This is a sponsored column by Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. 

First impressions matter. And that means the curb appeal of you home influences whether a prospective buyer even wants to look inside. Boosting your curb appeal doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are seven simple things you can do to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers.

1. Install lights along the sidewalk — Lights lining the path to your home are cheery and inviting … and not very expensive. Lighting can also emphasize your landscaping and any other features you want to highlight. Also, lights improve security. Solar lights are perfect for this job. Since they don’t require running electrical cable or extension cords, you can put them wherever you want — down the sidewalk, around a tree. All you have to do to install them is stick them in the ground. There are so many designs today that they can add a nice, decorative touch. It’s a small thing that has a big impact.
2. Plant Flowers — Need I say more? Just thinking about flowers makes me smile. And I’m not alone. Whether they’re in flower boxes, hanging baskets, or berms, they provide a huge boost to your curb appeal. Planting flowers is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways to make a big impact. We have tons of nurseries in the area that can recommend exactly what to plant for your yard conditions. It won’t take long or break the bank, and it will make you happy.
3. Cover Up Dead Spots on Your Lawn — Oh, how we love our trees in Reston. Alas, we don’t love their constant shade, and the inevitable dead spots that surround them. I say surrender to the dead spots. Rather than fight them by constantly planting grass that will never grow, cover them up. Plant some shade loving flowers or plants around them (Hostas do particularly well here). An even easier solution is to mulch them. You will be amazed at how clean and appealing your yard looks when you cover the dead spots!
4. Upgrade the Hardware on Your Door — Another super simple upgrade is to change the hardware on your door. Styles change, even for door handles and locks. Swapping out old light fixtures and mailboxes (if you have one by your door) can also add new life to your entrance. And while you’re at it, painting the door will add new vibrancy. You can refresh the entire entrance to you home with those simple fixes.
5. Replace Rotted Wood — Many of the homes in Reston have wood exteriors and HOA requirements forbid any other type of siding. In our moist climate, wood will sometimes rot, especially around window casings. The good news is that fixing it may not be as costly as you think. Sure it’s not as quick a fix as planting flowers, but it will drastically boost your curb appeal, and reduce home inspection issues once you’re under contract.
6. Clean the Gutters — Cleaning the gutters really doesn’t take that long. Whether you do it yourself or pay to have it done, it will help make your house look more inviting. Something about weeds growing out of gutters just looks untidy.
7. Power Wash Your House and Decks — Over time, your house and deck can start looking grungy. Sometimes a new coat of paint or stain is called for (you should do that every six or seven years), but often a good power washing is more than enough to make your house look brand-spanking new. Your house will look so fresh, you may wonder why you’ve never done this before!

There are many more things you can do to boost your curb appeal — some small, some more involved. But these seven things alone will drastically improve how your house looks to potential buyers and will make them want to come in and see more.

This is a sponsored article from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Twenty-six new properties came on the market this week in Reston, bringing the total inventory of homes for sale to 297. That equates to just less than a four-month supply of homes on the market now. The five-year September average is 2.3 homes.

Here are a few of the new homes for sale in Reston.

11086 Saffold Way, 3 BR, 2.5 BA, $320,000

2012 Lakewinds Dr., 4 BR, 3.5 BA, $850,000

11610 Quail Ridge Court, 6 BR, 4.5 BA, $849,900

1634 Stowe Rd., 5 BR, 3.5 BA, $674,900

2165 Whisper Way, 2 BR, 2.5 BA, $355,000

12025 New Dominion Parkway, 2 BR, 2 BA, $749,900

To see many more new listings this week, visit my website, Reston Real Estate.

Eleven properties went from pending to sold in Reston last week. The total inventory of homes for sale is just under 300 houses. One interesting item to note this week is that the average price of those 11 homes was $378,000 — a good bit lower than our typical average of $450,000.

The chart below shows how far up the inventory is over the same period last year, with a 91 percent increase.

Here are the properties that sold last week.

• 11616 Springhouse Place. Listed Price, $725,000; Sold Price, $712,500. Seller Subsidy, $6,500

• 11616 Springhouse Place. Listed Price, $439,900; Sold Price, $432,500. Seller Subsidy, $5,000

• 2364 Old Trail Dr. Listed Price, $394,000; Sold Price $394,000. Seller Subsidy, $0

• 2352 Horseferry Court. Listed Price, $385,000; Sold Price $374,000. Seller Subsidy, $8,000

• 2328 Hunters Square Court. Listed Price, $379,000; Sold Price $379,000. Seller Subsidy, $4,500

• 11404 Gate Hill Place #95. Listed Price, $359,000; Sold Price, $337,500. Seller Subsidy, $0

• 12013 Taliesin Place #26. Listed Price, $350,000; Sold Price, $328,000. Seller Subsidy, $1,000

• 12000 Market St. #206. Listed Price, $349,000; Sold Price $325,000. Seller Subsidy, $0

• 2184 Cartwright Place. Listed Price, $299,900; Sold Price, $290,000; Seller Subsidy, $8,700

• 1712 Abercromby Court #G. Listed Price, $285,000; Sold Price, $271,500; Seller Subsidy, $0

• 11658 Stoneview Square #12C. Listed Price, $195,000; Sold Price $195,000. Seller Subsidy $5,000

Lake Audubon is one of Reston’s gems. More than 30 contemporary homes with cedar siding are located nearby, in South Bay Cluster. Thirty percent of these homes are on lakefront property; the rest have private access to the lake. The community dock is available to all residents

South Bay Cluster’s 3- and 4-bedroom townhouses built in the ’80s all have garages as well. What more could you want?

