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Every home has an entrance, a front door. You want it clean and beautiful.  You want it to be inviting and welcoming.  If you want top dollar from the sale of your home, the entrance must invite and welcome the buyer.

What appears immediately inside the door is equally important. Every time, I took a buyer into a house and it didn’t look just right, they would soon comment on the appearance.  I noticed they started to create their opinion right there. This transition area between the front door and the next few steps into the house is important. With a good transition area, you have improved the atmosphere of your home. This atmosphere and setting translates into dollars, when you sell your home.

The simplest way to set this welcoming atmosphere is with the flooring.  While expensive homes have great entrances, inexpensive homes achieve the same thing with a few feet of tile, a small so people can wipe their feet, and a small vanity for checking their appearance as they enter or leave.

Do not under estimate the importance of the entrance to your home. It helps define the quality of your property when people enter. If the entrance exudes richness, buyers will think of the home as a valuable property, and will be prepared to offer accordingly.

On the other hand, if the entrance is shabby, then no matter how well you have the rest of the home, “shabby” is what will be imprinted on the buyer’s mind (remember first impression really count). You will receive an shabby offer you and it will make a difference in how your home sells. Remember, your home is competing with hundreds of other homes.

Look down.  The easiest way to define an entrance is with the flooring. If the rest of the house is carpeted wall to wall or has wood flooring, a different type of floor at the will help set it off.

The simplest way to add a rich touch to your entrance is it to have tile flooring. It is a rare house that has tile throughout.  Hence, entrance title will define this as a different area. A word about tile: It has been used in homes since the ancient Romans build their villas on the Mediterranean. It has a rich history over thousands of years. Throughout time tile has always indicated richness. It is the same today.

Choices of available tile are immense, with larger tiles being the most popular.  These are available in ceramic, marble, granite and a number of synthetics. In one sense, it almost doesn’t really matter what type of tile you choose, since tile simply signals a fine entrance. As a practical matter, however, you want a tile that will compliment the rest of you house.

What if you already have a decorative entrance?

Most homes already have an entrance. Some may already have tile.  Does it need to be improved?  Did the original builder put in a rich entrance, or does it need to be updated?

Think of it this way: Is your entrance inviting and welcoming, or does it need help.  What do potential buyers see when they first walk through the doors of your home? Remember, most buyers first look down, if for no other reason then to see where they are stepping.

Not sure? Call a real estate agent for a second opinion. Good real estate agents see houses day in and day out and can immediately tell you whether the entrance of your home needs work, or is in good shape. (They can do the same for a lot of the features in your home.)

Should I install it myself?

Most building and hardware stores offer great instruction on how to install tile. Some even offer occasional classes on it.  The larger suppliers even have equipment that you can rent and do it yourself   Most entrances are fairly small, usually not more than 5 or 6 feet wide by 10 or feet long. That’s only 50 to 60 square feet. If you’re interested in learning how to lay tile this is a good place to start.

How much will it Cost?

How much an improvement project costs will depend mostly on the tile you buy. You can buy tiles as cheaply as a dollar a tile. Or you can spend $20.00 a tile. Usually professional installation is the same price regardless of the price of the tiles, unless you get specialty tiles that break easily, require a special application such as granite.
For a typical entrance, it probably will cost between $200.00 and $500.00.

What about other Materials?

You can use other materials,, but remember that tile preserves that elegant look, and is especially impressive You can just as easily use wood, an offsetting carpet, or a synthetic material.   Remember that the idea is to have a welcoming and inviting entrance. It can be well worth the cost to boosting the value of your home. How do you feel about the entrance, when you go into people’s homes? Do you agree or do you think other things are more important?