If you are thinking about putting your lakefront house on the market, you may be looking for ways to help your lake house sell faster and for more money. Staging your house is the act of setting your house up so that it is warm, welcoming, and appealing to the eye.
A good idea is to stage the inside and the outside of the lake house you are selling. This article will discuss three tips you can use to get started on the exterior of your lakefront house:
1. Evaluate what prospective buyers see from the street. By standing at the street, what do these buyers see as the drive down the driveway? Avoid making a negative impression. Is the landscaping well maintained? Is paint peeling off the front of the house or fencing? If they see that the house appears neglected, they will be more critical of the rest of the house. This can also reflect badly on the interior, even if you spent a lot of money to fix it up.
2. While the realtor is trying to open the lockbox to get the key, the potential buyer is evaluating the area around the front entry of the home. Does the area show that the owners have keep the home clean? Are the plants around the entry dead or overgrown? When they look in the corners will they see spider webs or hornet nests? Take the time to clean this area and make sure if reflects nicely on the rest of the lake house.
It will pay dividends to make the effort to clean and make the surrounding area look nice. Why not go ahead and put a fresh coat of paint on any furniture or accessories.
3. Dont forget the backyard. While that might not be part of the potential buyers first impression experience, if the lake is visible from the house it will certainly make a lasting impression. Pull up weeds, water plants, do some sweeping or raking and maybe even purchase new furniture or accessories (plant pots, bird houses, etc.). If a dock is present, has it been cared for? Are there weak or missing boards that need to be replaced?
And the biggest tip of all? Think of yourself as the potential buyer looking at your lakefront house for the very first time. What impressions do you get? Would you buy your lake house? What changes would you like to see made before you put an offer to purchase your house?
You may have to make a small investment in staging your home’s exterior, but you’ll recoup your investment when your lake house sells. By staging your house properly, you’ll shorten the period of time your home is on the market and get most if not all of your asking price.