For families, South Bay is walking distance to Terraset Elementary School, Langston Hughes Middle School and South Lakes High School. It’s a short walk to the South Lakes Shopping Center, where Starbucks, Safeway and Café Sano can be found. And the neighborhood is a quick ride to the Reston Metro station, Dulles Airport and Reston Town Center.

For those who want to play close to home, a Reston Association playground is located near the entrance to the community. Walker Nature Education Center, Lake Fairfax Park (home of the Water Mine) and Reston Association pools and tennis courts are all close by, too.

South Bay Cluster has something for everyone, all centrally located in South Reston.

This is a sponsored article from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate. 

Eighteen new properties were listed for sale in Reston this week, bringing the total number of available homes to 259. The inventory number is down from Monday, when we noted that 303 homes were listed for sale. That’s a lot of activity in just a few days.

Here are a few of the new properties for sale in Reston this week.

2300 Acton Dr., 5BR, 3.5 BA, $624,900

11605 Clubhouse Court, 4BR, 3.5 BA, $625,000

1701 Quietree Dr., 2BR, 2.5 BA, $365,000

1273 Weatherstone Court, 3 BR, 3.5 BA, $549,000

1335 Quail Ridge Dr., 4 BR, 2.5 BA, $785,000

12123 Kinsley Place, 3 BR, 3.5 BA, $920,000

To see many more new listings this week, visit my website, Reston Real Estate.

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

Something about the air in October makes everyone want to get out and celebrate. There’s plenty to celebrate this October in Reston — every weekend is chock-full of fun activities for the whole family! Here are my favorite picks for the month.

Oct. 10: South Lakes Homecoming Game and Parade
Everyone loves a good parade, so bring the family out on Friday, Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. for the South Lakes High School homecoming parade, featuring the award-winning marching band and homecoming court. The parade starts at Hunters Woods Village Center and travels down Colts Neck to South Lakes Drive, ending at the high school. After the parade, come to the football game and cheer the Seahawks to victory!

Oct. 11 and 12: Oktoberfest at Reston Town Center
Join one of Restonians’ favorite fall traditions: Oktoberfest, featuring the best in autumn brews with delicious fare from area restaurants. Admission is free. You’ll enjoy good food, wine, beer and live entertainment. Oktoberfest Reston is produced by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce and is Northern Virginia’s largest fall festival at Reston Town Center. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 11 from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 12 from noon to 8 p.m.

Oct. 22- 26: Washington West Film Festival
For film lovers, the Washington West Film Festival provides a unique cinematic experience celebrating innovative, impassioned films that can make lasting, tangible differences in our world. Fine independent films will be screened or premiered in three categories: dramatic features, documentary features and short films. Films will screen at the Bow Tie Cinema at Reston Town Center. Visit their website to learn about the films and see showtimes.

Oct. 24-25: Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail 

The Halloween House and Trick-or-Treat Trail is a favorite annual tradition for kids of all ages. Taking place on the grounds of the Walker Nature Education Center, children will encounter witches and goblins while wandering through the grounds. It’s so much fun that Friday night has already sold out. So, don’t delay: buy your tickets now. Registrations can be made here.

Oct. 25: Trick or Treat! at Reston Town Center
If your child is looking for a reason to wear his or her costume early, we’ve got the perfect excuse. Come on down to the Reston Town Center, where participating retailers (and the information center) will have goodies on hand. Just look for the pumpkin flyer in the window.

Oct. 31: Howl-o-Ween
OK, dog lovers, time to show us just how flashy Fido can be. In this new event, your furry friend can strut his stuff at Lake Anne Plaza from 6 to 8 p.m. on Halloween night. There will be plenty of Yappy Hour treats. You don’t want to miss this!

This is a sponsored post from Eve Thompson of Reston Real Estate.

What a difference a few weeks can make. The weather has made a decided turn towards fall, and the Reston real estate market also seems to be in transition.

This past week in Reston, 17 properties went from pending to sold. The average number of days on the market climbed to just over 30 and the total number of homes for sale increased to 303, which leaves us with a little more than four months of housing inventory.

For home sellers, this means you must come into the market in the best shape possible for your price point. You have to do everything you can to differentiate your home. You don’t want to be one of many in the market — you want to create a market of ONE that tells buyers, “You better jump on this or it will be gone!”

For home buyers, this means there may be an opportunity to ask for closing costs and other incentives, but be careful, we’ll need a little more inventory to be able to call this a true buyers’ market.

Here are a few of the homes that sold this past week.

• 1334 DASHER LN. 5BR, 4.5 BA. Listed Price, $999,999; Sold Price, $980,000
• 1951 SAGEWOOD LN. #204 1 BR, 1 BA. Listed Price, $129,900; Sold Price $125,000. Seller Subsidy, $2,000
• 12020 CREEKBEND DR. 4 BR, 3.5 BA. Listed Price, $975,000; Sold Price, $935,000. Seller Subsidy, $3,000
• 11400 WASHINGTON PLAZA W. #405 0BR, 1 BA. Listed Price, $169,000; Sold Price, $165,000
• 11218 WEDGE DR. 4BR, 3.5 BA. Listed Price, $760,000; Sold Price, $742,000
• 11817 GREY BIRCH PLACE 3 BR, 2.5 BA. Listed Price, $650,000; Sold Price, $650,000. Seller Subsidy, $3,750
• 11562 LINKS DR. 4 BR, 2 Full BA, 2 Half BA. Listed Price, $499,999; Sold Price, $500,000. Seller Subsidy, $2,000