Archives for April 2018

Money Talks, But Creativity Can Seal the Home Buying Deal By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 27, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Buyers and sellers in real estate are always so focused on the bottom line, the big number, the listing price and the offer price. But the truth of the matter is, it’s not always about price. Sure, a buyer can’t expect a 10 percent discount for writing a sappy letter to the seller. But when you are in the market, be open to being creative, take the sole focus off the price and consider the seller’s entire sale situation.

If competition is fierce in your market and you want a leg up, or you just want to try to pay a little less than full price, think outside the box. Here are three ways you can be creative in your offer and increase your odds of getting the home you want.

1. Offer a quick closing

Often, the closing period could be as important as the price — or even more important. Have the sellers already bought a home and want to be in it before school starts? Are they nervous about carrying two mortgages? If so, this knowledge can be real estate gold to you, the buyer. The sellers may be motivated to accept less on a purchase price if you can close in 30 days vs. someone who needs 90 days. Or offering to close in 30 days may give you an edge over other buyers in a multiple offer situation. Either way, to the sellers, there is real value in the escrow’s timing

2. Rent back to sellers who need to sell before buying

Many sellers today need the equity out of their current homes in order to purchase new ones. But they don’t want to have to move twice. Are the sellers of the home you love in that situation? You could offer a quick close and then rent the home back to them for one to three months to allow some breathing room. Most sellers in these situations would love that flexibility. And if you’re currently a renter, you’d likely have to pay your first mortgage payment along with your last rent payment anyway. So if there’s no rush on your end, be open to allowing the sellers to stay in the home. Your offer will be greatly appreciated and could help you negotiate the sale price down a little.

3. Make life easy for the sellers

Look at the home you want to buy. Try to imagine all that might come between your offer and the closing. Look for opportunities to make the sellers’ lives easier, so they may accept a price reduction.

For example, a buyer in San Francisco noted a large built-in and overly extensive work area in the garage of the home he was buying. The work area was full of old pieces of wood, metal scraps and equipment, and it encroached on the second parking spot. The seller would have needed to dismantle the work area for the buyer. This smart buyer understood that the elderly seller (off to downsize in a retirement community) wouldn’t be able to take any of the work area with him. So the buyer included language that the seller could leave it as-is.

In another situation, a Seattle buyer noticed the sellers were having a garage sale, but the goods weren’t moving. In her contract, the buyer offered to purchase anything left over, at the marked price, at the closing.

Ask questions

The more information you have, the more creative you can be in your offer. Ask lots of questions of the listing agent to find out as much as you can about the sellers’ situation. Try to get inside their head. What are the sellers’ needs, must haves and wants? Why are they selling? Where will they move? What is their time frame? A good listing agent will know their clients’ “big picture” and should gladly answer these questions.

Please note that this Scottsdale Real Estate Blog is for informational purposes and not intended to take the place of a licensed Scottsdale Real Estate Agent. The Szabo Group offers first class real estate services to clients in the Scottsdale Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area in the buying and selling of Luxury homes in Arizona. Award winning Realtors and Re/MAX top producers and best real estate agent for Luxury Homes in Scottsdale, The Szabo group delivers experience, knowledge, dedication and proven results. Contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020, [email protected] or visit www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com to find out more about Scottsdale Homes for Sale and Estates for Sale in Scottsdale and to search the Scottsdale MLS for Scottsdale Home Listings.

Questions to Help You Find the Right Buyer’s Agent By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 24, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

The relationship between buyer and seller is one that could last a very long time. The dynamic home-buying process can take unexpected twists and turns, so having the right agent by your side makes all the difference.

Unlike a seller, who signs an agreement with an agent, a buyer rarely has anything in writing that binds them to an agent or requires an agent to perform particular tasks. This makes it important to choose the right agent, instead of just jumping in with the first one who comes along.

What’s most important is to go with your gut. This person will be a significant presence in your life while you search for a home. Above all, you must feel comfortable with them.

