The importance of porches

The importance of porches

There’s something you may not think about when you are preparing to sell your home. When your house is shown to prospective buyers, they linger on your front porch while their agent tries to locate, and then to open, the lockbox with your keys inside. Take a look at a typical front porch, and you might see any of the following: an old mat, cobwebs, a dirty old light fixture, dirty floors, slippery steps, chipping paint, a shabby mailbox, a broken doorbell, old hardware, a lock that is tricky to open….do you get the picture? Once they have gotten your listing and flipped through all of the beautiful photos, called their agent and scheduled an appointment to see your home, there they are, standing on your porch, looking at the weather worn wicker furniture and the mailbox that hasn’t been changed since you bought the house in 1975, and they are starting to lose their excitement…and they haven’t even set foot in your house! Let’s talk about the true cost of a porch makeover; it may be one of the smartest ways to spend your “spruce up” money.

A pretty doormat can be anything from the highest quality Frontgate catalog glamour mat (their black estate monogrammed cocomat, pictured below, starts at $79.50, and goes upward depending upon the size needed) to a friendly doormat from Target, bargain priced at twelve bucks. There are so many options, and it is a great opportunity to start your buyer’s tour on the right foot! (no pun intended)

Frontgate’s luxury mat

Target’s bargain cutiepie doormat

Light fixtures are easier to find, and affordable options are everywhere. You can shop from your computer in the privacy of your own home, and find gems like these on Homedepot.com or Wayfair.com, or you can visit higher end sites like Lightology to find unique styles that really add that wow factor to the first space that your buyers will visit.

This option from Wayfair is priced at $127.99; if your porch has a high ceiling, this is a great choice.

Homedepot.com has great fixtures and very reasonable prices; these two are less than $150 each:

Honestly, though, sometimes what you already have is just fine, once you get on a ladder and put fresh bulbs in it and clean the bugs out!

A snappy looking mailbox can be a nice way to greet your buyer as well. The original ones are often the best, and sometimes just need to be taken down and spray painted. If you’re in the market for a new one, forget about the big box stores; this is a time where going a little bit fancy is worth the money. Check out a few options from one of my favorite sources for older home accessories, www.houseofantiquehardware.com:

This steel mailbox is less than $100 and comes in four finishes. Ideally, your trim, mailbox, door hardware and any metal on your porch light fixtures should go well together, if not match to give the most polished appearance.

This is a gorgeous solid copper option, but it is pricey at almost $500;

worth it if you have a super special porch or entryway to your home.

Maybe the best way to determine whether or not your porch and entryway are buyer ready is to compare them to other homes in your price range. Before you rush onto the market, ask a friend, a very honest one, to go with you to a few open houses on Sunday. Then, go back to your own home, and enter through the front door. Stand on your front porch or step, look around and take note: are you ready? Or do you have a little bit of work to do first? This is truly the first impression, and you have only one chance to dazzle them!