We’ve all heard it before – curb appeal is critical to get buyers to look at your house and increase its value. Still, some people leave this as a last detail or don’t do it at all! Following these quick tips could help us all once we decided to list our home for sale.
Curb appeal increases the value of your home because it’s the first thing any buyer will see. The front photo of your house is the post card and icon of everything it has to offer. Since most home buyers start their search online, it makes sense to have a picture more people will want to click on.
Curb appeal creates a lasting impression of the rest of your property. Do you remember in school how the same color has a different appearance depending on what color it is next to? The same principle applies when selling your real estate – called “framing”. It works like this. If the buyer begins with a positive impression of your home, the positive impression is more likely to last. An outdated bathroom on the inside might be something the buyer imagines being able to easily update down the road. Buyers create excuses for single things they don’t like if they love the property. If they begin with a negative impression of your house, that same bathroom may seem like an eyesore that is too much work. They imagine themselves surrounded by dust and debris, or they might start estimating the amount it costs to update the bathroom multiplying it by the icky feeling when they walked in the first time.
Step back and think about it. Actually, do that for a second. Step away from your home and walk up to it as if you are a potential buyer. Can you see the front door? Is there any peeling paint? Does anything seem out of balance about the your houses facade or landscaping? You may have already started to create your list. Here are six items to keep high on the list:
- Plants by the front door:
Part of the secret to curb appeal is to be able to easily see the front door to create a focal point and resting spot for the eyes. It also helps eliminate confusion about how to get there and gently leads the new owner of your home inside. Plants with pops of color or interesting height near the front door help signal the stream of buyers in like the flag marshal at the airport.
Tip: Try picking plants that pull color from your shutters or door. Or try a footed planter to really elevate the excitement.
- Paint your front door:
A fresh coat of paint always looks better and freshens things up. More than that, you may want to consider changing the color of your front door. When you did your walk up, did the front of your home seem flat and plain at all? Painting your door a vibrant red, robins egg blue, fresh green, or classic black may help draw the eye of a buyer in all the right ways – increasing the value of your home.
Tip: Make sure the color is in keeping with the architectural style of your home, your neighborhood, and the targeted buyer for your house. Your Real estate agent can help you with this decision.
- Mailbox, house numbers, doorbell, and door knob:
Each of these items is relatively small, but they all speak to the identity of your home. Usually a good cleaning is all that’s needed, but some replacing may be in order.
Tip: Try bathroom cleaner to cut through the grime without harming these items. Be careful about getting moisture in the doorbell. Removing the cover to clean it may be safer.
- Prune shrubs:
Cutting your shrubs back to create a tidy appearance is important, even if it’s not the right season to prune them. First make sure they are cut away from the house by about six inches to eliminate this from coming up on the home inspection. Now shape them nicely with clean edges.
Tip: Try to cut any bushes in front of your house lower than the window sill. The windows are the “eyes” of your house, and you want to show them off without leaving any bald patches on the plants.
- Weed and mulch:
Getting rid of unwanted plants and putting down a fresh layer of mulch really tells the next buyer of your home you take care of your house. Fresh mulch can cover gardening mishaps and make them look intentional, boosting your home’s value.
Tip: Do not put mulch over weeds you’ve sprayed with an herbicide like Roundup. Many herbicides kill weeds by blocking photosynthesis while they bake in the sun. If you mulch over them them before they die, they have a chance to rest and come back stronger than ever!
- Edge:
It seems silly that edging your lawn makes it look better. Remember that kid in class who drew around each part before coloring it in? It looks sharp and helps distinguish your landscape. If that kid in class was you and you routinely edge already, congratulations. If not, get to work and do it once a week until your house sells. A freshly edged lawn simply looks better, regardless of how many weeds you have.
Tip: Wear safety glasses if you use a string trimmer or electric edger. Safety first!
If you think curb appeal is one small part of getting your home ready to put your house on the market, you’re right! To formulate a more comprehensive game plan to list your home for sale, check out 8 tips to sell your home.