Here are some questions to ask a buyer’s agent before you start working with them.

How long does it take typical buyers you’ve worked with to find a home and close?

If he tells you that his typical buyers move quickly, within weeks or a month, he is probably used to working with buyers who’ve done a lot of independent research prior to engaging the agent. If he says it’s more like a year or longer, he is likely more patient and lets the home-buying process run its course.

In which towns or neighborhoods do you do the most business?

Agents tend to focus on where and what they know. Most have a solid knowledge of a few towns, and then a cursory knowledge of nearby areas.

Your home search can take you through multiple towns and school districts. If you start working with a real estate agent you meet at your first open house, and she only truly works in that town, someone else for another area may better serve you. But its better to have one agent throughout the process, which is why good agents typically cover a broader geography.

Do you work independently or with a team? Do you have an assistant?

Home buying is incredibly personal, so you want to make sure you know who you’ll be working with. It’s helpful to have the same person by your side during the journey so they can track your experience.

Ask your agent what her arrangement is and make sure you are comfortable with it. If she works with assistants or junior agents, make sure you won’t be pushed off to someone with less experience.

How do showings work?

There are multiple ways to see properties, and the most effective approach is different for every buyer and in every market. Some markets rely heavily on open houses, where buyers can see the home on their own. Others require private appointments or the use of a lock box to see homes. If the agent prefers that you leverage open houses as much as possible, but you desire a little more handholding, she may not be the agent for you.

How do you search for properties, and what’s the best way to collaborate or communicate?

Buyers don’t rely only on their agent to find properties anymore. What’s more, many agents encourage buyers to search online independently. Agents leverage their local multiple listing service (MLS), and will send buyers emails and alerts from there.

Good collaboration makes for a seamless process, so ask the agent how they collaborate with their buyers for searches. Finally, ask if they’re a phone, text or email kind of person. Identify an agent who works well with your own communication style.

Search real estate agents now to get started. When you meet with an agent, use the questions below to get to know them better.

How to Handle Long-Distance House Hunting Like a Champ By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 20, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Searching for a house locally is not without its difficulties. Add hundreds or even thousands of miles to the equation, and it becomes infinitely more complicated.

Though long-distance house hunting has its unique challenges, it’s not impossible. In fact, with the right agent and the convenience of modern technology, it’s never been easier to buy a house remotely.

Here are a few critical factors to keep in mind when you find yourself in a home search from afar.

Do your homework

When it comes to long-distance home shopping, “the Internet is your friend,” remarks Meghann Shike of Synergy Realty in Nashville. “You know the neighborhoods you live around, but you know nothing about your new one. You don’t know where the mall is, the [grocery store], or the schools.”

Though nothing can substitute checking out the neighborhood in person, Shike recommends looking up commute times to work, crime rates in the area, and, most importantly, how the schools rank. Even if you don’t have children or don’t plan to have children, it’s still good to know the quality of the schools for resale purposes.

One of the biggest pieces of the long-distance house-hunting puzzle, however, is to make sure you’re researching who the best local real estate agents are. It’s always crucial to hire an agent you trust, but with a long-distance search the agent can make or break the experience.

“You’re going to want someone local on the ground — someone who is very familiar with the city, neighborhood, and prices,” Shike says. “You need to get a feel for how that person operates. Are they available to talk to you? You’re going to have more questions than you realize, and your agent is going to need to be there to answer them.”

Have a travel budget

When Kyle and Samantha Steele found out they were going to be moving from Oklahoma City to Columbus, OH for Kyle’s new job, the couple looked at listings online, got in touch with real estate agents, and picked an upcoming weekend to house hunt in person.

The Steeles’ agent showed them multiple houses, but nothing was quite right. Then they found out that many of the older neighborhoods in the area didn’t have great access to high-speed Internet. That’s when they decided to build.

