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Enticing Exteriors

6 June 2008 by 4 Comments
Enticing Exteriors

A recent Real Estate Agent Community Trends survey, sponsored by Jeld-Wen Inc., found 82 percent of real estate agents had buyers refuse to look inside a house based on its exterior appearance.” Now that doesn’t surprise me at all. I clearly remember house hunting for my first home and pausing outside many a home, only to drive off if the exterior lacked appeal.

It’s that time of the year that the sun reappears, flowers bloom, trees bud and people shed their winter woolies. Something else we can’t help but notice is ‘For Sale’ signs, lots of them. It’s ‘show time’ folks. Now, think of a birthday party, a table resplendent with gifts. What makes one gift outshine all the rest? It’s all in the presentation. It’s the bright colored gift wrap tightly wrapped around the box, decorated with a vibrant bow. What goes through your mind as you reach for the beautifully wrapped present? Now think your listing exterior as the gift wrap. Ensure that everything about the home attracts you, intrigues you and makes you want to peep inside.

As we face the challenges of a lethargic economy we are reminded of the importance of outshining the competition, right from the onset. Follow the AHS Designation Exterior Staging checklist and you won’t go wrong. It will assure you a spectacular looking exterior, something that will grab the attention of house hunters, and make them want to go inside.

  • Mel Aclaro

    82%…That’s a good stat. Based on personal experience, I believe it. While the old adage says we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, what’s interesting is, 8x out of 10, the expectations set at the curb seem to revalidate themselves when you walk in to the home. During agent “caravan tours” I can’t tell you how often I see the “yup, I knew it” nod (good AND bad) from agents who walk in to the home and confirm what they suspected at the curb.

  • Andy Capelluto

    Remember Mel, you only have one chance to create a good first impression…..

  • http://www.MyCharlottesvilleBLOG.com Charles McDonald/Associate BROKER

    This is so true. When showing Real Estate there are a lot of buyers who will not even go inside if the outside does not measure up. Now that being said, there are those buyers who look at every home and inside every closet (the other extreme)!

  • Andy Capelluto

    Absolutely, house hunters will look into closets. Partly understandable because they want to know exactly how much closet space is available to them.