Improve Your Home’s “Curb Appeal”

“Curb appeal”. You’ve probably heard that term used before. It refers to how valuable and enticing your house looks from the outside, typically from the perspective of a potential buyer “standing on the curb”.

Many people focus on preparing the inside of their homes for sale, but neglect preparing the outside. This is a big mistake. Studies confirm that curb appeal has a huge influence over how quickly your house will sell, and for how much.

How do you improve curb appeal?  You don’t need to do a major landscaping renovation!   In fact, small improvements … improvements you can easily do over a weekend.

Here are some suggestions often make the biggest difference:

• Freshen the exterior of the entry door – by cleaning or fresh paint.  Check the welcome mat. If it’s worn or dirty, replace it.
• Clean the outside of front windows. Make them sparkle!
• Remove grass, weeds and other unwanted growth between driveway and walkway stones.
• Prune shrubs and trim trees.
• Re-sod bare spots on the lawn.
• Edge the lawn. (A simple task that can have a dramatic visual impact.)
• Water the flowerbed. (Flowers will look brighter and healthier within one hour of watering.)
• Sweep the walkway and driveway. Rake the leaves.
• Remove signs such as “Beware of dog” and “No solicitations”.

Also, consider adding some attractive potted flowers to put near the entrance way. They are worth the investment.

As you can see, it doesn’t take much to boost the curb appeal of your house. Just a little work and a few added details will make a big difference.