When you’re selling your home, it’s important to never underestimate the importance of curb appeal. Exterior home improvement projects can significantly impact the perceived value of your home while helping to get it sold faster.
So what exactly is this elusive “curb appeal” that REALTORS® always talk about? Curb appeal refers to how attractive and welcoming the exterior of a home looks from the street. This includes elements like landscaping, exterior maintenance, and the overall design of the house itself — from paint colour to fixtures.
Curb appeal is especially important in the spring which is usually the busiest selling period for real estate. Your home will be looked at by a lot of people, and if the exterior looks shabby, potential buyers will think the interior mirrors that and cross it off their list of potentials.
More specifically, the first look that people get of a home these days is usually online. And very likely on their cell phone. So if your home doesn’t look great in the MLS® listing, potential buyers are likely not going to be driving to your house to view it in person or asking their REALTOR® to book a showing. The upshot? You really need your home to visually pop in those few seconds when a buyer sees it for the first time.
First impressions count, so follow these tips to help get your home in tip top shape to sell fast.
Spruce up the landscaping
Spring and summer is when a house really shows at its best, so you want to make sure you capitalize on that. Green grass, healthy trees and blooming flowers all help frame your home to its best advantage.
To make your home more appealing when a buyer first drives up to it, spruce up your yard by raking any debris that’s left over from winter, and doing the same whenever there’s a storm that sends debris flying everywhere. You want your home to look as perfect in real life as it does in the photos.
Trim the shrubs and any dead branches on your trees that you can easily reach. Trim back any branches that obscure the front entrance of your home, or block the sidewalk or driveway. Trees and shrubs should function like picture frames, not curtains.
Keep your grass short and neatly trim the edges of the lawn. A tidy lawn conveys the impression that you take extra good care of your entire property. If you notice any bare areas, buy a quick-patch type seed-and-fertilizer mix and sprinkle it on to help fill them in with new grass.
Pull any obvious weeds, and yes, they’re already starting to sprout. Stay on top of them. Add fresh mulch to your flowerbeds.
Freshen up the exterior of the house
Peeling paint and clogged gutters don’t make a buyer feel confident about the quality of your house. Neglect outside conveys neglect inside, which implies that you haven’t done regular maintenance. That’s not the impression you want to give buyers the moment they first lay eyes on your home.
Start by clearing out all the gutters and unclogging the downspouts. If you still have Christmas lights on your house, remove them. If you see debris on the roof, climb up there and clear that off, too.
Touch up any damaged or peeling paint. You don’t have to repaint your entire house, but if it’s in really terrible condition, consider having it done professionally for better ROI. If you have siding, power wash it. The same goes for your fence. Power wash and then repaint or restain it if its peeling. Make sure your gate is working properly. If your fence is in really bad shape, replace it, but if you can’t afford to, at least prop it back up. Make sure your deck is level and solid. Repair any rotten wood and restain that too, if necessary.
Consider power washing your driveway, sidewalk, front and back steps, and if you have a patio, do that as well. Don’t forget to wash the floor of your garage, as well as the door. Make sure that if the door is automatic, it opens smoothly. Lubricate the gears and tracks if you need to.
If your front steps and/or porch are rotten or breaking apart, have them repaired or replaced. No one coming to your home will want to feel as if they’re about to trip over or fall through your front steps before they even get inside the front door.
Refresh the exterior fixtures
Evaluate everything from the porch light to the front door and its hardware. At minimum, everything needs to be cleaned or replaced. House numbers, lights and mailboxes are like a home’s jewelry. Make sure they’re all spotless and in good working order.
Refresh the mailbox, either by washing it or else replacing it. Do the same with the house numbers. If they’re so small no one can spot them from the street, consider buying larger ones to add graphic interest to your exterior. Also remember to polish the lighting and make sure all the bulbs are working. Polish or replace the door hardware as well.
Remember that with prominent fixtures, it’s best to install something in keeping with the home’s architectural style. Don’t put a hand-painted porcelain house number plaque on a mid-century modern home, for example. Or ultra-modern lighting on a 100-year old character home. Keep your design and colour scheme consistent with the home’s time period.
Create a welcoming entrance
What a buyer sees as they’re walking up to your house is very important.
With new homes, a huge expanse of concrete driveway is usually the first thing to greet buyers as they arrive, with a path to the front door that’s rarely used. You can immediately improve this stark visual by landscaping the path. Lining it with low hedges, beds filled with mulch and interesting plants, or stone or brick borders will beautifully enhance the lead-up to your front door. Don’t forget to add a nice planter beside the door if there’s space for one. A new welcome mat is always a nice touch.
If you’re selling an older home, you’re in luck because the character is built right in and usually needs minimal coaxing to be effective. Use interesting paint colours to highlight any unique architecture. If you have a front porch, put out a rug, some wicker chairs, a table and a pot of flowers. Shutters, hanging plants and window boxes also exude charm.
Something as simple as a front door refresh can really elevate your exterior. Consider repainting it in an eye-catching colour to really grab a buyer’s attention as they walk up. Make sure that any glass windows in the door or on the rest of the house are sparkling clean.
Not all buyers visit during the day, and may even do a drive-by in the evening, so turn those porch lights on at night, as well as extra interior lights so your home doesn’t look dark and deserted when they do.
Install decorative landscape lighting to highlight your home and your yard’s best features. Done well, this type of lighting can really extend a warm welcome right out to the street. If you have a long walkway, add solar lights for interest. If there’s a really great tree in your front yard, consider uplighting it.
The best part about all of this is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your home buyer-friendly if you’re able to do most of the work yourself. To guarantee success in selling your home, implement these easy tips and call a REALTOR®. Then watch it fly off the shelf!