Just how exacting and inviting must curb appeal be for a home going on the market to achieve its full price potential? Alex Chingas, a REALTOR® with the Bross Chingas Bross team at Coldwell Banker Realty in Westport, Connecticut, tells this tale…
“We recently had an appointment with a home stager to come look at a house that we would be listing,” he says. “The stager remarked to the client right at the front door that ‘Before I even come inside, I have to tell you that you have the wrong color mulch.’ She said that red mulch was a hindrance, and, while she happened to like it personally, that sellers don’t get big money with that color. So everyone has curb appeal on the brain.”
While homebuyers will always inspect every inch inside a potential new home, agents agree that if the first impression from the outside is negative in any way, they may as well take clients to a different home on the market. And that’s assuming the online photos of the property passed muster.
“Lack of curb appeal can stop a buyer’s interest online before it has a chance to start in person,” notes Christopher Audette, a real estate professional with RE/MAX First in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. “First impressions matter. It takes just seconds for a buyer to determine whether they think they will love or hate a home. You can’t ‘unsee’ something, and you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.”
Trees.com recently surveyed 1,000 real estate agents to understand how landscaping and greenery, two of curb appeal’s key visuals, can impact a home’s value and ability to sell. Findings included:
- 90% of agents say great landscaping has a positive impact on home value; 30% say it can increase home value by 20% or more.
- 90% say poor landscaping has a negative impact; 22% say it can decrease home value by 20% or more.
- 3 in 4 agents have had buyers refuse to enter a home due to poor landscaping.
- 9 in 10 say a home staged with plants will sell faster than an equivalent home that is not.
Ana Duarte Cole, a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Advantage in Waynesboro, Virginia, likens curb appeal to getting her headshot taken.
“I’ll get my hair done, put on makeup and wear stylish clothes to make me look good,” she says. “Car dealerships will wash their cars for sale and make them nice and shiny in hopes to wow potential buyers.
“A lot of people will reject a home based on either an online photo of the front of the house or when they drive by it in person. If there’s trash outside, or if the lawn is overgrown, they might think the homeowner hasn’t taken care of the house and start wondering what will be wrong on the inside.”
Strategies and recommendations
Liz McDermott, a Scottsdale, Arizona, agent with HomeSmart Elite Group, emphasizes that a simple, clean outdoor appearance is what counts most.
“I always stress that the landscaping be kept neat and tidy, with any bushes, trees or grass trimmed,” she says. “I also recommend that sellers add fresh flowers and bursts of color in the front yard. This gives the buyer a wonderful first impression that the home has been well cared for, and looks inviting.”
Audette explains that the lead online image of the house must be purely positive, because that’s almost always the first one potential homebuyers will see.
“In marketing, we call that the ‘hero shot,’” he says. “If that hero shot, which is usually the front of the house, doesn’t grab a buyer’s attention within two seconds in the sea of other online listings, then you’re dead before you start. Buyers are in the midst of committing themselves to a major transaction. They’re excited, but also determined not to make the wrong decision.
“As such, any signals that a property isn’t greatly appealing can be taken as a red flag to look with concern, or worse yet, just run. If you think of the sale of your home as an interview process, the interview starts with the curb appeal. Just like you wouldn’t start your interview with an untucked shirt, wrinkled pants and two different socks, you want to put your best foot forward with the first impression for your home as well.”
Thinking realistically about what impression owners would have of their own house if they were buying it instead of selling it is a strategy Cole endorses, in addition to them playing pretend-buyer of other houses.
“Potential sellers should look at other homes for sale or homes that recently sold for a price they would like to sell their home for,” she says. “Did they sell over list? How did they look outside? Is there peeling paint? Is the siding in need of a powerwash? Are there holes on the window screens, or are they dirty? Are the bushes/trees overgrown? Does the lawn need to be mowed? Is there trash or items lying around the yard?
“If there’s no landscaping, they could add some pots with flowers to make it more inviting. If there’s a front porch or back deck, consider adding outdoor furniture to help buyers feel like they can envision enjoying their future home outside. Even adding a welcome mat will help with curb appeal.”
Audette adds that owners should think organized and manicured versus busy, welcoming versus hidden, park versus forest.
“Look at the best-kept homes on your block and in your neighborhood and try to emulate them,” he says. “Be amongst the best, not the worst. Start with tidying the yard and making sure it reflects pride of ownership and a homeowner who takes care of things. To a nervous buyer, a homeowner who doesn’t look after their yard also might not repair water leaks.”
As usual, in the end, money talks. Sellers reluctant to spend it to upgrade the outer appearance of a property they plan on leaving soon will do so when they realize you have to burn to earn.
“We used to get a little bit more pushback on preparation costs for the sale, but at this point, there’s such demonstrated success in presenting a really well-merchandised product that sellers understand and see the difference,” concludes Chingas. “You show them outdoor pictures of houses that sold for an impressive price point, and they always look very buttoned up and nice.
