12 Curb Appeal Tips to Sell Your Home
It’s that time of year where you’re excited for Spring and to set up your yard for summer. You may also be ready or thinking about listing your home soon. If so, here are some items to tackle to enhance your home’s curb appeal. Keep in mind, if you’re not looking to list until the Fall, contact your realtor to at least capture the exterior in its prime with professional photos.
1. Cut Back Trees and Shrubs
Trees and shrubs should accent and enhance your house, not hide it. With a good eye, the right tools and a little time, basic shrub and tree trimming and pruning can yield impressive “curb appeal” results. There is plenty of good on-line advice on trimming and pruning. Of course, if you have dead or diseased trees, or large tree limbs hanging precariously over the house, hire a professional to have them removed.
2. Manicure Your Lawn
Keep your lawn freshly mowed, trimmed, and edged. Give it special attention before weekend showings. If you don’t have the time or the inclination to do it yourself, consider hiring a reliable, professional yard service to keep your lawn show ready.
3. Plant Some Color
Flowering plants are a quick, inexpensive, and effective way to make your home look bright, fresh, and inviting. Get advice as to which plants do best given the time of year and the amount of daily sunlight they will receive. While you’re planting, be sure to add fresh mulch to the flower beds.
4. Paint the House
Painting an entire house can be expensive, but may be justified if the current paint is in bad shape or the colors are simply dated. From a curb appeal standpoint, painting only the trim, front door, and shutters can give your home a fresh, clean, updated appearance for considerably less than the cost of painting the entire home. Color choice is key; choose a color scheme that will likely appeal to the most buyers. Neutral beige or grey are the best siding colors along with white trim. The front door is where you can add a pop of color. Make a great first impression with a bright, welcoming front door.
5. Clean the Roof and Gutters
Buyers notice roofs, and it goes beyond curb appeal. The roof is a major home maintenance and expense item. Tree branches on the roof, clogged, sagging, gutters and algae growth detract from the home’s appearance and give the impression of the roof (and the home itself) being neglected. If the roof needs replacement, bite the bullet and replace it. Otherwise, clean debris from the roof and gutters, have any moss or algae growth removed and reattach any loose gutters.
6. Freshen Walks and Driveways
Pressure wash brick and concrete walkways, patios, and drives. Put a fresh coat of sealant on black top driveways.
7. Make Outdoor Spaces Inviting
Outdoor living space is a “must have” for most homebuyers. Patios, porches, and decks should look clean (pressure wash), fresh and inviting. Make necessary wood deck repairs and apply fresh stain. Consider replacing (or at least getting rid of) old, weather-beaten furniture. Turn any outdoor spaces into a gathering spot, increasing your usable square footage. Brighten the space with festive string lights, flowering potted plants, and a pretty outdoor rug.
8. Address Your Mailbox
Your mailbox is one of the first things a buyer may notice. If the box is on a wood post, freshen the stain or paint the post a neutral color. If the mailbox itself has seen better days, replacing it is fairly easy and inexpensive. You can also spray paint mailboxes, numbers, and/or hardware to refresh.
9. Treat Your Windows
Pay attention to how window treatments look from the outside. Go for uniformity in color, style and even the degree to which blinds, shutters and draperies are open.
10. Stage Your Yard
As with staging the inside of a home, the outside of your home should look fresh, clean, organized, uncluttered and depersonalized. Cars, bikes, trash cans and kids’ toys should be kept in the garage with the door closed. Patio and deck furniture should be clean and organized. Consider removing any yard ornaments.
11. Replace Your Garage Door
You likely don’t think much about your garage doors, but they can greatly affect the outward appearance of your home. If your garage door is old and rickety, you should consider replacing it. A new garage door can help insulate your home and make a big difference when it comes to curb appeal.
12. Refresh Outdoor Lighting Fixtures
The first impression prospective buyers have of your home is when they arrive at your property. Lighting fixtures with broken, missing, or cracked glass will immediately give the impression that the home isn’t well-cared-for. In this case, you should opt to purchase new exterior lighting fixtures. Otherwise, a good cleaning and a couple coats of spray paint may be all you need to revitalize the finish.