While we’ve been seemingly taught all our lives not to judge a book by its cover, when it comes to your home’s curb appeal, this is precisely the kind of thinking that goes on when it comes to buying and selling a property.
Paying attention to the outward appearance of your house and yard will work towards attracting potential buyers to stop and take a look at what’s inside. Improving your home’s curb appeal should neither be difficult nor expensive. It could be done by working on vital areas like the main entrance door, lawn, garden, walkway, outdoor lights and mailbox. With the following tips, you too can make your home look stunning and boost its perceived value come sale time.
1. Repaint Your Front Door
An attractive front door will create a powerful first impression in the mind of a potential home buyer. Enhance your home’s curb appeal by making your door a focal point. Paint it with a bold color that will make it stand out while enhancing the appearance of your home’s exterior. You can add a bright color as well, but you should hold up a sample of the color you want to use, with a swatch, and examine it carefully. You may also use a door painting app to test different color combinations before you commit to spending money on the necessary materials.
2. Care for Your Lawn and Garden
People will see your lawn and garden before they come into your home. So invest the time and effort needed to mow the grass, attend to the weeds and rake the fallen leaves. Cut tall shrubs and bushes that can obstruct windows and prevent prospective buyers from seeing a good front view of the home. Keep the garden watered to eliminate brown spots. If you spend a few hours each weekend working on your lawn, it will not become a major source of concern when you invite potential buyers over.
3. Put Out the Planters
You should add some greenery to the front of your house to make it look more inviting. Don’t allow the front of your house to look empty and barren. Buy some large planters, fill them with evergreen plants and keep them neat and attractive. You may also add a few green bushes like juniper and boxwoods.
4. Replace Your House Number
If your house number was placed there many decades ago, it is probably looking weathered and faded. Replace your old number with a newly made one that has a more modern appearance. Let the new number have a distinct and eye-catching look that will capture the attention of anyone who sets their eyes on it. This particular job should be one of the easiest and straightforward ones to apply and shouldn’t take you more than a screwdriver and some screws to complete.
5. Place a Seasonal Wreath on Your Door
Whether it’s Christmas season or not, you can give your home a more inviting look by placing a well-chosen wreath on the door. During fall, you can use a grapevine wreath while you may try the usual pine branch wreaths during winter. In spring or summer, a green and fresh wreath made from lavender or olive branches can provide for an interesting seasonal alternative.
6. Do a Pressure Wash
If you look closely at your home’s exterior, you will most like notice mold, algae and grime that has built up over time. Fortunately, most of this can be fixed with the use of a pressure washer. Renting a unit for the day (or half-day) should be enough to get the dirt off the front porch, driveway, walkway and siding. After applying a pressure wash, the effect will almost be immediate and your facade will be gleamingly enticing to any potential customers walking past.
7. Rework Your Walkway
Do a little makeover on your walkway by replacing some of the boring or broken concrete slabs. If you can’t replace the concrete slabs, you can add some flat flagstones to the plain slabs. This is a simple and cost-effective way to add a fresh, new look to your walkway and further boost its curb appeal.
8. Update Exterior Lighting
If you still have those old chandeliers or brass sconces installed over 20 years ago, it’s time to fix new lighting fixtures for your porch and front door. Visit a local light shop and look for some new fixtures that will make your home look more appealing to your potential home buyers. Depending on the design of your home, you can either opt for classic units or perhaps go with some modern details that will create a more eclectic and contemporary feel to the overall design.
9. Revamp Your Mailbox
If your mailbox is placed in a prominent place in front of your home, but has seen better days, it may be projecting the wrong image to the unsuspecting passerby. Take a careful look at the surrounding areas and do a quick paint job that will make the box blend in rather than remain an eyesore. A good rule of thumb is to use the same color as your siding for the mailbox.
There are a number of different things that can be addressed when it comes to selling houses and making them appealing to future buyers. If planned carefully, improving your home’s curb appeal can be accomplished within a weekend. This is especially true if you begin with the projects that will make the greatest difference for the least amount of effort. As we’ve outlined above, making your house visually enticing doesn’t need to break the bank and with a few careful, considered style choices, can make all the difference come selling time.
