“Good Curb Appeal,” Defined I’ve always heard that one of the traits associated with physical beauty is symmetrical features. The same is true for a home’s curb appeal. Compare the two pictured homes, and ask yourself, “which one is more appealing, aesthetic, etc. — the one above or the one below?” Personally, I can’t recall seeing...Read More
Online Real Estate Listings: What Do Buyers Look At? “First impressions matter when it comes to dating, job interviews, and online real estate listings.” –Bryan Thomas, Wall Street Journal video (3/21/13) According to WSJ reporter Sanette Tanaka, here’s what people looking at online real estate listings focus on: Photos: 60% Property Description: 20%...Read More
When an End Unit Doesn’t Feel Like an End Unit “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” –Leo Tolstoy; Anna Karenina, Chapter 1 I spent the weekend showing town homes, and all I can say is, it’s hard to get the garage location right . . . and very easy to...Read More
“Sell What You Have” Dept. The lead photo for this “For Sale” Minnetonka home certainly looks like a garage — but if so, where’s the access? Puzzler #2: is the listing agent really using the lead photo to show off the garage? (Note: it’s customary to use the first photo to show the home’s front,...Read More
Going to Great Lengths (Literally) For an Exterior Home Shot Normally, I think it’s a mistake to skip an exterior shot of the front of the home. That’s because — however underwhelming the home’s curb appeal may be — prospective Buyers will assume it’s worse when there’s no photo. Every rule has its exception, though,...Read More
Sellers Who (Kind of) Get It Notice something wrong with this home’s curb appeal? Like, the storage pod in the driveway? While pods are a terrific way to declutter a home, once they’re filled up, it’s necessary to actually have them stored off-premises. Or, failing that, at least move them to a less conspicuous location than...Read More
