Curb Appeal Do's and Don'ts

 

The Do's of Curb Appeal

home with curb appeal

Walk outside and take a look at your home. Start at the roof line and follow down to your front yard. What do you see? What needs to be fixed or touched up?

The Common Repairs for Curb Appeal

Your Yard

curb_appeal_starts_in_the_yard

If you want your buyer to come into your home and not drive on by then you need to work on your curb appeal.

Funny enough the first thing the buyer sees is not neccessary your yard. But is your mailbox! So make sure it is in good condition and the numbers stand out. Give it a new paint job or just get another one if need be.

Your yard should shout "well maintained property." So not only should it be regularly mowed and weeded. But you should have well designated flower beds with mulch or stone. Your bushes should be well shaped. And your trees must have their low lying tree limbs trimmed to allow more light to your yard and home.

All your yard lights should be working for the nighttime showings. Because you know your buyer would want to look at your home in different light.

Now this is the hard part. Don't let your kids leave their toys on the front lawn. Don't leave your car in the driveway if you can help it.

The Top of the House

The top of the house includes the roof, chimney and gutters.

Roof

check your curb appeal

So first examine your roof and look for any missing shingles, bubbles or stains. If you find something then have a roofer come take a look. If you have staining then have a professional pressure washer come over. You have to be careful not have the pressure washer set so high that you blow the singles off or all the grains on the shingle.

Chimey

check your roof for curb appeal

You may not be able to see your chimney cap. But if you can then see if it is rusted. If so it needs to be replaced. Chimeneys are also notorious areas for water intrusion. So examine the exterior of the chimney for cracks and bubbles if stucco. Or for bubbling or rotted siding.

Gutters

check your gutter for curb appeal

You walk by them everyday and probably don't notice. But chances are your gutters are stained with water runoff. So they should be gently pressured wash. Also if you have cleaned them out in a while then you should. When you sell the home a home inspector will be reporting on them.

The House Itself

Home's Exterior

check your home exterior for curb appeal

Your home's exterior is it's body. And it should be cleaned like any other body. So pressure wash off the mold & mildew. Get your windows sparkling clean to let in as much light as possible.

Now this is assuming you haven't assaulted your home with a horrible exterior color. You home's paint color should be neutral. Not a strong color that makes you squint your eyes or turn away.

Trim

dress your home for curb appeal

Next look at the trim. Does it stand out as an attractive accent. Or is chipped, peeling or just plain dull? Painting the exterior can be expensive but re-doing the trim or going to a whole new color will be a the perfect face lift for your aging home.

Details

homes_front_entry is essential for curb appeal

Stand at your front entry what do you see? This is the last impression the buyer will have before walking inside. You want to impress them. So have some new sparkling home numbers and a shiny new (or newly painted) front door. Add some potted plants for a finished look.

Do's and Don'ts of Curb Appeal

curb_appeal_3657

Source: www.dooremporium.com

Ready to put your home on the market? Have a question? Want to look at property? Let us know how we can help...

Provide a valid email address.
Newsletter consent