Their agent was instrumental in guiding them on their short house-hunting weekend, and in finding a builder. “[Our agent] basically helped us with everything, every step of the way,” Kyle states. “When we couldn’t find anything, she helped us find model homes in the area we’re building in, and showed us three different model homes. She answered questions, and helped us find the building company. She even helped us find a hotel for the weekend.”

Inevitably, unexpected appointments came up during the building process that required one of the Steeles to be present. “We had to make an appointment to meet with the design studio to pick out the floors and the carpet,” Samantha remarks. “So far, I’ve been to Ohio twice.”

The couple advises long-distance house hunters to prepare and plan ahead, especially for last-minute travel. “Be flexible,” Kyle says. “Make sure you have a few thousand dollars in reserve that you can spend on plane tickets and a hotel — because you will have to go back and forth.”

From the agent perspective, Shike recommends planning a house-hunting trip that’s at least four to five days long, so you’re not cramming in tons of showings that you won’t remember at the end of the day.

Know what you want

When you’re in the market for a home, you should always have a running list of features you want, but it’s especially crucial when you’re buying from a distance.

“I like to tell my clients to do a ‘top five.’” Shike says. “What’s your non-negotiable? Is it being able to step out the front door to walk your dogs? Do you want to walk your kids to school?”

Knowing exactly what you want out of a house and location allows your agent to help you narrow down neighborhoods and homes more easily, and assist you in making an offer quickly, which is especially important in a fast-moving market.

“Buyers need to get over the fear of writing an offer when they haven’t seen the house in person,” remarks Shike. “I can video chat our way through the house, but I can’t get you on a plane [to get here] in the same time the local people can who are shopping.”

Overcome remote home-buyer jitters

For those buyers who are nervous about making an offer sight unseen, Shike says there is the possibility of adding a clause in the contract that the sale is contingent on the buyer seeing it.

Of course, there is also always the option of renting first before you take the plunge. “You could rent for the short term or get a six-month lease, which is enough time to get settled in your job or routine,” recommends Shike. “That can be nice for buyers who are a little more anxious about the process — to relieve that anxiety.”

Overall, buying a house from a distance shouldn’t necessarily be looked at as a negative experience. In fact, Shike believes it can give many shoppers new opportunities, and buyers are often more excited when purchasing long distance.

“It can be a nice change of pace for people,” Shike adds. “Another benefit to moving long distance is a fresh start: a new neighborhood, new culture, new people, and new experiences everywhere.”

Is Your Home the One Buyers Want? By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 17, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

When it comes time to sell your home, whether you’ve lived there for three years or 30, you need to see it as a product for sale. And just like an item on a store shelf, you want your home to stand out from the competition.

Of course, your feelings and emotions about your home — and all of the memories you made there — may make it difficult to detach and view your home as a product. But sellers who quickly transition away from the emotional connection and into investment mode will reap the financial benefits many times over. Homes that go into contract quicker and with few (if any) price reductions ultimately sell for more money. And isn’t that every seller’s goal?

What’s on buyers’ wish lists

Homes that sell quickly probably have many of the features today’s buyers find desirable. Smart retailers try to understand better what consumers want, and then deliver to them. Home sellers should do the same.

When you’re preparing to sell your home, consider small renovations, updates, cleaning and even some light staging. I’ve seen sellers make significant upgrades to their home before listing, leaving them to question if they actually want to move.

Today’s buyers look for move-in ready and turn-key homes. The more bells and whistles, the better.

Focus on kitchens and baths

It’s a pretty well-established fact that kitchens and baths sell a home. If your kitchen or bathroom is tired or outdated, consider modest upgrades that pack a punch.

Painting cabinets white gives the kitchen a clean and fresh look. Consider new stone countertops like quartz or granite. And replace old faucets with shiny new ones.

Spending a modest sum can reap incredible benefits — tenfold.

If you’ve got it, flaunt it

Research shows that certain features help sell a home faster. Even if you don’t have time for renovations, you might luck out and already have some of the items on buyers’ wish lists.

