If you're going to get buyers to look inside your home, you've got to create an eye-catching first impression on the outside. If the outside isn't appealing, buyers will often skip the opportunity to see what's inside, so it's vital to make your home's exterior entice potential buyers to check out what's inside. If you want a quick sale for full market value, here's some home selling advice.



First, get rid of all clutter, which includes bicycles, skateboards, balls, roller skates, garden tools, or any of the many other things that tend to get left out in the yard at the end of the day. Buyers who see excessive clutter on the outside tend to think the inside of the home will look the same. It doesn't have to make sense--that's just the way it is.

Walk around the perimeter of the house and make sure that none of the gutters sag or are broken in any way. This can make a home look run-down and shabby. If the garbage cans are in sight from the street, move them to another location. Anything you see lying on the ground that shouldn't be there should be picked up and taken care of.

Make sure the lawn and shrubbery looks neatly trimmed and well maintained. That creates a sense of stability and shows that you care about your home's appearance. don't let shrubs grown higher than the bottom of window sills. It creates a negative appearance, and doesn't allow buyers to see the size of the windows themselves.

Keep the sidewalk clean and free of debris. It creates an inviting atmosphere, and beckons buyers to approach the house. Make sure all the windows are clean, as well, because it gives the home the appearance of being well maintained and bright.

The front entrance should be inviting, and the front door should be clean and freshly painted. It's also nice to have an attractive welcome mat in front of the door. They're all homey touches that encourage people to come inside for a closer look.

If there are pots and planters on the back patio, remove them, unless they contain spectacular plants that add to the overall ambience and charm of the space. Otherwise, they'll look like clutter, which is never desirable.

Real estate agents know too well the value of a home's inviting exterior. They know that if buyers don't like the outside, they may not want to see the inside. Agents' home selling advice always includes the basic exterior cleanup. Therefore, it's crucial that you make the exterior of your home as inviting as possible if you want a quicker sale.

Copyright (c) 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher