The interior of your home can be stunning, but if the exterior isn’t impressive, you will shut down buyers before they even enter the house. Curb appeal—the attractiveness of your home when viewed from the curb—makes a significant difference to homebuyers. Here are four reasons why it’s so important:

Online Presentation
In today’s real estate landscape, potential homebuyers get their first impression of a home from online photos. If the real estate photos of your home exterior portray a neglected property, homebuyers may not even click through to see the amazing interior. To sell your home quickly, take the time to clean up the exterior so the photos truly shine.

Perceived Value
Any offers made on a home with poor curb appeal will likely be below the asking price. If you aim to sell your home at or above the asking price, invest in generating curb appeal to secure homebuyers’ interest. Basic landscaping services—such as mowing the lawn, pruning trees and shrubs, or planting flowers in garden beds—aren’t expensive and will go a long way in helping your home make a strong first impression.

Interior Confidence
With a positive first impression, buyers are much more likely to be charmed by a home’s interior. While interested home shoppers will still do their due diligence, such as scheduling a home inspection, they will establish assurance that the home was well cared for. However, if the outside of the house is neglected, they will assume interior maintenance tasks, such as HVAC maintenance, were neglected as well.

Emotional Attachment
If buyers fall in love with the charm of your landscaping and front porch, there’s a good chance they will fall in love with the house and make you an offer. With just a few smart improvements to your home’s exterior, a homebuyer might form an immediate emotional connection from the very first view of your house, which will entice them to put in their best offer.

Real estate professionals know the value of considering curb appeal from a buyer’s perspective. If you want to sell your home quickly and for a fair price, plan to invest in improvements that will maximize your home’s curb appeal.