For example, subway tiles in the kitchen or bathroom, barn doors, and craftsman features are proven to help homes sell faster. If your home has these, play them up, because today’s buyers want them.

Just like companies figure out the next hot car, handbag or shoe for their respective industries, smart home sellers must know their audience and market their product to meet customer demand.

When it comes time to sell, consider your buyer, and try hard to make your home into a top-notch product.

How to Build a Home Renovation Team You Can Trust By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 13, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

Whether you’re a professional real estate investor or a homeowner with dreams of renovating to update and improve your house, having a quality home renovation team you can trust is absolutely essential.

After all, even if you’re planning on doing some stuff yourself, you’re not going to be able to do it all on your own. And you don’t want to end up paying top dollar for low-quality work.

So, how can you be sure that you find and hire the absolute best people for the job? If you follow a few simple steps, you can rest easy knowing that you’ve built a team that will take care of you and your home.

Do you have a plan?

Before you start Googling contractors, plumbers, and other renovation experts, you need to have a plan for your renovation. If you’re a design wiz, you might be able to create this plan on your own, but there’s nothing wrong with calling in a pro.

Getting an architect or interior designer involved in the process is a good idea, but you need to be very clear about what you want from them and how involved they’ll be.

If you don’t mind spending some extra money, you could have an architect design your entire remodeling project, hire all of your contractors, and oversee construction for you. Most of us don’t have the cash to do that, though, so we make a few compromises.

At this point, put together information on everything that you know you want included in your renovation. Then meet with a few different designers and/or architects to get an idea of what they can do for you.

You can follow the same guidelines to choose a designer, contractor, painter, plumber, or any other member of your team.

Create a list of candidates

To start your search, ask friends and family members who they’ve worked with on their home renovations. If you have any friends or colleagues in the real estate business, be sure to ask them which renovation experts they recommend. If you don’t get a lot of suggestions, go ahead and do a search online for the kind of work you want done.

Before you call anyone on the list, search for customer reviews of their services. Look at review sites to see what real customers have said about them; you want service providers with an overall positive review trend.

Don’t worry if you see one or two disgruntled reviews, but if you see more than that, you might want to cross that candidate off your list.

Call your best candidates

Once you’ve narrowed your list using friends’ recommendations and online reviews, it’s time to get on the phone. Call each of your candidates and ask them a few questions about their work and experience.

At the very least, you want to make sure they’re licensed and insured, how long they’ve been in business, and how much experience they have with the kinds of renovations you want. You should also ask for references and then follow up on them to make sure your candidates were being honest with you.

If a contractor, designer, or other renovation pro gives you a list of references and most of them don’t check out, then they’re either working with phone numbers so old that they don’t belong to their customers anymore, or they’re lying to you. Either way, move on.

Set up in-person interviews

After you talk with your candidates on the phone and follow up on their references, you should have a pretty good idea of which ones you would prefer to work with. Don’t just hire someone based on a gut feeling, though. Set up in-person interviews so you can meet face to face and they can see the property and what it needs.

This step is important for a couple of reasons. First, you want to make sure you can actually work with the people you hire, and sometimes things just don’t work out that way. Meeting in person gives you the chance to confirm that the two of you will be able to see eye to eye on the project and communicate well.

Second, when service providers see your house firsthand, they’ll get a better idea of everything that will go into the project, and give you a more accurate estimate.

Carefully select your general contractor

I follow the tips above whenever I’m hiring anyone for a home renovation, but I pay especially close attention when hiring a general contractor or project manager because they’re going to have more responsibilities and freedom to take care of the job.

I hire guys that I really like working with because I know that they’ll hire quality subcontractors and take a load off of me while I continue to work on designing new renovations and finding new leads on flip houses.

And while you might not be flipping houses, I’m willing to bet that you have better things to do than figure out how to be your own general contractor and hire every single person who’s going to work on your home.

