February 08, 2013

At Home with "Botox" and The Front Door Tune-Up


When you’re preparing your house for the market, almost every agent will explain how valuable curb appeal is when it comes to marketing your home. Curb appeal can mean a lot of things, of course, ranging from wholesale replacement of the roof, paint, and landscaping, to a few tidy details designed to spruce up the place.

One of the best (and most cost-effective!) tune-ups you can make works both from the curb and from up close. It’s kind of like Botox for your home’s face. It’s a little something I like to think of as the “Front Door Tune-up.”

The front door is a focal point on your home, both from a distance and up close. Here’s how to leverage it for maximum impact:

·       Paint the door with an appropriate, fresh, contrasting color. Not only will this draw the eye (possibly even away from the crack in the driveway!), but it will go a long way to creating the impression of a new paint job.

·     Replace faded, small address numbers with classy, visibly new hardware. Long gone are the days of tacky decals. Even a modest investment at an upscale home accessories store can add a touch of luxury to your entryway.

·     Replace knob/handle and lock hardware. The feel of the doorknob, the click of the hardware, and the sense of security the door conveys matters hugely. It’s a front-line sensory experience for potential buyers. A sticky, weak, degraded set of locks only hurts your first impression.

·     Upgrade the door, if possible. Sometimes paint and hardware won’t do the trick. If you have an older home in a subdivision where many of the same styles of door were used, this could be a good time to differentiate your home while upgrading the aesthetic.

Will a door save your home from significant cosmetic problems? No. But I’ve seen it work again and again: The “Front Door Tune-up” is a subtle but effective listing tool.

I have lots of resources on curb appeal!

Contact me for more: (914) 374-8354 Akim.Smyer@cbmoves.com or Click here to visit my Website at www.akimsmyer.com

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