Street Appeal
In the hurry and buzz of everyday life we don’t spend much time actually looking at our home through the eyes of a guest or potential buyer. We race in the door, but don’t necessarily look at the door. We walk over the door step but don’t look down. We rush up the path without taking in our surroundings. This is the opposite to how buyers approach a house. Critical eyes sweep over everything from the letterbox and steps to the front door handle. When we say first impressions count, when it comes to buyers, this is certainly true.
So, if you’ve been thinking of getting your property ready for sale, but not quite sure where to start with some of those exterior cosmetic jobs, or you simply want to put a bit of extra love into your home for you and your family to enjoy, here are five effective and manageable first steps to get those valuable first impressions!
01 - The Fence
Whether your front “fence” is timber pickets, or a concrete retaining wall, the physical structure that surrounds your house can be sadly neglected over the years, and a fresh coat of paint can transform a fence from tired to terrific in one afternoon. This is the quickest and easiest job to do, and you don’t even need help from the pros, as they are by their robust nature, pretty forgiving.
Step one of course is selecting your paint colour. Think of what kind of message you are sending with your chosen colour, are you looking to blend your fence in with your home's exterior colour or make a bold statement with a bright shade? (We once painted a large street facing retaining wall Resene Tangerine which certainly made a statement).
If you’re preparing your house for sale, I would always recommend leaning towards a more neutral shade, but in some cases, a pop of colour can be the cherry on top, especially if you already have a brightly painted front door or letterbox. Grabbing some paint samples from Resene and testing them out, as well as putting some time into prepping the surface of your fence for paint will ensure the best result.
02 - The Letterbox
When will I stop harping on about this and do something about it!? Giving our letterbox a fresh coat of paint and installing some new numbers has been high on my list of home improvement jobs for a while.
Again, this is a super simple improvement, whether it’s a fresh coat of paint and new numbers or an entirely new letterbox, this feature is looked at by most buyers to check they are at the correct address. Tired, wonky, cracked letterboxes look uncared for, and that’s not a great message to be giving the buying public. A fresh and well maintained letterbox gives these buyers confidence that the rest of the home they’re about to see is well taken care of.
If you want to add a bright pop of colour and some personality to your properties exterior, the letterbox is a great place to do so. This small aspect of your home can still pack a punch and it’s easily changed if your taste evolves or a future buyer wants to switch it up. Sprucing up this functional aspect of your outward facing property is cost effective and often DIY possible, so there’s really no excuse (although I keep finding them!)
Pro tip: keep your eyes peeled on TradeMe and Facebook Marketplace for preloved and vintage letterboxes, they may need a little TLC but they’re often a bargain compared to a brand new letterbox.
03 - The Pathway
Over the years many of our Wellington pathways have moved, cracked and buckled, and for most of us, we just put up with it. We come to learn where the trip hazards are and move swiftly from the front gate to the front door without registering the multiple potholes. This isn’t one of the cheapest fixes, but the difference it makes can be worth the investment.
You want to arrive at the front door without fear of landing on your face, and with the opportunity to take in your surroundings rather than keeping your eyes peeled for the next massive crack. Even if this job requires some professional help, it’s well worth it and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner!
04 - The Front Door
This one may seem a little obvious and I’ve definitely touched on the topic of the front door before, but it really is one of the easiest and most effective first impressions to get right. Whether it’s a sanding and refresh of your current paint colour or a full facelift with a bright pop of colour that ties into your home and a new handle, the impact can not be overstated.
Throughout my years working in real estate, I’ve seen many a front door and I love when a seller has clearly put the time and effort into making this small aspect of a property tie into the overall vibe of their home. Interestingly, the most common front door colours we see are red and yellow, but a pop of orange, blue, green or even pink can bring some intrigue and personality to your property before a buyer even steps foot inside.
05 - Nature
This is a big one for our family. I just love walking through our front garden when I return home. The greenery, flowers, texture, light and birdlife in the 20 steps it takes from the street to the door are just a treat. Whilst landscaping can be expensive, you can still bring that feeling of nature into your home on a budget. Check out TradeMe, Facebook Marketplace or your local community page for bargain plants that need a new home and pop into your local op shop to find a variety of plant pots just waiting to adorn your front entrance.
Whether it’s a collection of potted plants near the front door, hedging to guide your journey, or just an eclectic range of green lushness to welcome you in, nature does the job much better than many of the man made aspects of first impressions. Giving some attention and love to nature around your home not only creates an amazing environment to live for you and your Whanau but also provides a sought after selling feature.