• Menu
    571-330-6164
    info@thegirlsofrealestate.com
  • Sellers
    • Northern VA & DC Home Sellers
    • What’s My Home Worth in Northern Virginia?
  • Buyers
    • Buyer’s Homes
    • Real Estate Calculators
  • Contact Us
    • CANDACE MOE, REALTOR®
    • CHELLE GASSAN, REALTOR®
  • Blog

The Girls of Real Estate

  • Homes For Sale
    • Our Listing Spotlights
    • Our Buyers Bought These Homes
  • DC Suburbs
    • Explore City, Suburbs, Outer Suburbs Homes
    • No. VA Communities – East
      • Arlington VA
      • Falls Church VA
    • No. VA Communities – West
      • Gainesville VA
      • Bristow
      • Haymarket
  • Moving to the Area
    • Military Movers: DC & Northern VA Real Estate
    • Move with an Expert
    • Which Suburb?
  • 55+ / Active Adult
    • Loudoun County 55+ Communities
    • Prince William County 55+ Communities
  • About
    • Testimonials

The Smartest Way for Sellers to Add Value to a Home and Attract Buyers

One of the most frequent questions home sellers ask is: “What’s the smartest way for sellers to add value to a home and attract buyers?”  The key to getting the top dollar for your home is to make sure it’s in a desirable location, is structurally sound and is as visually appealing as it can be. Of these three things, homeowners have the most control over visual appeal. There are some projects and quick fixes that you can make to add value to your home that don’t require a lot of money, but offer a big return at closing.

If you are thinking of selling and want to discuss how your home will be appraised, viewed and valued – please contact us! We’d love to give you a customized recommendation that factors in your home’s location, existing features and budget.

The Smartest Way for Sellers to Add Value to a Home and Attract Buyers is Not Found Inside the Home

It may surprise you to know that you can make the most impact when you put your home on the market – by making an amazing first impression outside.  That’s right, the answer is not found in the kitchen or bathroom, but in your front yard’s landscaping and design – or, it’s curb appeal.  Sean Conlon, real estate mogul and host of CNBC show The Deed: Chicago, agrees that it’s the first thing people see, and first impressions matter the most for home buyers.

“Your lawn should look beautiful. Your shrubs should be nice and colorful and well taken care of. … Your shutters and windows should look nice. When people pull up, they should go, ‘I could picture myself pulling up in the evening and this being my home. That’s what curb appeal is.” ~ Sean Conlon

Even in the tight Northern Virginia and Washington, DC markets, where housing inventory is low, it’s vital to set your home apart from the others on the market. Having the most beautiful lawn and entrance (curb appeal) is the way to get buyers to want to come into YOUR house more than the others.

Outdoor Projects that Appeal to buyers and won’t break the bank

For this discussion, we are choosing to include the top projects that attract buyers

Front door

Whether it’s a bold new color or touching up the existing stain, making you front door ‘pop’ is a budget-friendly way to draw in buyers. Not sure what color to paint your front door? Find color tips and inspiration from Houzz.

Update Your Front Door - The Smartest Way For Sellers To Add Value To A Home And Attract BuyersIf your budget allows, consider replacing your hard-working existing front door with one that makes more of a design impact and can improve energy efficiency. Expect to pay anywhere between four-figures to five-figures for a new door of distinction.

According to HouseLogic swapping out a worn out or damaged door with a new steel or fiberglass door is a curb appeal project with high payback for sellers since the cost to replace is relatively low.

“It gives you the best bang for your buck in terms of transforming the look and feel of your home,” says Brandon Erdmann, president of the remodeling firm HomeSealed Exteriors in Milwaukee. “Plus, old exterior doors can be a huge source of energy loss. So you’re improving the look of your house, improving energy efficiency, and you’re able to do it without breaking the bank.”

