7 Easy Ways to Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal
If you want to sell your house quickly and for the right price, you need to get an edge on the competition! An excellent start is with the first thing buyers will see when they pull up to your home.
Investing in curb appeal can increase the value of your home by up to seven percent and by 14% when the market is slow. Some outdoor projects take longer than others, but you could complete everything on this list within a short time frame, allowing you to get your house ready for sale.
- Paint the Front Door
Your front door should pop against the front of your home rather than blend in. When choosing a color, consider the palette you already have on your siding, trim and shutters. Once you have it narrowed down to a few choices, get samples and test them out at different times of day to ensure the color still looks great.
- Create a Path
Once you’ve put some hard work into the entrance to your home, you should designate a clear path from the sidewalk or driveway to the front door. Lay stones, bricks, gravel or tile depending on the house’s aesthetic. Then line it with solar lights to give your yard extra charm in the evening.
- Power Wash Your Siding and Front Porch
If it’s been a while since you washed the outside of your house — or worse, if you’ve never cleaned it — you’d be surprised at the dust, sand and dirt built up on your siding, porch and driveway over the years. Rent a powerwasher or call in a professional to improve the look of your home from every angle, which will help improve the quality of your listing pictures and increase your return on investment. If you don’t know where to start, this power washing guide on Craftsmanprotools should give you a good head start.
- Light the Way
Lights draw the eye, so use them in key areas around the front of the home for substantial impact. Install several at intervals along your path and on both sides of the door. Columns are another great location to add lighting. You can either get permits and have someone help you with the wiring so it’s up to code when you sell or stick to solar-powered lights.
- Hide Unsightly Fixtures
People don’t usually install utilities with curb appeal in mind. If your electric meter or HVAC is on the front of your home, you’ll want to find a way to make them blend in. You could purchase a pre-assembled cover or order a custom one. An afternoon, a nail gun and some 2x4s will help you conceal those eyesores. Add some paint in a color matching your trim or siding and the once-unsightly fixtures will blend right in.
- Add in a Playspace
Homebuyers with families are always looking for safe spaces for their children. By adding a placespce to your home, not only are you providing years of fun to future residents, you may even increase your homes value by 8% to 20%. If you have children of your own, the investment is well worth it even before you sell your home.
- Take Care of the Landscaping
One way to win a buyer’s heart is to save them money in the long term. Installing sod to refresh your yard before selling will require massive amounts of water and fertilizer each year to keep it looking nice. Instead, opt for local, drought-tolerant plants and hardscape features which will reduce water needs and maintenance costs.
Quick Boost to Value
Most of these projects are quick and easy. You can complete them in anywhere from an afternoon to a weekend. Changing up the front of your home boosts your curb appeal and raises the overall value of your home. All of these ideas can give your house a facelift and draw in prospective buyers.