Like a smile and a handshake when you greet someone, your home’s curb appeal serves as its first impression, prompting buyers to draw immediate conclusions about living there. Does the exterior of your home “smile” and say, “Welcome, come on in!” or does it say, “I don’t put much thought into how I present myself”?
People like to say “first impressions are everything,” but are they? A first impression certainly matters, but we’ve all had the experience of a mistaken first impression. Sometimes, once you get to know people, your impressions of them change, for better or worse. In the end, what’s more important, your initial impression or the opinion you develop once you get to know someone’s character?
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No one can argue that curb appeal of a property isn’t important – it is! – but consider this: When buyers are searching for a new home, whether online or in person, they will spend considerably more time looking at the interior than the exterior. When preparing to sell, the number one task that will earn you the highest return on investment by far is decluttering the inside. Download our free Rightsizing Guide for specific strategies to sort everything you own into five categories.
Ultimately, people live inside their homes and don’t spend much time looking at the front of them. If you have limited time and money and must decide where they’re best invested, your home’s interior will have more influence on a buyer’s decision. Yes, there are buyers who will pull into the driveway, see an unkempt yard or peeling paint, and immediately leave without even looking inside. But there’s little point in making the outside look good if the inside feels cluttered and overwhelming. Buyers will walk in and almost certainly decide that’s not where they want to be.
The bottom line: For first impressions, you can always put on a little lipstick (fresh mulch, edged flower beds) or add a coat of foundation (fresh paint), but at the end of the day, it’s what’s inside that really counts.
