Are you currently in the process of preparing your home for sale? Have you spent the last couple of months deep cleaning, painting, and organizing your house to increase its sale price? Updating and preparing the inside of the house is important to a real estate sale, but it is not everything. Many homeowners fail to address their curb appeal and the overall exterior of the house. This is an important area to focus on, as it is the buyer?s first impression and it contains many important and expensive parts of the house.
Well maintained lawn care
Think of your lawn as the paint of the exterior. House buyers generally will not notice the lawn, unless it is poorly maintained. Poorly maintained lawns remind home buyers of the amount of yard work they will have to do. This can turn buyers away. Although professionally landscaped yards are not necessary, you will want to keep your lawn in good and clean working order. Ensure that the grass is cut short, the bushes and hedges are trimmed, and all weeds are pulled from the gardens. You can even spruce up the front lawn with bright and colorful flowers.
Garage door condition
Garage doors are another area that home buyers do not recognize, unless there is a problem. Power washing your garage door can remove any tough dirt or grime marks and make it look new again. When you do not properly clean or care for your garage door, it simply reminds home buyers that they may have to replace the garage door shortly after moving into the house. You will also want to grease and repair any minor problems that affect how the garage door opens and closes and how it sounds.
Windows
Installing new home windows can be an expensive and timely project. New home buyers are not going to want to deal with old and broken windows when purchasing a new house. Paying for window installation before listing your home can increase the amount of offers you receive. You can also advertise the new window installation when marketing your house, along with the utility savings. Windows that are draft and let air escape can increase your energy bills by 10 to 25%. New window installation can save home buyers hundreds of dollars on heating and cooling costs. Home buyers will appreciate the new window installation and will factor that into their offer price.
Siding and gutter maintenance
The cost of gutters and gutter replacement is affordable, especially when you consider the return on investment. New gutters and new siding increases the demand of a home and most home buyers are willing to pay more for these added features. Siding installation can also significantly increase the curb appeal of the home, making it look nicer. New siding and repaired gutters will attract home buyers to the exterior of the house.
Roof repairs or new roof
The roof is a common question among home buyers. They often want to know when the roof was last replaced, if there have ever been any roof concerns, and the type of material used on the roof. The roof is one of the most important parts of the house and can be the most expensive to replace. Homeowners spend between $4,761 and $9,314 on installing a new roof, with an average of $7,036 spent. However, roof repairs and new roof installations last for many years. Selling your house with a brand new roof can bring up its value and make it more desirable to home buyers. Just be sure that you choose qualified and knowledgeable roofing companies to install the new roof for the best results.
Selling your house is a lot of work. Not only are you required to keep it clean and organized for months at a time, you must also make sure that it is updated and all repairs are finished. Don?t forget to improve your curb appeal and the exterior of your house, as well. The exterior should include a well maintained lawn, a cleaning and functioning garage door, clean and repaired siding and windows, and a new roof, if needed.
