First Impression is Key!

Preparing your home to sell can certainly be a daunting task, and most sellers don’t know where to start. I suggest you start where your buyers will start, with a first impression. It’s difficult to be objective about your own home, but there are some tricks you can try.

Jump in your car, and drive to an entrance to your neighborhood. Try to imagine that you are buyers considering purchasing a home there. Drive through the neighborhood, and take note of the conditions of all the homes, not just the ones that are for sale. What are the features of the homes you find most attractive? What makes some of the homes less appealing?


After you have figured out the components of good curb appeal, drive by your own home, and continue down the street. Then, drive by it from the other direction. How does your home compare? Are there changes that could be made to improve that “first impression?” Perhaps there is too much overgrown landscaping, or the yard is too bare? Is the exterior color attractive, and does the home look well-maintained?


I had a staging client who was instructed to change the mint green exterior of their home. They weren’t sure what color to paint it, and it’s so difficult to choose from a small color swatch. I suggested they tour areas of similarly priced homes, and decide what colors they found to be the most popular and the most attractive. The result, when they painted their home, was dramatic!


To be as objective as possible, try to see your home and neighborhood through the eyes of the buyers. You don’t have to have the most attractive home in your neighborhood to get it sold. But, wouldn’t it be nice if buyers pulled up in front of your home, and were excited to see inside?