Most homeowners don’t actually use their front doors, except for when guests come. So it’s not unexpected that the front door area might be a bit neglected.
Fear not. Just a few bucks and a couple hours of your time can do wonders and help your front door say “welcome” to a prospective buyer!
Here’s an example of how $25 well-spent dollars made a big difference.
The problems:
- Dirty
- Dead plants
- Blah planters
- Faded flag
Before
The solution:
- Swept off and hosed down the siding ($0)
- Spray painted the planters and added live plants ($12)
- Replaced the flag ($10)
Extra Credit: can you tell where the other $3 was spent? Look carefully…
After
If you answered “house numbers added” you were right! If your house numbers are worn out (or missing, as they were here) it’s time to put up some new ones!
There you have it…$25 can make indeed make a big difference!
Here are a few more bonus tips for front door staging:
- If your welcome mat is worn out, replace it
- Steer clear of holiday displays
- Avoid dried floral wreaths
- Make sure your door and screen operate smoothly
- Polish fixtures if they’re tarnished
- Make sure your doorbell works
- Clean out your light fixtures and make sure the bulbs work
- Avoid collections of small things – too much clutter
So next time you’re driving around the neighborhood, pay close attention to front doors. You’ll see what I mean!
How do they get in and out if they don’t use the door? If the side door is more often used, shouldn’t that get special treatment too?
We use the garage door, and if you have an attached garage, I think that’s most common. Even with an unattached garage, most home owners use the back or side door. Special treatment required? Probably not; I think Susan’s point is that most BUYERS WILL use and notice the front door, which is often the first impression.