If you start by hiring a couple of key people (like your architect and general contractor), you can save yourself a lot of time and energy later on because they’ll take care of hiring subcontractors for you.

Be present, but don’t micromanage

Once you’ve hired your team, you don’t want to completely disappear from your home renovation project. Be present and make sure that your workers know how to get in touch with you when you’re at work or can’t be home.

Be available to give permission on purchases and design decisions, but don’t loom over your workers. Micromanaging them will only slow things down and make everyone miserable.

Plus, since you followed these tips, you can be sure you hired a great team and won’t have to watch over every little thing they do. So sit back, relax, and watch your home renovation dreams become a reality.

Budget-Friendly Curb Appeal Boosters By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 10, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

A polished home exterior makes for an inviting experience for any visitor or passersby, which is especially important if your home is on the market.

All sellers should focus on exterior home improvements, says Tallahassee-based realtor Joe Manausa of Joe Manausa Real Estate. “Buyers are searching for homes online, and the exterior picture of your home will be the most likely culprit for somebody to reject your home,” he notes.

Check out our tips to get the most curb appeal for the lowest cost — while turning your neighbors’ heads and getting prospective buyers to your door.

Clean up

Sometimes the most obvious way to enhance curb appeal is simply dedicating a weekend to deep cleaning the exterior of your home.

Sure, you’ll want to trim bushes, sweep, and mow your lawn, but there’s so much more to curb appeal than keeping a tidy front yard. Turn the nozzle on your garden hose to the strongest setting and clean off your driveway, sidewalk, windows, and fence.

If dirt and grime is really caked on your home’s exterior, you can rent a power washer for around $50 to $75 a day — but steer clear of any area with caulking, like windows and doors, as you can strip some of the sealing. And as tempting as it may be to power wash your roof, you may want to hold off to avoid damaging the shingles’ coating.

Spraying off your windows with a garden hose isn’t enough to make them spic and span, however. For maximum sparkle, clean your windows outside and inside. Instead of relying on a glass cleaner, try a mix of detergent diluted in warm water.

Add shutters

An easy way to accentuate the size of your windows is to add shutters. Not only does it make your windows look larger, but it adds visual interest by disrupting a bland exterior wall. Choose a color that contrasts with the color of your home to make it pop for maximum curb appeal.

Paint accent areas

Paint is a quick and easy curb appeal-booster. Instead of painting the entire exterior of your home, focus your attention on the trim, door, and shutters.

You can typically find a gallon of exterior paint for $20 to $30 a gallon. But before slapping on that paint, consider exterior color scheme trends, while keeping in mind your home’s natural style.

Give your door a face lift

If you’re not in love with your front door, you don’t need to dish out loads of money to replace it. Think beyond paint and consider also adding molding, which offers a decorative frame for your door, welcoming visitors while serving as a grand entrance.

You can also glam up your door by adding metal house numbers, which you can find for as low as $5 a number. Manausa also suggests adding a wreath or seasonal decorations to your door as a bonus.

Replace your house numbers

If you’d rather not add house numbers to your freshly painted door, here are some alternative DIY ideas:

Paint a terra-cotta planter with your house number and place it by your doorstep.
Add house numbers to a post planter near your front porch.
Make use of your front porch stair riser’s real estate by hanging or painting numbers there.

Update your light fixtures

Replacing your exterior light fixtures is another curb appeal must. You can usually find outdoor sconces for around $20 at home centers. Just make sure your new light fixtures have the same mounting system. And if you want to save on lighting, a fresh finish can do wonders. Try spray-painting them — a can of spray paint costs around $10.

Be deliberate about porch furniture

Manausa advises homeowners to limit their use of personal decor and furniture. Just as you would aim to simplify the interior of your home when your house is on the market, the exterior of your home should allow prospective buyers to envision their style in the space.

“Porch furniture and decor, if its appearance is attractive, should be used to give a potential buyer the possibilities of using the outdoor space – but it should be minimal,” says Manausa. “Outdoor pillows and cushions are an easy way to give color and life to furniture.”

