Selling Your Home? Improve Your Curb Appeal

A large percentage of people who are considering a home decide whether or not to take a look inside based on its curb appeal, or outside appearance. When selling a home, you can help make sure they stop at your home to take a look inside by spending some time working on its outside.

Take a good look at the exterior of your home. Be sure to look from both the driveway and the street so you can get a view similar to people passing by in a vehicle or arriving for a tour. Evaluate both the home and the surroundings. Ask yourself some questions:

What is your first impression of the house and front yard?

What are the best exterior features of the home?

How can you emphasize these features?

What are the worst exterior features of the home?

How can you minimize these areas or improve them?

Does the property appear clean and tidy?

What could you do to make it more attractive?

Don’t forget the back yard! Some buyers will try to view the back yard as well. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, be sure to include it in your evaluation. From this information, make a list of what you want to change. Then, it’s time to get to work.

Tackle clean up and repair chores first. Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools, cleaning windows and gutters, pressure washing the siding, edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete or bricks, mow the lawn, get rid of weeds, trim tree limbs, rake and dispose of leaves,

Now it is time to put effort into projects that make the grounds more appealing. Plant flowers and attractive shrubs, add landscaping rock, or fertilize the lawn for a greener yard. If you can find it within your budget, a fresh coat of paint can work wonders. One quick way to add curb appeal is with lighting to improve evening views. Add low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and near prominent landscaping elements. Add a decorative street lamp or a pleasing light fixture to the front porch. Once you start making improvements, you may even come up with more ideas.

Putting some time and effort into the outside appearance of your home can charm prospective buyers into taking a closer look. First impressions of the outside often lead to assumptions about what is inside. Making the most of your home’s curb appeal can mean the difference between your home being taken seriously or seriously overlooked.