It is a term that you see a lot when it comes to attaching value to a home. Yet, it is not a term that you can quantity easily.
There is not a formula for defining curb appeal.
The term “curb appeal” applies to the value a passerby places on your house. Curb appeal is all about first impressions, from how the grass looks from afar to the impression a potential buyer has about the exterior lighting. You might not notice your home’s curb appeal, but every potential buyer does notice it.
If you are planning to put up your residential property for sale, it is time to learn how to improve the curb appeal of your home.
Pop Goes the Paint Job
Just one gallon of paint can turn a ho-hum exterior home design into something that makes your property pop when prospective home buyers visit the neighborhood. Choosing a bold color to highlight the best features of your house can make your property stand out. Make sure the color that you use complies with the guidelines established in your Homeowner’s Association manual. Selecting a contrasting color to the scheme of your house can shine the design spotlight on the trim, door, and shutters.
Applying a bold color of paint to your home should cost around $25. Set aside a couple of days for the paint job that should boost the curb appeal of your property.
Use Your Green Thumb
They say do not judge a book by its cover, but the book called your home should boast an attractive cover that is your front lawn. One of the most influential ways to attract interest in your property is to present a front lawn that demonstrates the cover is just the start of a beautiful home tour. Planting a small garden near the front door, adding flowers in window boxes, and mowing the grass in a symmetrical pattern are a few projects that take little time, but add incredible value to your property.
Going green also means eliminating dead spots and pulling weeds to help potential buyers judge your home by its cover.
Be Hard on Your House
Although much of the focus for many homeowners is on the landscaping of their homes, you should also consider making hardscaping improvements. Hardscaping refers to the non-natural components of your landscape. Cleaning off dirt and grime from the sidewalk leading up to your front door is a good start. However, adding a hardscaping feature such as a water fountain can make the difference between a prospective homebuyer driving by your home and the same homebuyer taking a minute to marvel at your hardscaping addition.
Water fountains come in a wide variety of styles that match most homeowner budgets.
Light Up the Sky
The curb appeal of your house matters just as much at night as it does when the sun shines on it during the day. Installing exterior lights can highlight the best features of your house while potential buyers walk and drive by it under the night sky. Attaching a few outdoor sconces to the side of your home represents an affordable way to bring out the best of your property after the sun disappears for the day. Makes sure you add exterior lights that provide sufficient light to illuminate the most attractive feature of your house, while following the illumination standards written into your Homeowner’s Association guide.
Create an Attention-Grabbing Welcome Mat
Well, not a Welcome mat that you place at the entrance to your home. We are talking more about how the front entrance to your home appears to everyone that passes it by. This includes the appearance of the porch, house numbers, and front exterior door. New cushions on any furniture and stained front door trim are two suggestions to improve the curb appeal of your front entrance, without you busting the monthly home improvement budget.
Make the USPS Proud
You might not think much about the mailbox standing near the curb of your home. However, you might be surprised to learn that many potential homebuyers notice where the United States Postal Service (USPS) drops off your mail. Installing a new mailbox does not cost much money nor takes a lot of time. Just make sure it follows the regulations that are stipulated by the city where you live.
Give Your Home a Power Wash
We have arrived at the home stretch on how to improve the curb appeal of your house. The time has come to rent a power washer and remove the unsightly dirt and grime that has accumulated over the past few months. Renting a power washer is an affordable way to help every potential homebuyer judge your property by the visually appealing cover that you present. The best time to power wash your home is at the beginning of spring.
Conclusion-Visit Your Home Improvement Store for Advice
Completing projects that improve the curb appeal of your home can be overwhelming. You can hire a professional to complete one or more of the home improvement projects, but there is a more affordable way to get the jobs done right.
Your local home improvement store is much more than a place to shop for products. It is also the place to go for valuable advice. Before you start improving the curb appeal of your home, spend time discussing the various projects with the professionals working at your local home improvement store.