that “this is not only my home, but also represents my largest asset, and I intend to get the most from it while I live here and when I sell.”
In and all around Austin, classy neighborhoods like Rollingwood, Barton Creek and Pemberton have homeowner associations with covenants, restrictions and easements to maintain visual attraction of the neighborhoods as a whole, which in turn preserves value. Even so, cobwebs, mildew, peeling trim paint and rust don’t discriminate on the size or value of a property.
There are buyers out there looking for the “handyman’s special” and offering low-ball prices, but just as many or more are looking for the equivalent of a turnkey operation where they can make an offer, sign a contract and move in without lifting a paint brush. Many people relocating to Austin are transferring into the area with companies like Amazon, Apple, IBM, Oracle, Meta, Tesla and others. Transfer often means promotion. If this is a first-time job at one of the highly-ranked employers, the new adults on the block need to focus their energy on the new position, new lunch spots, new responsibilities, new co-workers, new schools for the kids and not on sprucing up the front porch.
Not everything anyway, like how your curtains or mini-blinds hang and if your windows get dirty or the front porch light fixture rusts, can be addressed in a litany of covenants. It is a homeowner’s responsibility to keep up with exterior maintenance on a regular basis, which can in turn deter mold, mildew, bugs and rust.
If you are seeking to sell and you’ve slipped a bit on the home front, given your day job at the office and family and social life, here are some ways to enhance curb appeal — for you, for the neighborhood or street where you live ~ with or without a homeowner association ~ and for that potential buyer who could be cruising along the street right now with eyes wide open.
• sweep cobwebs, loose dirt
• check gutters and drains for drainage and damage
• replace house numbers with classy, large ones
• touch up or paint anew trim, porch railings, etc.
• stain decks and natural wood surfaces
• power wash everything (this might dislodge loose paint)
• kill mold and mildew
• replace or repair garage doors
• fill cracks in driveway and seal
• clean windows and make window treatments level and parallel
• new mailbox
• new porch and garage light fixtures
• paint front door, new door knocker or hardware or polish what’s there
• trim shrubs; add mulch or potted flowers (even just one)
• remove branches close to roof or siding
• roof must be clean and in good condition
• lightscaping along walkways
• neatly edge sidewalks and driveway
• put away toys, bicycles, etc.
• add a color accent ~ chair, flowers, pot, bench
• fences and fence sections in good repair, stain or paint
• repoint bricks which have lost mortar
• replace any cracked glass
• inspect foundation
• clean up after pets
• store trash cans, RVs, boats out of sight or off property
Professional photos arranged for by Habitat Hunters’ REALTORS can sell a house online with the first one the house from the front. That’s where the first impression resides. If you can, review the photos in black and white, as some things show up better when the viewer is not distracted with color. Many buyers cannot see potential, and others are not interested in purchasing potential. The offer price goes down with every little thing, and savvy buyers are on the lookout for small stuff to chip away at your asking price.
Keeping curb appeal at its best contributes to that first impression from the street which may very well convert quickly to a tour of the inside. When the outside beckons with a neat, clean, functional presence, people take notice.
