Thursday, Aug. 23, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Good news: Sales of new homes rose by 3.6 percent in July.

Take it as a sign that the housing market is on the road to recovery.
If you're looking to see your home, there are some simple things you can do to get buyers more interested.

First impressions are everything and that's no different for our home. Staging the exterior or your home can really help it stand out from the rest of the block.

While the interior of the home is important when selling, it's the exterior that helps bring potential buyers in the door. Focus on a clean and tidy yard, fresh paint, clean windows and lighting. Also invest in fresh mulch and freshly-planted flowers.

Also, don't forget about the front door.

"The main things you can do for your home is make your front door look real because when you come to a home, that's the first thing that you see and does leave an impression," says Mike Puckett, a real estate agent with Angie's List. "It's also the last thing you see when you leave the home ... so you want your from door to look good. In the case of this home, they have completely replaced their door so it looks really, really good. But at least paint your front door and make sure it matches up with your tin color, brick color or whatever your exterior is."

The garage door is also important because it takes up so much visual real estate. A dingy, dented door can make a bad impression on buyers.

One more tip: Make sure your house number is visible from the street. After all, you want people to see your address when they're in the market to buy.

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