Below is an article from our monthly newsletter Prepare! Feel free to share these ideas with your clients on your next listing presentation.
Budget is a huge concern for everyone these days and now more than ever home sellers are anxious about spending money to get their homes ready for sale. Each month we will feature a different area of the home and share quick and affordable changes your client can make.
Front Door First Impressions: The saying that "first impressions are everything" is especially true when you are selling your home. Buyers often judge the appearance of the front door as an indication of the condition of the rest of the home. Here are some easy ideas to make sure your first impression is a great one.
Under $10.00:
- There is nothing like old fashioned elbow grease! Grab a cleaning cloth and some metal polish and get to work polishing the front door knob, knocker, and kickplate. Don't forget to polish any light fixtures too.
- Sweep away those pesky cobwebs from any overhangs and light fixtures.
- Replace any non-working light bulbs.
- Powerwash any mildew or residue on front porches or landings.
- Wipe down the front door to remove any marks.
Under $50.00:
- Repaint the front door with a fresh coat of paint to make it look like new. Not sure what color to choose? Typically you should have no more than three colors on the exterior of your home. Your siding/stone/brick is one color, the trim a second color and shutters or doors a third color. Opt for classics like hunter green, black or cranberry red.
- Add a new door mat in a natural fiber like coir or sisal. I recommend an oversized mat to give your home a more stately look. Bed Bath and Beyond and Target stock these year round.
- Add urns or pots with annuals to frame the entrance to your home. Small arbor vitae trees will work year round- even in winter.
Under $150:
- Replace your old hardware with a new handle and lock set to give your front door a mini makeover. Home Depot and Lowes offers many to choose from.
- Add new sconces or light fixtures to update the entrance of your home .
Hey, Kate. Those are all great tips and I appreciate you sharing those with us. I will have to bookmark them for the further. All my best, Jim
PS. Love your last name.
Thanks for the tips..
These are great ideas for the do-it-yourself stager! Many sellers will benefit from these tips. A little bit of staging can make a big improvement for any home...
Oh, and don't forget to replace the yellow porch lightbulb with a white one!
Very good to point out the importance of the door. So many people spend time, effort and money on the inside and they lose the buyer before they even get to see it.
Very good tips. I like the way you presented them broken down by Under $10, etc. and I think clients would appreciate that as well. Thanks for sharing!
This is right in line with the information I give my clients; that many of the staging hints I will share with them can be accomplished for FREE! But they sure do make a big difference. You've given excellent advice, and nicely explained it in an easy to understand price break down.
Kate - Very good points. We know these but it's so nice to see them in writing for a reminder...and I love how you did the price breakdown.
Great budget friendly tips Kate! As the Realtor is unlocking the door, the potential buyers are forming an opinion. A good first impression is crucial in getting the tour off to a good start.
Kate, I really like how you made suggestions for every budget! As always, great ideas!
Thanks for these tips. Also, new doorbell hardware to match the new door handle looks nice.
Yeah, great summary, and how important is it to remember to small stuff like getting rid of the yucko cobwebs. If your house is sittign on the market a little longer these days, be sure to go back and do it again. What do you say? Every coupld of weeks or once a month?
You make me wonder about your thoughts on another related topic -- We all think that brass light fixture are dated, what is your view about brass knockers, handles, locks and kickplates?
thanks Kate .. great and simple tips!
Hi all,
Thanks for your comments. I am surprised by the response I have gotten from this simple article. I included it in our newsletter and Realtors love it.
As for whether brass is in or not, I look at the other fixtures on the exterior of the home. If the exterior lighting is brass then it is ok to opt for brass hardware- especially if it is a traditional home. That being said I think it is fine to mix metals. An antiqued bronze always looks great with a rod iron or brass.
Kate - great ideas. I love to add a new door mat. In fact, I handed out several to Realtors at a talk I did at their office the other day. Nothing says great first impression like a new front door mat. I buy mine at Ross and Tuesday Morning - very inexpensive.
Stephanie.