The first thing anyone will ever see when they look at your home is the exterior.  In that respect, when you are selling a home your goal should be to strike emotion and love for what their eyes see. It's step 1 of Home Staging 101.

The starting point is easy. Make sure that your real estate is well maintained. That is to say that the lawn is cut, the flower beds are weeded and the trees are trimmed. Any landscape features should be in order and looking like the day they were installed. Shrubs, bushes have a tendency to grow wild if not constantly maintained.

Let's take a look at a case study to see how you might be able to take your home one step beyond!

BEFORE

Take a look at the place above. Right off there are a few simple things that must be done.

1. Cut the grass and keep it cut.
2. Remove the small tree and shrubs against the house.
3. Replace what you remove with flowers.
4. Spray weed control on the walkway and around the side of the house.
5. Edge between walkways and grass. This will create a nice looking border that will help define the appearance.
   

AFTER

Ok. So if you have a $22,500 budget here is the final product. The yard has been totally changed. Small shrubs and flowers have replaced the lawn. The large tree on the front lawn is gone. They have spent some money and replaced the front entrance steps and the walkway leading up to the steps. Painted the house yellow and the brick chimney grey.

NOW THIS PLACE HAS CURB APPEAL. But it also came at a high cost.

So what can we take out of this picture that would help us improve the curb appeal on the Before picture beside what has already been mentioned that would cost under $ 3,000.00.

1. Flower pots at front entrance and hanging pots on side of house.
2. Painting. If you can paint yourself then on this place that is a must.  
3. New entrance door light fixture.
4. New street numbers. 

OK most sellers will be somewhere between the Before and After scenario. You as a seller must decide which end of the scale you can afford to be on.

Sellers: You want to be closer to the After look then the Before look. There are several reasons for this.

1. Places that look run down take longer to sell.
2. They also usually see most offers much lower than asking price.
3. Usually attract bargain hunters that are only interest in a great deal.
4. Remember 1st impressions. Sometimes hard to get past that run down looking front yard.

Last but not least put yourself in the buyers shoes and ask yourself these important questions.

1. Which look am I more likely to pay full asking price for.
2. Which look appears to be loved more.
3. Which look will I by more excited to view.
4. Which look will probably sell faster therefore as a buyer I will need to act fast if this is the one.
   

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