According to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry’s NARI’s 2015 Remodeling Impact Report, a new steel front entry door has a national median cost of $2,000 installed, and can recover 75% of that cost at resale.:

Steel Door Fiberglass Door
NARI Remodelers’ cost estimate $2,000 $2,500
 REALTORS®’ estimated cost recovered $1,500 $1,500
 Percent of value recovered from the project 75%  60%

Cost Recovery for New Front Door

Update exterior fixtures

Update Your Outdoor Light Fixtures- The Smartest Way For Sellers To Add Value To A Home And Attract BuyersAnother lost cost way to upgrade that makes a big difference is updating your home’s exterior fixtures: porch lights, garage door lights, walk way lights, door knocker and door bell, mailbox and house numbers. Are they weather-worn, mismatched or just outdated? Here’s your chance to coordinate the small, but important, features that prospective buyers see in the first glance of your home.

You can find these items online or at your local hardware store, just be sure that the pieces you pick match your home style. So, if there are cute numbers with garden embellishments, but you have modern contemporary home, this improvement would take away and not add to your home’s appeal.

According to Houselogic exterior lighting can get a 50% return on your investment (the cost of installed fixtures are $150-$250) and it’s a feature that has high appeal for buyers.

90% of buyers say outdoor lighting is on their list of desired home features. ~ Houselogic

Lawn and garden

The Smartest Way For Sellers To Add Value To A Curb Appeal - Home And Attract Buyers- The Girls of Real EstateMake sure you have the most beautiful entrance on the block with garden beds, shrubs and trees that are well-pruned and color-coordinated. Remove weeds, dead plants and trees, and keep your lawn as green as possible. Consider hiring a lawn and garden professional to do a big spruce up and regular maintenance in the weeks leading up to listing your home for sale. Good landscaping can add up to 28% to overall home value, says landscape economist John Harris.  If you list during the spring or summer when your garden and lawn is active, it may be difficult to keep up with this important element of curb appeal – so professional assistance could be invaluable.

Also, make sure your mulch is fresh (and not too close to your foundation), maintain your walkways, front steps and hand railings to be sure they are weed-free, all hardscaping (pavers, brick, concrete) is in excellent condition and there is no rust to be found.

Don’t forget about adding trees! They provide beauty, comfort and energy efficiency and definitely add to your home’s value at resale. So spruce up your spruce or add a live oak to up your appeal. Not sure what trees will give the best return? The National Tree Benefit Calculator can help with that! Click here to use it!

Using the tree benefit calculator, we determined that a 30 inch Live oak in front of a single family home in Vienna, VA provides overall benefits of $281 every year. This live oak will raise the property value by $113 this year.

Spruce up your home’s siding

13389 Fieldstone Way, Gainesville, VA Home For Sale with Golf Course Views listed by REALTOR Candace MoeWhether you have stone, brick, stucco or vinyl siding, power washing these surfaces and gutters is a must. If you have heavy grime or mildew, make sure to use more powerful additives like bleach and/or TSP.

Adding a hardscape exterior is not cost-effect and not likely to bring you a favorable return on investment.  However, if your home’s vinyl siding is in bad shape, you are likely to see a bump in home value that justifies the cost.

Vinyl Siding Fiber-Cement Siding
NARI Remodelers’ cost estimate $12,000 $19,100
 REALTORS®’ estimated cost recovered $10,000 $15,000
 Percent of value recovered from the project 83% 79%

 Cost Recovery for New Siding

Posted in: Home Selling

Related posts

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Post navigation

« Oakton VA Home For Sale – 3031 BORGE ST #202, OAKTON, VA 20170
DC Wine Fest »

Find Your Home

Featured Properties

Arlington Homes For Sale

  • All Arlington VA Homes For Sale
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – $350,000-$450,000
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – $450,000-$550,000
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – $550,000-$650,000
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – $650,000-$750,000
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – $750,000-$850,000
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – $850,000-$1Million
  • Arlington VA Homes For Sale – All $1Million+ Homes

