Preparing Your Home For Sale - Front Porch
Published by marionduffy June 18th, 2008 in Staging, Selling a house, Front Porch. by marionduffy Tags: No Tags.Most buyers form an opinion of your house before they even walk through the front door. You know the old saying about first impressions. The front entry is a key part of that first impression.
The buyer often is standing on the front porch for several minutes while their agent is locating the lockbox, retrieving the key, and opening the front door. Spending time fixing up the front porch is time well spent.
For a great looking porch:
- Keep the porch well swept as well as the walkway leading up to it.
- Remove dirt and cobwebs from the porch light.
- Repaint the front door if it shows wear.
- Make sure the door knob is clean and working properly.
- Put out a nice new doormat.
- Keep the porch clear of shoes, toys, and other clutter.
Staging Tip: Adding potted plants with bright colorful flowers makes your entrance warm and inviting. If you have a really large porch, a couple of chairs or a bistro table/chair set adds ambiance. Just make sure the area does not look cluttered.
I agree with you, Marion, that the first impression is the most important. Even if people don’t consciously get turned off by an unappealing front entrance, they may subconsciously form an opinion against the house and then have trouble liking anything else about it. I liked all of your suggestions!