I didn't see that in the photos!

Monday, June 13, 2011

I didn't see that in the photos!

by Jan Rankin on Mon, Jun, 13, 2011 09:47 AM

Categories:buyers,buying,curb appeal,property,sellers,selling,yards

I was out with a buyer couple the other day looking for their first starter detached home. We had picked out a few homes that seemed to have potential and arranged to view. It's not always easy to tell from the photos online what you will drive up to. The pics of the interior of one home looked very nice, clean and updated. However, when we drove up to the property the first thing we see is a neglected front yard with overgrown grass, hedges in serious need of a trim, weeds. Just so umkempt it looked like the sellers didn't want anyone to come and have a look! The difficult part is that the buyer's form an opinion about the home before they even get out of the car.

The assumptions made, whether correct or not, is that the seller hasn't taken care of the inside either. First impressions go a long, long way and can colour the rest of the experience. The house maybe perfectly fine but the curb appeal (front and/or back) is questionable.

Getting your yard ready for sale is important to improve your chances of a quicker sale and for better dollars. If you don't like yardwork or don't have time, hire a neighbour's kid or a local yard maintenance company to deal with the lawn and cut back overgrowth. The investment will be well worth it. A few baskets with a splash of colour in the spring/summer/fall are easy to come by and just require strategic placement. You don't need to do a lot - it just needs to look neat and cared for. A trim yard speaks volumes to buyers about how you care about the property you are selling.

Comments

by Ray Giesbrecht on Mon, Jun, 13, 2011 11:05 AM

The owners probably thought it looked artsy ;-)

by Gary Neal on Mon, Jun, 27, 2011 10:00 AM

I've got some buddies that are <a href="http://www.acd-realty-corporation.ca/">property managers</a>, and they stress this point over and over. The old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover" definitely does not apply here. Curbside appeal and presentation is everything.

Buyers Sellers

Map Search

Mobile Search