What Your Entryway Says to Potential Buyers

Your entryway gives an important first impression to a potential buyer. What they first notice upon entering your home can instantly determine how they feel about your property.  You need to ensure your entryway makes a positive impact.

Sometimes it is hard to see your home as others might when they first walk in, but you should evaluate what kind of impression you are making. Your home is of course lived in by a real family who makes messes daily, but the reality is that most buyers have a hard time looking beyond the clutter.

The first things their eyes notice will affect their opinion about the house in general and could make it much more difficult to picture their own family living there, which is a vital part of a buyer placing an offer.

Your entryway should be clear and not overflowing with clutter. This gives an impression that the home doesn’t have adequate storage and it even makes the entry area look smaller. Make it clean and open so that the space is inviting and they want to see more.

• Put away all outerwear and shoes. If you have hooks by the door for outerwear, make sure they are not overflowing with too many items and if they are, find another spot to hang up and store these things in another location.
• If you have an entryway closet, get it organized. Throw out or donate items your family no longer uses. Sweep out dirt left by shoes and organize the shelves by putting items into decorative baskets. Put up hooks to hang backpack and scarves
• Is a week’s worth of mail piled up on your entryway table? Set up a small basket to contain your mail until you can go through it each day. Keep on top of it and throw out junk mail daily.
• Clean the entire entryway often. This area often is the dirtiest part of the house – especially in the winter and spring months. Vacuum, wash floors, and clean the door and windows so they are free of hand prints, scuffs and grime.
• Make the entry visually welcoming to buyers. Think of your favorite bed & breakfast or a country inn and how their entry décor welcomes guests and makes them want to stay.
• Make the home smell fresh and clean. Don’t overpower with air fresheners, but if this is where you keep your litterbox you might want to move it, and if you cooked fish for dinner the night before, you might want light a scented candle in this area and in the kitchen! Avoid anything that smells like a perfume rather than a clean scent. You can also wet a paper towel with water, squeeze it out, put a little vanilla extract or lemon juice on it and microwave it on 50% for a minute or two. It releases a clean scent and cuts through odors.

Your Realtor can advise you about what your entry area challenges might be and how to make the best first impression. It is worth every bit of effort to clean up and set the right welcoming tone for your entryway. It will send the right message about your home and let your home’s features be the star of the show.