Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 7 | Page 9

SELLER TIPS
greenbook
J. MELVIN PREMIER PROPERTIES

FOR SUMMER SALES

Spring has Sprung!

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aesthetic appeal to actually raising the
overall value of your home. Here are four
outdoor projects to make your home
appear more welcoming, to raise the
value of your home and to get it sold:

Make your home unique by adding a distinctive
outdoor architectural feature, whether as simple as
a container garden or birdbath, or as complex as a
pergola, fireplace or outdoor kitchen.

FRESHEN THE LANDSCAPING
A healthy lawn, fresh mulch and properly
trimmed
bushes can completely change the look of
During this season, sellers are renovating
any home. In fact, HouseLogic and Bob Vila agree
and staging while buyers are taking to the
that updated landscaping can from 25% to 28%
streets, literally and via the Internet, in
your home’s value. To avoid time-consuming and
search of their next home. During this
expensive maintenance, not to mention environmencrucial time, curb appeal should be on
tally un-friendly landscaping practices that require
extensive watering or chemicals, use native plants
every seller’s mind. Never has taking
to enliven your property. Be sure to look for areas
advantage of outdoor spaces been more
on your lawn that might need to be edged, seeded
trendy or important. The benefits of
or sodded. Check your flowerbeds for unsightly
updating your landscape go beyond
weeds or dead blooms.

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CLEAN THE EXTERIOR
Consider a thorough deep-cleaning of your
home’s exterior, including porches, overhangs,
molding, trim, fencing and even furniture. According to the National Association of REALTORS®,
washing a house can add $10,000 to $15,000 to your
sale price. Wash the inside and outside of windows
and brush all window screens to eliminate leaves,
dust and debris. Pressure-wash the entire exterior,
being sure to blast away any mildew, mold or algae,
Treat any stains leftover from algae and don’t
forget to check for stains on your hardscape areas.

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ADD A COAT OF PAINT
Once you have scrubbed everything thoroughly, it’s time to paint. A fresh coat of exterior paint
can majorly transform the feel and appearance of
a house. It can also be expensive and time-consuming. A less costly approach is to freshen up the
front door, trim, coping, molding and furniture.
Freshening up the paint not only makes the
home appear more clean, tidy and appealing from
the street, but will also give appraisers another
reason to rate your property a better value than a
comparable home that hasn’t received this kind of
attention.

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DECORATE THE FRONT ENTRANCE
The front entrance says much about your
home and about how you live. How welcome guests
feel as they approach your home immediately sets
the tone for first impressions. Your entry should
leave potential buyers thinking about the property
even after they’ve left. Add potted plants for pops
of color and natural beauty, new light fixtures that
set off the aesthetics and architectural style of
your home, clean and visible house numbers or
porch furniture. A freshly painted or stained and
distinctive front door will capture the attention of
potential buyers and also let them know you are
serious about selling.

GREENBOOK | SPRING 2016

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