It’s a “Plain Jane” house of sand-colored stucco, surrounded by a brown wooden fence with a distressing lean to it. Overgrown shrubs block the windows.
Despite its condition, however, the home’s seller–a retired engineer in his early 60s–refuses to improve its exterior.
“His attitude is, `Hey, I’m not going to put a penny in that place. I’m retired and, anyway, I could have gotten a lot more for it in ’89,’ ” reports Larry Trocosso, sales manager of a Coldwell Banker office in a nearby suburb.
Trocosso predicts that the engineer’s stubborn stance will ultimately cost him far more than a fence repair and a pruning job.
“A house is like a book that’s judged by its cover,” Trocosso says.
A typical buyer will eliminate more than 50 percent of the properties in his target community solely on the basis of a drive-by preview, he says. Few venture into a home that looks unattractive on the outside.
In fact, the engineer’s house has had scarcely any showings in the three months it has languished on the market. And Trocosso predicts the engineer eventually will be compelled to do the needed lawn work, succumb to a steep price cut, or both.
“Value is in the eye of the beholder,” Trocosso stresses.
Exterior appearance has always been vital because many prospects first identify the homes they purchase by meandering through the neighborhoods they like.
“The buyer won’t take the time to see the inside of the house if it’s cosmetically deficient on the outside,” says Phil Jones, broker-owner of a Prudential realty franchise.
What can you do to make your home more appealing to drive-by prospects?
Here are a half-dozen suggestions:
– Do exterior improvements before the house goes on the market.
As time wears on and a house remains unsold, most owners surrender to their agent’s advice on needed improvements such as painting and pruning.
But waiting until you’re pushed to the wall is imprudent, Trocosso says. Basic repairs are essential to selling a home at a decent price. And waiting will only raise buyers’ suspicions and lead to price cuts.
– Paint in subtle hues.
Realty agents are very orthodox about interior paint colors: Most want sellers to stay with soft tans or whites. But you have a bit more latitude on exterior colors, says Jones. A Dutch blue or very pale yellow are often acceptable choices for outside walls. And a pink paint could be an acceptable choice for a Spanish-style house.
But outside those exceptions, Jones believes in pure whites, pale tans or light grays on exterior walls. (Accent trim can be darker and more varied in color.)
“What you want to do is create mass appeal,” Jones says.
– Remember driveways.
Do spots on your concrete driveway bring back memories of many oil changes on the old Buick? Then you’d better call in a driveway steam-cleaning crew, says Ken Gunderson, sales manager of a Century 21 office.
By the same token, cracks in an asphalt driveway warrant repair when a house is put up for sale, he says.
– Keep windows and doors spotless.
If you think today’s “drive-by” buyers always stay in their cars, you’re mistaken. Many are curious and aggressive. And if they’re interested in a property and detect that it’s vacant or absent of its owner, they’ll get out of their vehicles to take a closer look.
Do you want prospects peering through spotty windows or catching the sight of cobwebs in the corner of your front door?
– Don’t fret that your house is just “Plain Jane.”
Your house may not cast a strikingly handsome look to the casual passerby. But if the property is immaculate, freshly painted and well pruned, it will still be highly salable, says Trocosso.
“Plain Jane is OK unless you can’t see through the poor maintenance to its possibilities,” he says.
An ordinary house can be dressed up with inexpensive yet colorful flower beds and possibly a seasonal flag hung by the front door. Low-voltage yard lights can add a touch of glamor and are worth the investment, because many prospects drive by after dark.
– Don’t invest too much in trying to turn an “ugly duckling” home into a swan.
Is your house inherently unappealing to most buyers %% hen it’s unlikely you’ll ever recoup your investment for major structural changes. The better idea is to appeal to bargain hunters by setting a price 5 to 10 percent below that of nearby homes of like square footage but better aesthetics, Trocosso says.
”Unfortunately, if you have a really ugly house, you’ll get an ugly price,” he says. %%
