When selling your Central California home, it’s important to realize that the outside of your home is what most Central California homebuyers will see first. Whether they view an online listing, or they drive by it in person, it’s the first impression they’ll receive. As your Central California real estate agent, I’m here to share tips for improving the appearance!

Here are some basic staging steps to take on the exterior of your home, before listing it in the Central California real estate market:

• Clean up. Stand by the curb and look at your landscaping from afar. Ask a neighbor, friend or your real estate agent to do it as well, for a neutral opinion. Clean up any landscaping that looks out of place, or messy. Trim bushes and trees. Mow the lawn regularly. Sweep walkways clear of debris. Add a pot or two of colorful flowers by the front entry for a burst of color.

• Declutter. Do you have a lot of miscellaneous items in your yard, like children’s toys, pet toys, an overabundance of lawn furniture, tacky lawn ornaments or one too many hanging flower pots? Get rid of some of this clutter so that the exterior and walkway look neat, tidy and organized. Again, a neutral opinion is helpful! You might overlook clutter you’re used to seeing on a daily basis.

• Repair. You definitely don’t want potential Central California homebuyers to notice any repairs needed on the exterior of the home! Have your roof, siding and foundation inspected. Replace any broken windows or burnt out lightbulbs. Fill in cracks in the driveway, walkway or patio.

• Upgrade. After making repairs, freshen up the exterior of your home. Consider repainting the siding.  Replace the address numbers, or at least repaint or polish them. Clean the light fixtures. Power clean the siding, windows, deck and garage door. Repaint the mailbox, or upgrade to a new one. Upgrade the garage door, which often offers a large return on investment.

These are some great first steps to take when staging your home to sell in the Central California real estate market. Most of them are very affordable as well. Once you’ve conquered the exterior, you can start staging the interior!

Need home-selling assistance from an experienced professional? Need a neutral point of view? Have questions? Contact me, your Central California real estate agent! I’m here to help you in any way that I can.

From Grace Borzini
grace@oakshoresrealty.com