Let Your Front Entry Open the Door to a Swift and Profitable Sale
Never underestimate the power of a fresh, clean and polished looking front entry. It is one of the first things that your buyers will notice before they cross the threshold of your humble abode.
This front entry says, “Welcome Home!”
The Houston climate can really make a front entry look tired, faded, bug crusted, and less than welcoming. Cobwebs, dirt dauber nests, dusty doorbells, mailboxes, light fixtures, worn door mats, and smudged glass will hinder that highly-coveted, positive first-impression you wish to give your buyers.
Sun and Heat
take and toll on Houston-area front doors.
Some will say to themselves, “If they don’t keep the front door looking nice, what else are they ignoring? HVAC? roof? etc. You can see where this thinking can lead…right to checking your address of their list, or clouding the way they see the rest of the home.
What can be done?
Here is a simple checklist and how-to for creating a fresh and welcoming front entry.
Using a stiff broom, brush down all cobwebs, dirt, and other debris from the entire area—up, down, and all around.
If accessible, use a water hose to wash the area completely, paying close attention to the nooks and crannies, door frames and thresholds, and clinging dirt dauber’s nests etc., then finish cleaning with Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Next, clean any metal hardware with Brasso or other suitable metal cleaner, according the to manufacturer’s directions.
For wood doors, (put on some moisture-proof gloves) and come back over the wood with a soft cloth saturated with Olde English furniture polish in the shade of your door. This is not a permanent fix, such as totally stripping and staining the door, it is a method to get you a good front door shot, and to last you through a month or two of showings. It works, and gives your old parched door a very nice facelift. For metal doors, after cleaning, wipe down with a soft cloth saturated with a light oil and buff in.
Clean any glass with spray glass cleaner and wipe dry with paper towel.
If the outdoor entry is wide enough, adding a terracotta planter on each side with green ferns or seasonal color is a nice touch.
Top it off with a fresh seagrass or sisal mat without monograms or patterns etc.
If you have a large enough front area, consider even adding a nice bench or Adirondack chairs.
Toss in a couple of brightly-colored throw pillows that complement the color of your home.
Sit back and relax, knowing that your front entry is ready to welcome your buyer through the sparkling door and into the home of their dreams.
Adirondack Chairs with colorful throw pillows create the dream for buyers.