CREATING CURB APPEAL CAN HELP SELL YOUR HOME

What's curb appeal? It's that certain something about your home that catches the eye of the passer-by and makes them want to take a closer look. If you're selling your home, curb appeal can quickly draw prospective buyers in for the first time. Without it, buyers may pass up on the chance to see inside and will miss what might have been the perfect home for them. Your REALTOR can give you numerous tips and suggestions to help you make that first impression really count.

Here are a few ideas:

• Keep your lawns neatly trimmed and edged. Trim trees and shrubbery to get rid of overhanging branches that might obscure a potentially good view of your home, or pathway leading to the front door. Turn over the soil in your flowerbeds. If there's little color in your front garden, make a splash with a display of inexpensive annuals, flower boxes and wooden tubs. Clay and plastic posts can also be filled with flowers and small shrubs and displayed in the yard or by the front entrance to give the feel of a warm welcome.
• Birdhouses and feeders, dried flower wreaths and hanging baskets on the front porch can give your home countryside curb appeal. Keep your porch, driveway and front yard clutter free. Remove garbage bins as soon as possible after pick-up, and avoid any build-up of junk mail.
• Repair or replace broken steps or walkways. You might be used to the uneven paving or rickety stairs outside your home, but they could be hazardous to visitors, as well as unsightly. Your home's roof, chimney and exterior should look sound and well-cared for. Freshly painted woodwork is often well worth the time and money invested in it.

A good spruce-up can make a big difference
If painting is unnecessary, your home will still benefit from a good spruce-up. Wash down window frames and clean your windows to make them sparkle. Scrub the front door and polish the house numbers, letterbox, doorknob and knocker. Open blinds, curtains or shutters to give your home an inviting, welcoming look.

These are just a sample of some of the ways you can create curb appeal. Your REALTOR can give you many other, customized tips to make the most of your home's unique charm. In addition, your REALTOR can offer an objective view of any repairs and improvements that might be necessary to enhance the likelihood of selling your home.

Creating curb appeal may just be the feature that sets your home apart from the rest.

This information is provided by the Victoria Real Estate Board for the information and benefit of consumers.