Curb Appeal: How to avoid the dreaded buyer “drive-by”

BY LISA SCONTRAS

Only a few months ago, it seemed as if you could plant a “For Sale” sign outside your home and within a couple of days, or maybe hours, multiple buyers would bid on your property. Today’s market has shifted. Days have turned into weeks, and for some … longer. Increased inventory means Oahu sellers have to get creative to stand out from the competition.

Real estate may be all about location, location, location, but once a living, breathing buyer pulls up in front of a house for sale, that seller has only seconds to make a first impression, capture their attention and draw the buyer inside.

A large percentage of buyers will pass on a home based solely on its curb appeal. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

“First impressions happen once, so ask yourself, ‘would a potential buyer drive by? Or stop and want to see more?'” said Judith Whitfield, Realtor and staging expert at List Sotheby’s International Realty. “The more buyers you have looking at your home, the more likely it will sell quickly and at the best price.”

Malia Siu, Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Hawaii, said, “In today’s competitive market with so much inventory and consumers short on time, the seller has one shot to make a good first impression.”

While getting your home ready to sell, Whitfield offers these tips:

“First, walk around your home, and look at it as if you were a buyer,” she said. “Go out to the street too. Take a good look at your property, not only during the day, but at night as well.”

If the exterior of your home is in disrepair, has dirty windows, overgrown plants, broken fences, piles of toys, broken furniture or old cars in the driveway, the buyer is going to read that as a red flag — this seller hasn’t taken care of the property in general.

Sherrie Kuroda, Realtor and partner at Locations, notes, “You’ve got to put your best foot forward. There are no second chances with so much competition. It’s like going on a first date: you need to make the right impression within the first 30 seconds.”

Many times, homeowners put an enormous effort into cleaning and staging their home’s interior before listing, but neglect the exterior. Big mistake. Pick up the mess. Mow the lawns, rake the leaves, trim the trees and bushes and plant some welcoming flowers. Maybe even create a rock garden or find an interesting yard statue.

“A nice, manicured lawn could be 50 percent of the reason a buyer would select your property,” said Wayne Nishida, Realtor and partner at Locations.

“Curb appeal is everything and can add thousands of dollars to the asking price of a property,” added Siu. “It is also one of the reasons that a buyer may want to see your home, as opposed to heading to the next competing property for sale. At the end of the day, the properties that have invested in staging and curb appeal are the properties that end up sold.”