The power of first impressions 

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By Lisha Maxwell 

“You’ll never get a second chance to make a great first impression.” I’m sure you’ve heard that many times, and it’s true on a personal level or if you are thinking of selling your home.  First impressions are formed in a tenth of a second!  

How can you make sure the first impression your house makes is a good one?  

Staging: Make sure all personal photos and personalized mementos are packed away. Buyers will get distracted looking at your personal items instead of envisioning themselves living there.  The home should feel spacious, inviting, and well-lit, as well as having visual cues of the room function.  When staging a home, I strategically place signs to help buyers feel connected to the home. This might be as simple as a sign by the front door such as “Welcome Home” or “It’s Good to be Home.” My goal in staging is to make every buyer that walks into your home fall in love with it. We know emotions trigger people to buy a home. 

Professional Photographs: Since 91% of buyers start their search online, it is essential to make sure their first impression online is a great one! If they don’t like the online pictures, they won’t schedule an appointment to see the house. Houses with professional photography sell on average 32% faster! 

Emotions: As soon as they walk through the door, buyers will have their first impression. You should appeal to all their senses: sight, smell, and sound.  Make sure the home is uncluttered and smells fresh, with soft music playing when they enter. Does it feel welcoming and inviting? 95% of purchasing decisions are based on emotions. Logic makes people think. Emotions trigger people to act. Buyers are looking for a home that they can connect with and visualize themselves living in.   

Curb Appeal: How does the home look from the street? Does it look like the home has been well maintained? Is the landscaping neat and tidy, or does it look like a tornado ripped through it? What about the front door or porch area? Pay special attention to the area around the front door. Potential buyers will be standing at the door and look around while the realtor is opening the lockbox. Is there peeling paint? Are the exterior light fixtures working? Buyers have a first impression of the home from the outside, and they start visualizing what they think they will see inside. 

Simple things by the front door, such as a pop of color with fresh potted flowers or a new fresh “Welcome Home” doormat, are a nice touch. Think about having the sidewalk to your home power washed and the pine straw in the flower beds freshened up. 

The Charlotte real estate market is the #1 market in the country for 2023. Make sure your house is making a good first impression and remember SPEC! 

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Lisha Maxwell has been part of the Yates & Maxwell Properties team at the Ballantyne area Keller Williams since 2016.  Lisha is a Keller Williams Luxury Agent and provides complimentary staging for all her listings. Her first career was engineering, so she has an attention to detail.  Lisha is ranked in the top 2% of her market center and serves on the Associate Leadership Council. Her mottos are “Hustle and Heart set you apart” and “Luxury is not a price point but a level of care,” which sums up how she does her business – with heart! Lisha can be reached at 704-284-4094 or [email protected]. Check out her team website at  www.yatesmaxwellproperties.com.