Preparing your home for an open house requires you to put your best foot forward both inside and out. Often, sellers pay little attention to the outside of their homes; something that could lead to missed opportunities.
It is true that painting a whole house, improving the landscaping, or upgrading a garage door sound like hard work. Still, here’s the thing: real estate agents say you can prepare the exterior of your home without going crazy.
So to that end, here are 10 open house hacks for the outside of your home that can get buyers’ attention.:
1. Do a deep clean
Before you put your home on the market, make sure your outdoor space is clean. Rain gutters should be cleared, pathways swept of debris, and shutters and windows cleaned.
If your home is starting to look like a deep sea vessel just brought to the surface, rent a pressure washer to deep clean your home’s exterior as well as your deck, patio, and fencing.
2. Refresh your front door with new paint
Not enough time for a total home makeover? Then paint only your front door to make your space feel welcoming to potential buyers.
If your home is a neutral shade, go with a bright shade in a complimentary color to make it stand out.
3. Create the appearance of a newly landscaped yard
You don’t have to landscape the whole yard; simply sprinkle bark mulch around trees and shrubs to give it a polished appearance.
You don’t have to thin all the trees and vines on your lawn, but pare back anything that obstructs guests’ view of the house or crowds the entrance.
4. Add lights to the porch
When home shoppers are deciding whether or not to attend an open house, they might drive past after dark, so consider adding extra outdoor lighting to ensure your home looks safe and welcoming.
Add up-lights under large trees and path lights leading to your front door for extra style. A welcome addition – put the lights on a timer so they’ll always turn on at dusk (especially important in the winter and fall when you might not get home until after dark).
5. Make over the mailbox
Freshen up the look of your mailbox with a coat of spray paint. A nice touch would be to use the same color you use on your front door.
If painting your mailbox won’t do the trick, consider replacing it with one that has a brushed metal finish.
6. Add trendy street numbers
A street number that stands out visually says your address inspires pride, so choose forms that are easy to read and easily visible from the street.
7. Add lots of flowers
Place a potted plant or two on your porch on the day of the open house to create a cheerful, welcoming effect and help to distract from any unattractive aspects of the home’s exterior.
Choose flowers that are simple and fit the season, such as pansies in the spring, flowering petunias in the summer, mums in the fall, and evergreens in the winter.
8. Change out your welcome mat
New doormats are welcoming and can distract prospective buyers from the fact that your windowsills need new paint.
Go with a classic style that will appeal to a wide range of buyers, such as a lattice rubber mat, braided mat or one made with natural fibers.
9. Take personal items out of your yard
When showing a home, you know you should put your family photos and knickknacks away.
It’s equally important to remove personal touches from the outside as well. Remove any kid and pet toys and your favorite football team’s flags…not to mention any political posters that might still be hanging around!
10. Tie it all together
A sneaky way to make your home look high-end without spending a lot is to make sure little things match.
For example, you could install a new doorknob, door knocker, and porch light in the same metal and finish.
Or, match the color of the mailbox and the porch rails then add two or more matching outdoor accessories. For example, a stripe of color on the welcome mat, flowers or bench cushion in the same bright color.
Bottom line, if you want to land a buyer with a dream offer, staging your home – both inside and out – is a necessity. How you go about doing it, is entirely up to you!
Here are more tips to host a successful open house.
10 Tips for A Successful Open House