So put your pink flamingo and wind chime collection into storage and focus on porch decor that offer pops of color and character. You can find brightly colored outdoor chairs for $20 to $30 each.

Quick changes

If our favorite tips to upping your home’s curb appeal leave you wanting more, be sure to attempt these bonus ideas for the ultimate curb appeal style on the block:

Upgrade your mailbox. Install a new mailbox for under $100, or spray paint your existing mailbox.
Plant a tree. Make sure you know how large the tree will grow first, but planting a tree adds to your curb appeal for as low as $20.
Build a tree bench. Already have a tree you love in your front yard? Build a wraparound tree bench. Great for napping, picnicking, or just hiding exposed roots, a tree bench will just cost what you spend on boards and screws.
Install flower boxes. For around $20 each, flower boxes are a quick way to add some life and color to your house windows. If you don’t want to worry about installing flower boxes, try out a container garden in pots by your front porch.
Hide eyesores. Place a small lattice fence or side of paneling around your air conditioner to avoid an appliance eyesore, and hide your trash bins behind a small fence or by building a garbage can shed. You can also hide your hose in a pot or storage bench.

Unexpected Home Improvements That Pay Off By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 6, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

It may be overwhelming to look at your house from a buyer’s perspective and see all of the potential upgrades you could make. Then you start adding up the price tags. How do you know what may be worth your investment for a good return? Here are six home improvements that buyers typically love. The numbers speak for themselves.

1. Bathrooms are the Best

A mid-range bathroom remodel is on average one of the easiest ways to get the most for your money. Mid-range means $3,000 to replace the toilet, light fixtures, maybe add a new or double sink. If you have a bit leftover you can even update the wallpaper. On average, according to Zillow Talk, a bathroom remodel of this type results in a $1.71 increase in home value for every $1.00 spent on the project.

2. Attics Can Double as Extra Bedrooms

Adding fiberglass attic insulation is the only renovation that gets more than a 100 percent return on your investment according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2016 data. With a national average investment of just over $1,200, the recoup is around $1,482, a 116.9% return. If you’re willing to go all-out, converting attics into bedrooms is another particularly popular project that also offers a high return, as much as 84.3 percent. Even better? If you have exposed brick, play it up in your listing and you could get nearly 5% above the expected listing price and sell your house 36 days faster.

3. Spiff Up the Front Entrance

U.S. News reports that something as simple as updating the front door, be it painting or installing a new one, can bring the highest return of nearly any project: 96.6 percent. Adding stone veneer around the bottom of the house, either to replace a few layers of siding or to cover an exposed foundation, is another worthwhile investment. Though the cost is a bit steep, at around $7,500, the return is at 92.9 percent and the added curb appeal of a clean front entrance could bring even more money overall.

4. Make Minor Kitchen Updates

Since kitchens are so high on the priority list of most potential buyers, it is a worthwhile place to invest money. Zillow Talk estimates minor kitchen remodel could recoup 83.1 percent of your costs. Anything dated is a big turn-off for buyers, and even small updates can have big payoffs. Simply swapping out kitchen cabinet hardware can take years off a dated kitchen. Take a look at our guide Essential Kitchen Updates Before You Sell to learn more.

5. Replace the Garage Door

While the front door is a no-brainer for the financial return, a garage door replacement is a bit more of an investment for sellers. But the return is high, according to Remodeling Magazine, and you can’t put a price on curb appeal. With an average cost of $1,652 nationwide, the return was 91.5 percent, or $1,512. If replacing feels overwhelming, a fresh coat of paint or stain to cover all those nicks can do wonders.

6. Update Exterior Siding

Engineered siding might not seem like a particularly fun home improvement project to embark on, but updating it is a 78.6 percent return on your investment. While the initial investment is hefty, Remodeling Magazine puts it at an average of nearly $14,000, you’ll recoup about $10,866 in selling price. Vinyl siding is a bit less of an initial investment, but the payoff also drops, to about a 73.2 percent return.

