After visiting with friends last night, I’m reminded of how much curb appeal matters. At the beginning of 2014, they purchased their home. It was a resale built in the early 90’s, and this was my first time seeing it. Their directions for finding the home were, and I quote, “First ugly house on the left.” Now, this wasn’t the first time they had told me the home was ugly, so I can openly admit – the home is ugly! But that’s one reason why they were able to get it close to $40,000 below the original listing price.
It’s not uncommon for buyers to see the front of a home and refuse to go in for a showing. It’s frustrating at times, but with buyers who have that strong of an initial reaction, it’s probably best to not waste any time looking at the home. I imagine this house was one that brought out that type of reaction in buyers, because the front has one of the most flat, boring exteriors I’ve ever seen on a home. There aren’t any shutters, the paint colors are drab, and the landscaping needs some work. It doesn’t reflect the interior at all.
As soon as you enter the home, the whole design does a 180°. There’s a giant great room with floor to ceiling windows and a second floor walkway, a big gourmet kitchen with a center island, a breakfast room and dining room, four bedrooms (including one with a loft), an oversized master suite, office, and bonus room. Plus, there’s a private balcony, screened porch, and in-ground swimming pool. This home is over 3,800 square-feet, but you wouldn’t know it looking at the front.
This home sat on the market for 7 months. Looking at it, I can only imagine how many times it was overlooked online due to the front picture. By our local Realtor association rules, we must make the front picture the first picture for all listings, so that’s usually the thumbnail that home buyers see in search results. Luckily, my friends’ tween daughter decided to look at it or they would have missed a great home with lots of character.
As soon as they looked at the interior pictures, they said, “We’ve got to see this house!” They did and quickly saw the potential. In case you’re wondering, they do plan on updating the front with new paint colors and architectural details.
This is just another reminder that, if you’re selling your home, curb appeal does matter and, if you’re searching for a home, digging a little deeper may bring you a good deal.
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