How Curb Appeal Creates an Amazing First Impression
Curb appeal is the important practice of improving how your home looks to buyers immediately as they pull up and park in front of your home – or even as they drive by it. Curb appeal consists of front yard, driveway and your home’s exterior from the paint job and shutters to the potted plants and the welcome mat on the front step.
There is an art and a science to curb appeal and because it is the first impression a buyer gets of your home, it can be essential to a successful sale. Home and renovation expert Bob Villa estimates that the first impression buyers get from curb appeal could add 20% to your home’s value!
When it comes to adding curb appeal, you don’t have to spend an excessive amount of money. If you’re willing to do a bit of work yourself, you’ll be shocked at how inexpensive creating a great first impression can be. To create an amazing first impression, check out the following projects.
Strategic Landscaping
Getting your grounds to look as good as they possibly can is one of the most important factors in creating curb appeal. Virginia Tech horticulturist, Alex. X. Niemiera, found that homes with strategic landscaping had a higher sales price ranging from 5.5% to 12.7%. On a home valued at $300,000 that could come out to an extra $16,500 to $38,100 in your pocket.
Cleanliness
You probably know that you have to do chores like window washing when listing your home for sale, but you might not think about other things like power washing your home’s exterior to remove built up dirt, grime and moss accumulation. Doing a thorough power washing of your home could save you the expense of repainting your entire home.
Touch-Ups
After getting your house clean and shiny, you may find that you only need to perform touch ups rather than repaint your whole house. Two areas that often need to be touched up include the trim and the front door. When you’re painting these, consider brightening the exterior with a contrasting color – you’ll be surprised by how just a small pop of color can completely freshen up your house.
Fix the Mailbox
Many homes have mailboxes on the street and this position has a tendency to take some beatings. A good amount of homeowners completely stop paying attention to their mailboxes, which can be a big deal for your home’s overall curb appeal. Whether you need to paint it, polish it or replace it, you need to make sure that it looks its best.
Clean and/or Repair the Roof
If there are loose shingles or visible damage to your roof, you have to fix that without exception. Hire a roof specialist to assess how much work is actually needed, then get it done. For homes with newer roofs that are still in good shape, it’s important to make sure things like pine needles, leaves, baseballs or other detritus are cleaned off prior to showing. Roofs are one of the first places that buyers will pay attention to and one in poor condition or that appears that way can be an absolute deal breaker.
Take Care of Foliage
You know that to create curb appeal you need to cut your grass and maintain it well throughout the sales process, but you also need to make sure that you take care of other foliage items. This includes any dead limbs, plants, leaves or any other unwanted or unpleasant-looking foliage on your property.
You may also want to consider removing tree branches or bushes if they make your yard look dark and crowded, and be sure to trim hedges for a neat appearance. Lastly, plant some colorful flowers a few weeks before listing the house so that they have a chance to grow and don’t look too contrived.
Check Lighting and Fixtures
It may surprise you to see how much a small investment like a new front porch light can increase curb appeal. As you go about replacing your porch light, be sure to check out other outdoor light fixtures like those on your garage or a streetlight in your yard.
It’s likely that potential buyers will be visiting your home during daylight hours, but having attractive light fixtures can add to your home’s curb appeal even when the lights aren’t on.
Curb appeal is an often overlooked, yet critical part of keeping your house in its best showing condition. Making sure that you have a neat and tidy appearance gives potential buyers the feeling that your home must be well cared for on the inside because it is so well taken care of on the outside. Use the above tips to create curb appeal for an amazing first impression.