Pump Up the Curb Appeal when Selling Your Home in the Summer!

 
Selling a home in the summer isn't rocket science but with a bit of thought a home can sell quickly and for top dollar. With the nice weather many more buyers are searching for their dream home and not just on the internet. They will drive by homes in the warmer months to check out the neighborhood and what the exterior looks like in person. During the winter about all you can do is hope for a fresh blanket of snow and shovel the sidewalk to jazz up the exterior of a Minnesota home. But in the summer, there is ample opportunity make a statement with curb appeal.

1. CUT GRASS If you home is on the market you have to make sure the lawn is manicured to perfection at all times. In fact, it is a very good idea to make sure all trees and shrubs are trimmed to show of the home too.

2. PAINT the FRONT DOOR There are no excuses for having a dirty, scuffed up front entry with peeling paint. If you want to sell to an FHA buyer, you need to address the peeling paint issue anyway so why not make a great first impression with a freshly painted front door and entry?

3. ADD POPS of COLOR Even if you don't have a green thumb, invest in some bright colorful hanging baskets full of annuals for your front porch. Or put some planters with assorted plants on your front stoop. However, if you think you will be too busy to water the plants, it might be best to get a colorful flag or entry wreath instead. Dead plants in the doorway will be noticed too.

4. SEAL COAT the ASPHALT If the driveway is looking more gray than black, a fresh coat of sealant can make a world of difference.



Copyright 2014 www.terieckholm.com

Embrace Viking Purple, But Don’t Put THAT Color on Your Front Door!

Not if you want to sell your house that is. Home buyers gravitate toward certain colors. And unfortunately, purple is one of the top five turn offs as a front door color.

In an article by Angie’s List “What are the best front door colors to sell your home?”  color choices were put to the test. Home buyer surveys nixed purple as a favorite.

Believe it or not, I have seen Viking purple used on front doors of Minnesota homes. In our family we have an old family saying that “it looked better on the paint chip” when we see any unusual color choice on a house.  But purple isn’t the worst choice for a front door hue. Pink takes that spot with gray, orange and yellow also scoring low. Yellow is a bit of a surprise to me to be a low scorer because it IS appealing for siding, just not the front door.

Top colors are red and white. But white can be hard to keep clean. If you are going to put you home on the market and have a white front door, keep it sparkling. A dirty white door will be a huge turn off too!

Another caution if you choose to paint the front door red to attract buyers to your home; be careful with the shades. If the shade tends to look on the orangey side in the evening under a porch light, this could be a turn off to a home buyer viewing in the evening hours. 


 

Copyright 2013 www.terieckholm.com

Looking HOT from the Street!—Curb Appeal Tips to SELL your Minnesota Acreage Home Quickly

Curb Appeal Tips to Sell Home Fast

CURB APPEAL that Screams, "BUY ME!"

Inventory is down in the Minneapolis/St. Paul north and east metro but what will happen come spring? If all the calls I have been receiving from interested home sellers are an indication, the market is going to be competitive. This means that homeowners that want to see a sold sign in front of their Minnesota home sooner rather than later, will make Curb Appeal a priority as they prepare their home inside and out!

Last week, I had the opportunity to show a “just listed” Forest Lake home a few days after our massive spring snowstorm. The unpaved, unplowed 400 foot long driveway was a muddy mess but that was only part of the immediate turn off for my buyer. The front yard was a disaster with debris and dirt from the driveway to the front door. It was less than welcoming; it was a turn off!

Selling a home in this changed real estate market is tricky. Whether you are selling a lakeshore cabin, an executive, acreage home or a convenient townhome, your house needs to look HOT from the outside in! As a REALTOR® in the north and east Minneapolis/St Paul metro area, I have been showing homes all over Anoka County and Washington Counties, from Blaine to Lino Lakes and Forest Lake to Hugo. As the snow melts, some yards are looking not only boring but down right dirty. The market is starting to pick up and soon buyers have dozens of homes to choose from. Decisions can be made in a split second from a photo on the computer screen to the moment a potential buyer drives up to the curb. It takes only a few moments for a buyer to assess a home’s potential.

In this market, buyers are putting homes into two categories: Well-Maintained Homes to pay top dollar for and Not-Maintained Homes to get at rock bottom prices. A serious homeseller does not want his home in the second category as it includes most foreclosures, short sales and other less than desirable properties. In my 10 Tips For A Quick Sale, jazzing up the Curb Appeal is the number one recommendation I give to homesellers.

Screaming “Buy Me” from the Curb Stand in the street and look at your property from a buyer’s eyes. If your home is not screaming, “Buy Me” from the curb, now is the time to spice up the exterior! Here are a few quick tips and reminders:

• Flowers add color! Since spring gardens haven’t bloomed yet, try a dried floral wreath or colorful flag.

• Spruce up the landscaping with new wood chips. Make certain all of the landscaping bricks in the retaining walls and pavers in the sidewalks are secure.

• Pick up all debris and trash from the yard!

• Rake any leaves as soon as the snow melts.

• Fix up that banged up, rusty mailbox at the end of the driveway.

• Seal coat the blacktop drive as soon as weather permits.

• Move Boats, Trailers and Campers to another location.

• Wash dirt and cobwebs from front of home paying special attention to door where buyers will enter. Paint door if necessary.

• Replace tattered American flags with new ones. (Remember proper to dispose of old one properly.)

• Repair any wind damage to gutters, siding, shutters and storm doors. If the shutters or trim has faded, replace or repaint.

• Paint or stain siding, porches and decks as necessary.

Though sprucing up curb appeal may seem like common sense to a home seller, it is amazing how many homes on the market have awesome interiors but dumpy exteriors. Addressing curb appeal is one way to get serious homebuyers through the door!

Copyright 2012 www.terieckholm.com

Looking "HOT" From the Street—Tips for Curb Appeal

Selling in a buyer’s market like we currently are experiencing in the Twin Cities metro, is tricky. Your home needs to look HOT from the outside in! As a Realtor, I have been showing homes all over Anoka County, from Blaine to Forest Lake this month. As the snow melts, some yards are looking rather boring. When buyers have hundreds of homes to choose from, decisions are made in a split second from a photo on a computer screen or from the moment a potential buyer drives up to the curb. It takes only a few moments for a buyer to assess a homes potential.

Stand in the street and look at your property from a buyer’s eyes. If your home is not screaming, “Buy Me” from the curb, now is the time to spice up the exterior!

Here are a few quick tips and reminders:

**Flowers add color! If your spring blooms haven’t blossomed yet, buy a dried floral wreath or colorful flag.

**Spruce up the landscaping with new wood chips. Make certain all of the landscaping bricks in the retaining wall are in place.

**Pick up trash from the yard!

**Rake any leaves that have blown in over the winter.

**Fix up that tattered Mailbox at the end of the driveway.

**Seal coat the blacktop drive.

**Move Boats, Trailers and Campers to another location.

**Wash dirt and cobwebs from front of home paying special attention to door where buyers will enter. Paint door if necessary.

**Replace tattered American flags with new ones. (Remember proper to dispose of old one properly.)

**Check for wind damage to gutters, siding, shutters and storm doors has been repaired or replaced. If the shutters or trim has faded, replace or repaint.

**Paint or stain siding and front deck as necessary.

Though it may seem like common sense, it is amazing how many homes on the market with lovely interiors, have let the exterior go. It may be a buyers’ market but smart sellers homes are selling. Addressing curb appeal is one way to get them through the door!

If you are relocating to Minnesota, are looking for Homes for Sale in the north and east Twin Cities metro area and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call. Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2007 terieckholm.com