Take a moment to pretend that you are a potential home buyer and you are stepping into the front door of your DFW home for the very first time. What do you see? How do you feel? What do you like, and don’t you like? Would you want to see the rest of this home if this entryway was your first impression?
It’s likely that you’ll need to put a few entryway ideas into play to get this space up to snuff and ready to be a major selling tool for your home. Don’t worry about high costs or major time commitments, however. With just a few quick and inexpensive tweaks or updates, your entry will usher in your home’s next owners.
Begin at the Front … Literally
What kind of condition is your front door in? Does it have gleaming paint and shining hardware? Or is it tired, chipped, and best left closed? Spend a few dollars and minutes sprucing up your door in particular. It is a natural focal point for your home, and prospective buyers will spend a bit of time studying it and literally touching it.
If your hardware — specifically your doorknobs or pulls — are outdated or tired, a quick trip to a big box home improvement store can have you updated in no time. Even hiring a locksmith if your updates include the hardware around your locks can be money well invested in your home’s sale preparedness.
Next, think paint and varnish. If your door is natural wood, a good coat of varnish can have it gleaming like new. If it’s already painted, think carefully about its color and the state of that paint job. Even a few chips can leave a door looking scruffy. Grab a paint brush and paint your way into a sale.
A Place for Coats and Bags
The first thing many people look for when entering a home for the first time is a place to put coats and bags. No matter the size and style of your entryway, try to showcase just such a space. If your entry is long and narrow, a small coat tree with knobs for hanging bags can do the trick. If you already have a dedicated entry closet, tidy it up to show off its full storage potential.
Do you have existing furniture that acts more like a dumping ground than a landing spot for coats and bags? It may be best to remove or repurpose entirely, so this area doesn’t continue to collect clutter as your home remains ready for showing. You may also consider place removable hooks or racks in this area to be ready to use.
Light, Light, Light
Your entry is either the first place people go in your home, or the last place they can imagine being before leaving for the day. Whether entering or exiting, your entry needs plenty of light so the space is both inviting and useful. If you lack overhead lighting in your entry, a quick fix for showing can be using a small side table with a tasteful lamp on top. Just ensure you use a lamp that can power a high wattage bulb. Adding only dim light to an already dark space isn’t quite the fix that will get your entry ready to sell.
Use these entryway ideas and more to perfectly stage your home and usher in its next owners. Spending just a bit of money and time can help make your home’s entrance more inviting and more useful besides.
Image Source: Flickr/Heaton Johnson
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