by John Imamura

Created on: December 08, 2009   Last Updated: December 09, 2009

The first impression a prospective buyer has of your home is viewing the home from the curb. Many sellers may not know the importance of a well landscaped home. It may even save them a lot of money on the sales price if the home is well landscaped. The first impression is a lasting impression.

When you decide to sell your home, it would be a good thing to make sure you have cut your lawn and trimmed your bushes, even plant seasonal flowers to further brighten your yard up. Also, make sure you keep up with exterior maintenance like painting wood trim and keeping the gutters free of sticks and leaves. If you are selling in the fall, rake and bag leaves and keep your yard free of debris, toys, etc,... If your home does not have shutters, you may want to install them.  Installing shutters will give your home more character and make your home more attractive. Take a look at your driveway for cracks or holes, if you have any, you should consider re-paving the driveway. It will give the impression of a well taken care of home and make the buyer excited to see the interior. If you have wet spots in your yard after it rains, you should fix these issues before you go to sell your home. Water will scare any buyer away from your home! Not to mention, mosquitoes and other insects it will attract. Try digging out the damp area and laying rocks or sand over ground then re-sod it. You may also have a grading issue that can cause these areas to be damp so look into fixing that problem as well. You can also power wash your siding and deck. This will give the home a fresh look remove any concerns from prospective buyers about any neglected maintenance of the home. Take a look at other homes in the neighborhood and try to make your home have the best curb appeal. People will notice the difference and it will definitely create more interest in the house. Even ask your neighbors to keep up their curb appeal when selling because it will only make your home look better when surrounded by beautiful yards, especially if you have worked on creating the best possible curb appeal for your home.

Having a nice curb appeal will create excitement for a buyer to further look at your home. Everything you do to make your home more appealing will help you sell your home, and in today's market, any edge over the competition is necessary to sell your home in a timely fashion!

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