When it comes to your real estate agent selling your home, first impressions matter. Considering that the front of your house is the first thing potential buyers see, it’s important that you learn how to create curbside appeal.

Take a hard look at your front door

Visitors to your home have their eyes trained on the front door as they approach your house. A well-maintained, attractive front door goes a long way toward welcoming them in and giving a positive impression. If your front door is faded, consider repainting or restaining it, or invest in a new door. Also remember the door handle and lock, which you want to be in good working condition.

Landscape

Bare flower beds and a crunchy brown lawn give your home an unattractive, abandoned look that decreases curbside appeal. Plant sod and landscape the flower beds. To give your flower beds a professional landscaped look, plant large shrubs toward the back of the beds, mid-sized shrubs in the middle and small flowering annuals at the front of the bed.

Welcome visitors by flanking the front door with two pots brimming with fragrant flowers, which gives your entrance an attractive look and provides an aromatic welcome.

Examine the walkway

Broken concrete on the path up to your house or cracked bricks in steps leading to your door are one of the first things that visitors will see. Repair all cracks and broken bricks, and the curb appeal of your home will immediately rise.

Wash the windows

Shiny windows that glisten in the sun give your home curbside appeal. Once visitors are in your home, clean windows also help them see outside into your attractive landscape.

Apply a fresh coat of paint

If it’s been a while since you painted your home, now may be the time to do so. A fresh coat of paint is sure to get your home noticed. Choose a pleasing color that appeals to a wide variety of tastes, rather than an unusual hue that might turn off potential buyers. You may also want to power-wash the outside if it’s been recently painted and it needs is a cleaning.

Consider window coverings

Remember that the underside of window coverings can be seen from the street, so make sure that yours look clean and appealing. Examine the window coverings from the exterior of the house to spot any staining.

Remember the seasons

You may not regularly deck your house out for every holiday, but now is the time to do so. If Thanksgiving is drawing near, make sure to feature pumpkins, scarecrows and cornucopias, and if Fourth of July is here, hang the flag in commemoration.

Remember, the goal of showing your house is to make those walking through feel they could live there. Taking the time to create curbside appeal increases the odds that your real estate agent will be able to sell your home.