How To Have Your Home Make A Great First Impression To Buyers

When you meet someone for the first time, what’s the first thing you do? You look them up and down, notice how they’re dressed, listen to the inflection in their voice, watch their mannerisms, etc. You then use that information to help make an initial judgment of that person (whether consciously or subconsciously). This is called a first impression.

Well, the same holds true for buyers when they first drive up to your home to preview it. What buyers see when they first drive up to your home will set the tone for the rest of their visit. It’s the buyer’s first impression of your home and you want to make it a good one.

The number one thing when it comes to having your home make a great first impression on a buyer is the curb appeal. Part of curb appeal is landscaping, especially in the front yard. Your front yard is one of the first things buyers see when the arrive at your home. It’s also going to be used in the picture of your home that buyers see when they’re browsing online.

Now you don’t have to go crazy and spend gobs of money or even hire a landscaping company. All you really need is about a few hundred dollars and a few hours to a day of your time.

Here are some of the things you can do:

• Throw some grass seeds or sod down ahead of your home going on the market
• Make sure your lawn is cut at all times
• Spray for weeds
• Lay down fresh mulch just before your home goes on the market (you can also look at a different color mulch that will go along with the colors of the flowers, siding, shutters, etc)
• Neatly trim bushes, ivy, trees, etc.
• Plan some bushes, small trees, etc.
• Plant seasonal flowers that go along with the color scheme of the outside of your home
• Place or hang planters on your front porch if you have one
• Throw in some solar lights in the mulch/grass alongside the walk-way to your front door (you can get inexpensive ones at Home Depot or Lowe’s)

If you have a really bad brown thumb, you could always hire a landscaper or bribe a friend or family member to do it for you. It’ll cost you more (including a future favor to your friend ot family member), but it may be well worth it.

Note: If you’re thinking about planting/cutting down trees or large bushes, you may want to check with your HOA regarding the community bylaws/rules. And don’t plant things so close to the house that the buyer’s Home Inspector brings it up as a fault during the Home Inspection (I’ve seen it happen often).