Blog
6 Ways to Boost Curb Appeal for the Web
Feb 23, 2015
Today’s online real estate market makes it easy for potential buyers to virtually “drive by” hundreds of homes without ever getting into a car. The convenience of searching online to find information and photos of homes for sale has essentially eliminated the need for neighborhood drive-throughs and official home showings or open houses. Anyone with a computer and an Internet connection can look up the details about any home for sale. 
So, how does your house look to the virtual world? When potential buyers view a picture of the front of your home – usually the first photo in any featured online listing – what will they see? Make the most of your online curb appeal, and stage the exterior of your home to attract buyers on and off the web.
- Clean Up Your Landscaping: Homebuyers like a fresh, manicured outdoor appearance. Take care of any overgrown hedges or dead trees and mow the lawn regularly. Rake leaves and sweep away debris on walkways and porches. Plant colorful flowers. Regular lawn care and landscaping can significantly improve the way your home looks to buyers and properly showcase the house.
- Declutter: Lawn furniture, statues, and pink flamingoes can look cheap and junky to potential buyers. Get rid of all clutter and personal artifacts when selling your home. Make it as easy as possible for buyers to envision themselves and their belongings in the house. Lawn ornaments only distract or takeaway from the overall experience.
- Take Care of Any Necessary Repairs: The front of your home will be the first thing buyers notice – and will usually be what catches their eyes on the internet. Repair or remove broken storm doors or windows. Replace dingy address numbers and fix the busted porch light. When buyers find your home’s photo online, you want them to notice how clean and updated it looks, not how much work they’d have to do to fix everything.
- Update Your Exterior: Whether you replace all the siding completely or pay for a professional paint job, you want to find a way to update your home’s exterior and make it look fresh and clean. Show potential buyers that the home has been properly cared for and modernized for the times. This can be simple as pressure-washing the exterior, or adding new shutters, or switching out your front door for a brighter color. Anything that makes the home look clean and new.
- Wash and Paint the Deck: Power wash your deck and outdoor area, and consider adding a fresh coat of paint or stain to the wood and railings. Cracked, peeling paint and warped or splintering wood looks old and may even need to be repaired. Buyers are searching for homes with an outdoor living space that’s as clean and updated as the inside.
- Organize the Garage: Your garage needs to look its best, particularly if it has front-facing doors. Repair any damages and consider replacing outdated doors with custom garage doors with windows. Declutter and clean out the inside of the garage so potential buyers can visualize it as a place to store cars rather than your personal items.
Staging your home and boosting curb appeal for the Internet can take time and money, but you’ll have a home that’s worth more to potential buyers, and it will draw in prospects the minute they see it on their computer screens. For more information on getting your home ready to sell and setting up your online listings, contact the knowledgeable real estate agents at Hilton Head Island Real Estate Brokers today!
