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I’m gonna preach today. Hate me.

Is your house for sale?
Have you ever sold a house?
Have you ever bought a house?
Will your house be for sale one day?

There is a house in my neighborhood that is for sale. Oh how I wish I could say, “There is an adorable house in my neighborhood that is for sale”. My guess is that the owners would like to have it sold. The house looks average and if you want your house to sell for an average price to an average buyer in an average time frame then go for the average look.

It doesn’t cost much to be the belle of the ball. When a potential buyer drives by your home you are telling them “This is as good as it’s gonna get”. Most buyers don’t have much vision. And they don’t need to–there will always be someone who makes it their goal to have the most captivating house in their price range. That house always sells fast. Why can’t that be your house?

It can.

I would dare say that the drive by is the most important part of selling the house. Thanks to the internet, potential buyers already know the size and the vitals like bedrooms and baths. The drive by is about connection. Make that woman’s heart skip a beat when she drives by. I know the realtor tells you to keep the grass cut and watered and plant some flowers. But I urge you to go the extra mile. Plant twice as many flowers and then, add more all in the same color for impact. Paint your door a fresh eye catching color and make you a pretty over the top wreath to hang on it. If your porch furniture is not pretty, remove it. I think it’s not about knowing exactly what to do or following a checklist. Most sellers know what could be done outside their home to make it pop. Do THAT.

Could a $1000 makeover make your house worth thousands more and sell three times faster? Is it possible to stage the outside of your home?

If your house is for sale it stops being your home and starts being merchandise in a dog eat dog world. Dogs can be mean. Its up to you to make it appealing to potential buyers and if they are not emotionally attached to the outside, you won’t even get a chance to show them the inside.
Remember how you gave nicknames to all the houses that you looked at when you were house shopping? That’s the one with the steep driveway, the one with the red door? Don’t you want to be “That adorable house that we cannot wait to see the inside of”?

Maybe you won’t be selling for a while. Great, do a few things a month and then you can enjoy living in that adorable house. I’ll tell you a secret, my front porch looks better than the neighboring house that’s for sale and I guarantee, I spent less, enjoy it more and get more people wondering what the inside looks like.

START NOW!

As Pioneer Woman would say, “Amen”.