10 Easy Ways to Add Curb Appeal By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

April 3, 2018 Joe Szabo

By Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team

They say you only get one first impression, and the same is true for your house and potential buyers. Some buyers will simply drive away if the exterior of the house doesn’t inspire them to spend their precious time looking inside. Even if you’re not selling, the look of your home from the street makes a strong statement. Here are 10 easy ways to up your curb appeal.

1. Clean up light fixtures

Outdoor light fixtures have a way of becoming dirty, broken, rusted and covered in cobwebs almost overnight. If the fixtures themselves are in good repair, a little elbow grease and some cleaning products make this a quick fix. Polish ‘em up, replace the bulbs and make that glass sparkle. Don’t forget back porch lights, garage lights, motion-activated lights and post lights in the yard.

2. Welcome them home

Make your potential buyers — and any guest who enters your house — immediately feel at home with a brand new welcome mat and some shiny new house numbers. You might even think about replacing the doorbell or door knocker, particularly if they are weathered or broken. You may not use your front entrance very often, but remember this is where many people enter your home.

3. Paint the door

Speaking of the door, give it a good wipe-down to get rid of any built-up grime. Then see if it could do with a fresh coat of paint. Chances are the answer is yes. Does it need new hardware? Are the locks rusted, sticky or outdated? Now is the time to replace them with contemporary pieces that will enhance the look of even the most basic door. If there are windows in the door or surrounding it, be sure they are clean and remove stickers or window-clings.

4. Add flower power

Color attracts the eyes of the potential buyers and can add instant cheer, both good things when you’re trying to get someone to buy your house. The easiest way to add color is to purchase a few new freestanding pots or planters and fill them with flowering annuals. If you have window boxes, be sure they are freshly painted or have new liners and are filled with colorful flowers.

5. Replace the mailbox

A mailbox is an easy-to-forget daily-use item, but replacing it makes a big visual impact. Be sure to choose one that is simple, useful and suits the house as well as fits your local regulations. This sleek modern mailbox is attractive to buyers and matches the overall feel of the entry.

6. Finish outdoor projects

Is your deck half-painted? Is there a pile of gravel you intended for the driveway? Now is the time to finish those incomplete projects. Not only will home buyers be impressed with the results, they’ll be glad to not see a project they need to do themselves. When finishing outdoor projects, it is important to consider your climate as well. For example, drought-friendly landscaping is a big selling point for many home buyers.

7. Cover up eyesores

That tangled, old garden hose needs to go. Put the trash bins in the garage. If you can, paint electrical boxes to match the house so they disappear to the eye. Camouflage the AC system with a small fence or a large plant. Toys for the children should be put away, including bicycles and sandboxes. Outdoor furniture that shows any sort of wear is best tucked into the garage, as are rakes and other outdoor implements. Also, clean the yard of any pet toys, waste or damage.

8. Add a new element

One simple element, such as a new path from the porch to the garage, can make a huge difference. A newly-completed project shows people you care for and maintain your home. It needn’t be a huge project. It can simply be an added element, such as landscape lighting or patio furniture to make things look festive and fresh.

9. Edge walkways and tend garden beds

This is one of the quickest and easiest ways to add more curb appeal. There is something so appealing about a nicely lined lawn—and absolutely pull those pesky weeds in walkway cracks! A bit of fresh mulch also makes a big difference in your curb appeal. No need to re-do the entire bed with a truck-load of mulch, but a few bags mixed in to keep things looking cared-for will do the trick. Be sure to trim up hedges and bushes while you’re at it.

10. Freshen up garage doors

Garage doors are the workhorse of the house exterior, and they’re often missed when it comes to minor repairs. Fix any dents, dings or scrapes. Add a fresh coat of paint, if possible. Clean off spiderwebs and grime and make the windows spotless if there are any. A garage is a big part of curb appeal, so make sure it looks appealing.