With the recent snowfall it has made traveling and getting in and out of houses more difficult. If you have a home for sale it is better if you keep the walks clean so prospective clients do not slip and fall.

This is just another indication of curb appeal and the subconscious thoughts of the buyer thinking that the seller does not take care of the house. I went into a house with clients last week, the two teenage boys were home and playing video games. The walkway was covered with snow and ice. My clients slipped but didn't fall. They remember the house as "the icy walk house" instead of the "house with the nice fireplace". The house had a inclined driveway that was full of snow when it had not snowed in 2 days. That became an objection to my buyers. The buyer thought it might be too hard to navigate during the winter. A simple problem that never needed to come up. If only the snow was shoved, the lawn mowed, the bushes trimmed. it all the same. Neat, trimmed subconsciously means taken care of to the buyer.

Sometimes it is the little things that buyers notice. Whether the door knob is loose, or the kitchen cabinet door hangs crooked, or the walls are dirty. Simple things add up to big objections. Buyers buy on emotion. Curb appeal, and when they walk in the door. Some people make a decision on whether they like the house within two minutes of the door. So if you are thinking of selling take care of some of the simple repairs.

Russ Ravary
www.russravary.com