Three More Things to do to Your Ottawa Front Door Before Listing

Posted on June 20, 2008 
Filed Under Listing and Selling Your Home, Valerie Zinger

Continuing on an earlier blog about painting your front door, I would like to add three more things for you consider doing to the front door before listing.

For your front doorway - if you add a couple of these things you  will make a significant impact.  Remember, buyers will step into your home through the front door and this and your front yard are where you are making the first impression.  Some of these little improvements will cost less than $50.00 but will make an impact of $100s.

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I like this picture.  You can see the house numbers, the mailbox is new (even if the old one is still stuck in the corner), there are flowers and the glass looks clean.  The stairs are wide and debris free.  If this house were for sale, the entrance would welcome in a buyer who would have positive feelings before entering.   

New doorbell.  Start by making sure that the bell works.  I ring the doorbell at each house that I visit with my clients.  I am not testing if the doorbell works (I just don’t want to walk into a house with the owner coming out of the shower).  If the bell doesn’t work, we will know this and start judging your home, before we have stepped over the threshold.  Now that it works, you can pump of the house appeal with a funky new bell the ringer and the sound.  I know you love your pug but a pug doorbell may not be to everyone’s taste, nor will the false barking or the Battle Hymn of the Republic.  If you go to Preston Hardware or other stores with special hardware you can spend hours deciding on how to jewel up your door.  I found the Doorbell Factory  website that allows you the fun of shopping from your computer.  While based in Texas, it appears that the company will ship to Canada.  There are lots of wonderful bells available. Just remember, you will be leaving it behind and it will have to appeal to a group of buyers that you have never met.  Be careful. 

Mail box.  Look at your mailbox.  Even if your mail is delivered to the central box, you likely have a mailbox by your door for flyers and newspapers.  If the box is rusting, lid does not close, newspaper holder is bent and the box looks cheap, please replace it.  Again, this is part of the first impression of your house.  While we are on the topic of mail, if you hate flyers and have pasted a sign on your door or mailbox discouraging people from leaving flyers, remove it now.  I want your house to look welcoming and a negative message from you, in print, right at the door is not a good idea.  You want us to think that you and, by extension, your house are loving, welcoming and warm.

House Numbers.  It is so important that we can find your house.  Are your house numbers visible?  Are they large enough to see from the street.  Please do not leave rusty little numbers hidden under the mailbox.  For a few dollars, you can buy and install some nice big house numbers that are appealing and the buyer can see.  

Make a good first impression.   

Photo credit Front door @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/gideonstrauss/2480910923/in/photostream/

Valerie Zinger ~ Ottawa, Canada ~ Ph. 613-723-5300 ~ Email valeriezinger@royallepage.ca

 

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