Every real estate professional knows that the first impression a buy gets of a property is when they first drive up to the house. It is called “Curb Appeal” and if you don’t have it, you risk losing the buyers interest in the property before they even get out of their car. Most real estate professionals know the importance of curb appeal. Real estate investors will spend a lot of time and money creating a good curb appeal for the property before they ever put the for sale sign in the yard.
Buy what do you do in the winter to create the kind of curb appeal that will not turn buyers away before they even get out of their cars? This is a big challenge in the middle of the winter, but there are a few things to concentrate on and we will cover a few of them. I did however find one thing that a few people have done, even though they might not have their house up for sale, it gave me ideas on how to create that curb appeal that buyers like. Watch the following video and you can find many more examples just like this one from
Youtube.com.
The most important item to concentrate on in the winter, if you have snow is to make sure that the driveways and sidewalks are clean and clear. The best thing is to use a snow blower rather than a plow or a shovel. Reason being if you are trying to attract a first time home buyer and they see a huge pile of snow from a plow, they will wonder if they will be able to move that much snow on their own without a plow. If they see the snow banks and the markings of a shovel, they will think about their backs. However, if they see a nice clean edge on the driveway without any banks or piles, they will think that this looks nice and clean.
At Christmas time, decorate with Christmas lights. You don’t need much, just enough to light up the house at night. Don’t put plastic on the windows. This is a big no no and buyers will know the reason you did it. Hang a Christmas wreath outside to give the sense of greenery. If possible, trim low hanging branches of trees in the front yard.
There is not a lot you can do with curb appeal in the winter, but a few small things can go a long way. Always be conscious of the way a property looks when you pull up to the house and look for little things that you can do to help the overall curb appeal.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Years and Happy Holidays to all,
Santa