Gainesville Homes For Sale

  • All Gainesville VA Homes For Sale

Testimonials

Candace is very well experienced and has great real estate knowledge. Candace has rented, sold, and and found homes for me since 2009. She would be the only one I would ever call.
Susan S.
It was a very good experience working with her (Chelle). She is a fantastic dealer and now because of her good dealing, She is our family friend. She was very proper in negotiations and all the paper work was done properly and on time.
S. Ali
We have used Candace and her team for the purchase of a townhouse, the sale of the same townhouse a few years later, and the purchase of a single family home. Each time, she was professional, courteous and she gave us excellent service. She knows the local area well as well as the market. I would highly recommend using her.
Sarika & Vince V.
After purchasing a couple homes over the last few years I have not experienced better service in a realtor than Chelle! She goes above and beyond to ensure you get the exact house you really want and is there providing her expertise throughout all parts of the process. She takes extreme pride in doing so and you will not find a more sincere and genuine realtor or person in the DC area!
Cal R.
Chelle helped my husband and I find a rental property when we were first transferred to DC…we liked her so much, we reached out to her 2 years later to help us find a home in the area to purchase. Chelle is knowledgable about the area, professional, 100% responsive, and absolutely reliable. Not only did she help us view homes in the area, she was there for us through every step of the way through the offer, contract, closing – and we still keep in touch through our renovation process! I would hi… Read more
Stacy T.
Candace is incredibly personable. She is extremely busy because she is that good, but when you are with her you feel like you are the most important client she has. She is proactive with your account and IF she doesn’t answer when you call, she is very timely in getting back to you. I have used Candace on several buys/sells and refered her to many close friends…all of whom had the same experience as I. I would recommend her to anyone. She is amazing.
DJ & Leighera Leffin
I have worked with Chelle on numerous occasions, once personally for my own home, followed by helping my Company acquire another property for our Elite Executives. She gave me complete confidence in the whole process, and helped guide me through my biggest investment. I love my home and look forward to working with her in the future.
Becky M.
Candace came in with some very valid and good suggestions to help us with selling our home. She priced it accurately and took our feedback into account while doing so. She put together beautiful marketing materials including stunning photos of our home that made it appear to be from a magazine cover. She was persistent in her discussions and follow ups with potential buyers agents. She sold our house in the dead of winter in under 30 days thanks to Candace.
Chris & Jen S.
My wife and I worked with Candace Moe between March and August 2014, eventually selling our home in Oak Hill, VA (zip – 20171) during a very difficult selling period. There were several external factors that resulted in the extended sales cycle. First, was the sale of a comparable house on the same block for an extremely high price. That sale took place immediately before the downturn and was the basis for our initial asking price. Secondly, the bottom fell out of the market for homes in our pri… Read more
Chip & Sharon P.
I have known Candace since 2010 when I placed my home in Haymarket Virginia on the market. She has remained in touch since that time. She has always been very efficient and effective. I contacted her again recently when I needed her help in re-leasing the home in Haymarket.
Bob F.

You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers

The Girls of Real Estate | Named Best Real Estate Team | Northern VA REALTORS | RLAH Brokerage

Candace: (540) 270-0274
Chelle: (571) 330-6164
Office: (703) 390-9460
info@thegirlsofrealestate.com

4040 N. Fairfax Drive #10C | Arlington, VA 22203

Homes for sale by city

  • Alexandria
  • Annandale
  • Arlington
  • Ashburn
  • Bristow
  • Centreville
  • Chantilly
  • Fairfax
  • Falls Church
  • Fauquier
  • Gainesville
  • Great Falls
  • Haymarket
  • Herndon
  • Leesburg
  • Manassas Park
  • Manassas
  • McLean
  • Middleburg
  • Montclair
  • Oakton
  • Reston
  • Springfield
  • Sterling
  • The Plains
  • Vienna
  • Warrenton
  • Washington
  • Woodbridge

Virginia, Washington, DC & Maryland Real Estate

We buy and sell residential real estate in Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.  We’ve got DC and all of the suburbs covered and specialize in: military, 55+/active adult, upsizers, downsizer, 1st time buyers…we’re your GIRLS!

Flower
Site Design by Wiselight Marketing | 
Log in
© 2023  The girls of real estate is a residential real estate team under the umbrella

of REAL LIVING AT HOME (RLAH), a locally owned and operated franchise. Realliving real estate is a network brand of hsf affiliates llc, which is majorityowned by Home services of america, inc. A berkshire Hathaway affiliate

4600 N PARK AVE #100 CHEVY CHASE, MD 20815     :    4040 N. FAIRFAX DR #10C ARLINGTON, VA 22203
DUPONT CIR #650 WASHINGTON, DC 20036     :    1108 H ST NE WASHINGTON, DC 20002

Listings Sitemap