Realtors Speak Out on Curb Appeal

Thinking about selling your home in the near future? Then think about adding to your home’s overall curb appeal to really stand out in today’s market.

The “first impression” look at your home’s exterior can either get potential buyers out of their cars and into your home … or have them circling the block and driving away. Along with enhancing your landscaping and home’s outdoor elements, don’t forget about how your garage door plays into your home’s curb appeal.

Standing Out
“The garage door can make a huge difference,” says Angela Kallay, broker-owner with Benefit Realty out of Wisconsin. “Buyers are typically looking at a number of homes that are all fairly similar. Especially in newer subdivisions or older neighborhoods where homes can look much the same, the garage door can easily be what sets your home apart from the competition.”

Realtor Brad Baker with Coldwell Banker, who sells realty in Georgia and Alabama, agrees with Kallay. “An attractive garage door makes a positive difference,” says Baker. “A garage door in terrible condition makes a negative impact immediately on potential buyers. While they know it can be replaced, they’re right away thinking about the cost to them.

“Quite simply, there’s no undoing a buyer’s first impression. That’s reason enough to invest in making every aspect of the home exterior look as attractive as possible.”

One Picture is Worth …
From her 25+ years of experience as a realtor, Rhonda Haran talks about how one image can either turn people on or off when considering a new home purchase.

“These days everyone starts their home search online,” says Haran, with Ansley Atlanta Real Estate. “That first photo captures the attention and keeps prospective buyers engaged and wanting to see more. The right garage door on a home can add to its overall appeal.”

As Haran and other realtors know, exterior appearance is the first thought of buyers. The second is the durability of a product.

“If a buyer likes the way a home exterior looks, they’ll most often take it to the next step and ask questions,” says Vinnie Stanson, realtor associate with Berkshire Hathaway Home Service in New Jersey. “They’ll want to know about the energy efficiency of a product, warranty, durability, age. Those are all questions buyers receive about their roofs, siding, windows and garage doors. Being able to showcase top quality products on the exterior can easily help get buyers in the front door.”

Adding Value to Your Home Exterior
If you’re considering selling your home in the near future, go outside and take the blindfold test. Stand curbside and open your eyes to view your home as if you’re seeing it for the first time. What jumps out at you as the best … and worst features of your home?

Should that test show you that your garage door is old,dated, or lacks adding a statement to the home, think about investing in a new one. Is it worth it? Yes!

The 2019 Cost Versus Value Report , coordinated by Remodeling magazine, shows that a garage door replacement returns a whopping 97.5% of the investment cost for the homeowner. That’s the highest recoup value of any home improvement project in that study!

If you’ve decided it’s time to replace your garage door, we can help. Visit HaasCreate . This free online visualizer tool lets you “try on” new garage doors on your home exterior. Adding windows or changing the panel design can make a huge impact on curb appeal.

Fun and easy to use, within minutes you can see how dozens of different garage door styles will look on your home!

Invest today in a new garage door to make your home memorable… and see the immediate payback when that garage door enhances your home exterior and helps sell your home!