What is curb appeal and why is it important for my home?
When listing a home, the first thing potential buyers see is your homes exterior, that includes the paint, landscaping, patio, potted plants, and driveway. This is their first impression and it can be essential in selling your home.
If done correctly, curb appeal could add up to 20% to your home’s value and doesn’t have to be expensive to improve.
Here are some suggestions:
- Landscaping: One of the most important aspects of curb appeal is having your landscaping look as good as possible. Trimming bushes and trees, strategically adding perennial flowers and or additional plantings all make the home more appealing. Remove dead limbs and make sure your landscaping doesn’t look crowded or overgrown.
- Cleaning: That means everything from windows to power washing the exterior, driveway and patio. Nothing worse than seeing mold on the exterior walls or on the pavers.
- Touchups: After the house is power washed, you should touch up the trim and repaint the front door.
- Mailbox: Everyone forgets about the mailbox, but if its on the street it might have taken a beating over time. It might be a good idea to polish it or paint it and replace peeling letters and numbers.
- Roof: It should be inspected by a roof specialist and damaged shingles or tiles should be repaired or replaced. Buyers are picky about the roof and it should be in good condition.
- Light Fixtures: A new front porch light and/or driveway lights can really add to the appeal of your home even if they aren’t on when a potential buyer makes their first visit to your home. Discolored light fixtures or peeling paint doesn’t add to your homes curb appeal.
