Curb Appeal: Creating the Best First Impression

694 Oak Tree Road Palisades, New York

Today there is a great deal of focus on home staging to prepare for potential buyers. However, before those buyers can see a beautifully set home, they need to get past the front door.

If a home is not welcoming from the moment of arrival, sellers are at an automatic disadvantage. According to HGTV’s “10 Curb Appeal Tips From the Pros,” curb appeal can make or break a sale: “First impressions are everything – at least when it comes to selling your home. According to the National Association of Realtors, 63 percent of homebuyers will drop by after viewing a home they like online.”

Sellers should focus on a checklist of items to ensure they are creating a great first impression. “Give the front door and trim a fresh coat of paint,” said Richard Ellis owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty in Nyack, New York. “Then look at the walkway and consider planting hearty and in-season flowers to add color.”

Ellis also suggests investing in a powerwash of the exterior, cleaning both sides of the widows and painting the shutters. The gutters and garage should be cleaned and driveways in disrepair should be replaced or re-sealed.

For those considering repainting their home either for their own enjoyment or in advance of putting it on the market, choice of color is important. According to Homedit.com’s “The Best 10 Colors To Paint The Outside of Your House With,” brown is timeless while blue is known for its calming effect and a creamy white is better than a bright one.