Curb Appeal and the Power of First Impressions

No matter how we want to look at it, the first impression of a house is key to either selling it or defining our view of what we think of a house

. Whether you want to sell your house or just live in it, every time you or a neighbor or a potential buyer drives up to your property, how the property looks has a great mental impact.

If it's a prospective buyer, the charm of the house may be depleted if the front yard is not appealing. You don't need an extensive landscape to make a predisposed first impression. Raking leaves off the grass now will give the impression that the lawn is well maintained. It removes the burden of the potential purchaser having to see himself/herself bagging leaves. Straight landscape blocks around landscaping beds give the viewer a feeling of organization. If the landscape blocks have fallen or are in disarray, the total look of the landscaping is ruined. Straightening the landscape timbers or blocks gives the total landscape a polished look. Plants don't have to be expensive or elaborate. Perhaps bushes and evergreens can lend an added touch with a few colorful flowers interspersed to add vibrancy. A few containers of flowers on the steps leading to the door, a wreath on the front door, a swing on a porch, or a table with two chairs and a lantern, all these little touches add to the welcoming factor for a prospective buyer. In other words, the front yard needs to look clean so that potential customers can already see themselves swaying at sundown or relaxing on the porch, waving to people as they walk by. Once this appeal is anchored in the buyer's mind, their outlook of the inside of the house starts on a positive first impression. If not, and the first impression is a negative one, they might not be as receptive to the inside and the interior of the house may not impress them as much because they started with a bad impression.

For a homeowner, the driving up every evening or upon returns from errands, an un-kept front yard is a constant reminder that chores need to be done. While curb appeal is a constant upkeep, the bulk of the work can be done in the next several weeks and only needs to be touched-up on a regular basis. More importantly, if the front yard is well maintained, a homeowner looks with pride at the front of the property each time he/she drives up to the driveway. The vision of the total property cannot be ignored as its presence is felt each time a homeowner needs to access the property. It puts the homeowner in a good mood, a cheerful reminder that they love their cherished home and why. If a homeowner needs to go through the front yard to get to the front door, the path towards it can be an exploration of new plants, new leaves, new growth or a vision with fresh ideas of what can be accomplished to brighten up or upkeep the total welcoming picture of a property.

Seeing one's fresh and inviting front yard puts a homeowner in a different kind of mood. All the stress of the day somehow dissipates when one returns home, to focus on family gatherings, a nice evening with loved ones, and the simple, yet quick, change of mood was enhanced by the curb appeal of one's property as the owner drives up. Can such a simple "view" have so much influence on one's moods? Can curb appeal have so much affect on someone's outlook? Can a stressful day suddenly disappear like magic just by looking lovingly at one's property? To obtain such a quick turn-around of one's fatigue, stress and end of the day weariness, drink up the view of your own oasis that you've created. Perhaps when you laid out such small touches to your curb appeal or front porch, you didn't plan on it having such an influence on your outlook, but it does. Amazing? No, just the awareness of beauty and power of curb appeal! For further hints on gardening, log on to www.theyardbench.com.

Curb Appeal and the Power of First Impressions

By: Colette

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