No, it’s not what you think but it is serious. Have you ever been house hunting, drove up to the house, took one look and said, “I don’t think so, drive on.” Of course, we all have. Sometimes you just know this house isn’t for you. No harm, you’re off to the next address. But when you’re the seller you just hate to see that happen. They didn’t even give the house a chance.
It’s February and drive-bys are frequent. Why? It’s cold, gray, and not very inspiring outside. Spring flowers do a lot to reach out to potential buyers and cold dead grass has just the opposite effect. So what can you do? Everything you can to get them out of the car!
Make sure your grass got that last, all important trim. The same goes for the shrubbery. Trim off the stragglers and edge the garden beds. Refresh the mulch if needed. Has the front door been painted? This is a major focal point.
Lastly, what is sitting on your front porch? Maybe like me you have empty flower pots- not too inviting. Move empty pots to the garage. Consider a potted evergreen or two if it suits the architecture of your home. Sweep any leaves away that have blown that way. And of course any Christmas lights should be stored away by now.
Here’s another home staging tip: Go across the street and take a picture of your home. Then sit down at the computer and take a look at that photo. For some reason, looking at a photo gives you a more objective view than the naked eye. I believe your eye has time to travel around the photo whereas when you look at your home with the naked eye you are drawn to the same focal point each time. From your photo, you might notice things that should be repaired, put away or discarded. You will see what that buyer is going to see when he or she drives up.
Do everything you can to ensure they drive up instead of drive by.
Sandy Gardner
Commonwealth Home Staging LLC