5 Ways to Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal
First impressions are important, whether you’re meeting someone new or seeing a home for the first time. If your home has poor curb appeal, it’s sending a clear signal to potential buyers. A home that looks rundown or lacking in updates suggests that the owner might be just as lax with indoor maintenance as with outdoor – a sure red flag for most buyers. So if you’re planning on selling your home, it’s important to think about what kind of curb appeal your house presents. Below are some key areas to consider and update if necessary before selling your home.
Paint
Paint is an incredibly effective way to take a home from drab and dreary to fresh and vibrant. And overlooking the paint can be a major mistake. If you’ve decided your house could use a fresh coat of paint, consider the color carefully. While you do want your home to stand out from your neighbors, a bold house color might not be the way to do it. Generally a more neutral exterior color will have the most appeal – greige, a light gray-beige, is especially desired by buyers. But even though you have a neutral main color, you can still liven up your home with details. The front door is a great opportunity to paint a bold color – a bright red or deep turquoise door, paired with matching shutters – can make an unforgettable impression.
LANDSCAPING & FLOWERS
The next area you’ll want to take a look at is your landscaping. Overgrown shrubs and an unruly lawn not only look messy, but they can physically hide your home and distract buyers from looking more closely. After you’ve trimmed down the trees and shrubs and cut the grass, take a look at other landscaping areas. Planting flower beds can be a great way to add color to the front of your home. You can also add planters to the porch and front steps to create a warm, inviting entrance and build a focal point for your home. Also, don’t forget to pay attention to sidewalks and the driveway – you can add details like brick or paving stone edges to make these area more attractive and give them character.
GARAGE DOOR
A new garage door is excellent way to boost your home’s curb appeal. According the annual Cost vs Value report from Remodeling magazine, it’s the number one home improvement in terms of cost and return on investment. Unsurprisingly, as a garage is large and takes up a lot of visual space, a garage door in poor condition will stand out to buyers – and not in a good way. So if your garage door has seen better days, don’t hesitate to add this improvement to your list before selling.
FIXTURES
As in any home improvement project, don’t overlook the details. Updating the fixtures of your home’s exterior can go a long way in upgrading its curb appeal. After you’ve given your front door a bright new color, consider replacing the dull, old handle and lock as well. A new mailbox and house numbers can also add to the charm of the front of your home. Pick fixtures that are higher quality and won’t appear cheap or run of the mill to buyers.
Lighting
You’ve painted and planted and updated your home’s exterior and it’s the most charming home on the block now. But what happens in the evening, as dusk rolls in and the sun starts to fade? Great lighting can draw eyes and create a lovely atmosphere. Add or update functional lights so the door and house numbers are clearly visible in the dark. Place decorative lights such as path lights along the garden boundary or perhaps add high quality string lights to a sitting area. Let buyers know your home will look its best day or night.
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to update your home’s curb appeal and they aren’t all expensive or highly involved. If you’ve kept up on your home’s maintenance, you might just need to update some fixtures or plant some new flower gardens. But even a little can go a long way. Make a great first impression, and buyers will be sure to notice!
