Is Your Home In Desperate Need Of Curb Appeal?
We offer 7 tips on how you can give your home instant curb appeal and most won't cost you a cent!
01/05/2021
We all know that first impressions are lasting impressions and that it is almost impossible to change a person's mind if they look at a property and instantly have a poor first impression. That is not something you want to happen if you are looking to sell your home. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to improve overall curb appeal and most of these do not cost anything to implement other than a day or two of hard work. These simple maintenance tasks will not only improve the curb appeal of your home, but will help prevent first impression issues from occurring while your property is up for sale.
Below are 7 are seven tips from the experts on how to boost your home's curb appeal.
1. Make a statement with the front door
As the entry into your property, the front door should make a statement that sets the tone for the whole place. A badly maintained front door will most definitely not make prospective buyers feel welcome. Real estate experts will tell you that buyers have their minds made up within 10 seconds of viewing and that is barely enough time to get in the front door, never mind see the rest of the house. If you can afford to replace a front door that is in bad condition, it would be money well spent. If it is simply a matter of giving the door a makeover or maintenance, doing this will go a long way towards boosting curb appeal.
2. Highlight the exterior
When shopping for a property, unless specifically looking for a fixer-upper, buyers want a home they can be proud of and curb appeal will ensure that, regardless of whether the wall of your house is stone, cladding or brick, touching them up will increase your chance of making a sale, as research shows that properties with outdated exteriors are more difficult to sell. If the exterior of your house is not in good condition as is, consider a complete, repainting, re-rendering or re-cladding. While it will cost money, it will also help you move the property up in the market.
3. Revamp or replace windows
If you are looking to invest in home improvements or renovations to increase its price tag, experts recommend upgrading your windows, as these are some of the first things a prospective buyer will notice when viewing your home. Energy-efficient windows are topping the list of requirements that buyers are looking for these days and the investment will pay off in the end. If an upgrade isn’t an option, then some maintenance will cost little and add value.
4. Spruce up pathways and driveways
It is important that any paths or driveway be in good condition to improve a home's curb appeal. A concrete driveway that is cracked and broken up is not going to add to first impressions and spending a bit to rip out and replace is worth the cost. If your paths and driveway are in good condition, using a high-power washer or making necessary repairs will give the entrance to a home the rejuvenated look it needs. This is also one of the cheapest and fastest ways to improve how the prospective buyer perceives your home.
While you are making necessary repairs to a driveway, consider giving the garage door a makeover if it needs attention. Wooden garage doors are easily sanded down and given a new treatment of exterior sealer while painted doors can be cleaned with a high-pressure washer.
5. Give your lawn a short back and sides
A garden that is well cared for will inspire confidence in buyers that the rest of the property has been treated similarly. Remember, first impressions count. If buyers see a lawn that is poorly maintained, buyers will likely be highly suspicious of how well you have kept the rest of the house. Giving your front garden a makeover is neither difficult nor expensive.
In the absence of any kind of garden at the front of the property, hiring a professional landscape architect to revamp your front lawn will not do your chances of increasing the value of your home any harm. You want your property to outshine others and research shows that a front garden offers massive influence. A well-maintained property can even add up to 20% to the house overall value.
6. Ditch the dustbin
If your dustbin area is in plain sight, there are few things less appealing to home buyers than the sight of dirty or potentially rodent-infested garbage bins. Investing a few bucks in disguising these necessary but unsightly curb accessories will add value to your home. Think about setting up some fencing around your wheelie bins as this will not only increase your curb appeal, but will also protect them from unwanted attention.
7. Maintenance matters
Don't put off any maintenance work that needs to be done, such as a gate hanging off its hinges, fences that are damaged or gutters hanging by a string. Your curb appeal is going to suffer and the value of your house with it. Take some time to do some maintenance work around your home, and it will quickly pay dividends. Prospective buyers will not be attracted to homes whose exterior fitting look like they haven’t been touched in years.
Conclusion
There are plenty of other ways to increase the curb appeal of a home and to ensure first impressions that count. Prospective buyers can instantly be turned off your house because it needs a few simple repairs or some affordable upgrades. This is inevitably going to take time and effort but the smart move is to invest a little of each now, then just sit back and reap the rewards later.