What is kerb appeal? How to stand out from the rest.
Have you ever thought why your property is not selling? Well a property's outer appearance, its kerb appeal, is often the deal maker (or breaker) when it comes to buying a home. It will take potential buyers no longer than 8 seconds to decide whether or not they like a house or not.
So, what is the kerb appeal? Kerb appeal is used to describe the attractiveness of your home from the road or from the point potential buyers will first see the property. Overall first impressions count, ask yourself how many homes have you discounted simply because you didn’t like the look of the house from the outside? Yes, first impressions count, so if you're putting your home on the market, it's vital it has the right kerb appeal in the listing pictures and description.
It all matters, the front exterior shot is the most commonly used ‘lead’ photograph on any property portal site. So, if the main image isn't enticing, then you’re likely to have a low ‘click-through rate’, meaning that not many people are interested enough in the first image to click through and find out more.
Kerb appeal is vital. It is important for both arranged viewings and those that might take place day or night on a ‘drive-by’ visit, who want to see your home outside a formal setting. So this means the real-life appearance of your house has to match up to the online images, else buyers will be disappointed and will not be interested. Many people love to do a drive-by of the property, so this can occur at any stage during the marketing period, it’s vital that you maintain your kerb appeal the entire time your home is on the market.
So, let’s have a look at the most top 5 tips for maximising your house kerb appeal.
- Always pay attention to your front door
This is the main focal point for buyers. Potential buyers will be subconsciously looking at the door, so it needs to make a good positive impression. Simple things like giving wooden doors a fresh coat of paint in a classic front door colour such as navy, red or racing green will give your frontage an instant facelift.
If you have a plastic or composite doors, give it a good clean using specialist products to restore whiteness. Also remember to polish metal letterboxes, house numbers and door-knockers. Or simply consider replacing them.
- Clean driveways and patios
Simple, but yet effective. Most paved, concrete or tarmac driveways often look far better once they’ve been thoroughly cleaned with a pressure washer. The same applies to rendered surfaces, patios or decking.
- Trim the boundaries
Most buyers are always keen to know where your property starts and ends, so make it obvious and attractive. Again, give your wooden fences and gates a new coat of varnish, re-paint metalwork and make sure all gates function properly. Remember to trim the hedges neatly and cut any planting next to doors and pathways, the last thing buyers want is to walk around the overgrown hedge or plants.
- Greener the better
From our experience, both exterior property pictures and interior pictures often look more appealing with some greenery. Having nice colourful potted flowers outside your front door or have a hanging basket makes your house more attractive. Buyers like to see nice flowers and greenery, it gives them a sense of natural nature.
If you have a lawn, make sure the grass is green and mowed regularly. Remember buyers will do a drive-by so sweep away fallen leaves and keep trees, shrubs and other plants neat and tidy. Weeds are definitely a no-no.
- Perfection is key
When you’re selling your house, it’s always a good idea to pick up any litter and sweep away leaves from the road and the pavements. Yes, the road and pavement outside is technically Council’s responsibility, you are making sure you’re creating the best first impression of the area to potential buyers.
Also, don't let the house next door ruin your kerb appeal. If your neighbours have rubbish outside their house, suggest you remove it, rather than whining about it. Always try to conceal their rubbish bins (and yours) behind a hedge or a small fence. If you have to have them on show, make sure they are clean and the lids are on.
Hope this has been useful and given you a more insight into your house kerb appeal. If you would like to know more about how to prepare your house for selling, just give us a call. We would love to help and hear from you!
Mandeep & Sahib
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0121 647 6779
