Improving Curb Appeal
Improving Curb Appeal is the first step to consider when getting your home in top-selling condition. Curb Appeal is the first impression of a home. It can attract or detract potential buyers. Homes with good curb appeal will attract buyers easier than homes that are lacking on the exterior presentation of the home. Home Exterior Improvements begin with decluttering, cleaning, and small repairs. Additionally, when possible slight facelifts to the door and entry areas can do wonders. Lawn Scaping helps to provide the impression of a well-maintained area. Simple and affordable tasks like mowing the yard, edging the flower beds, and trimming the shrubs and tree branches can all improve the propertys’ curb appeal. Home Lighting around doors, entryways, home features, and outdoor lighting at yard focal points can also greatly improvement curb appeal at night. The goal of improving curb appeal is to make the home and yard look inviting, clean, and well maintained. Attract Buyers with an exceptional exterior presentation of your property from the road!
Properties that don’t appear well maintained can give buyers the impression from the road that this property needs work and will end up costing more money. Oftentimes, this thought alone can detract buyers even when a property is in good condition on the inside. First impressions when marketing a home to sell do matter! Affordable home improvements and home repairs are highly suggested for sellers to complete when getting properties ready to sell.
How to Improve Curb Appeal
How to improve curb appeal without breaking the bank is a question that often comes up with home sellers. There are many opportunities to improve curb appeal on a budget. When considering how to make a home look inviting, sellers are suggested to look through the eyes of a buyer. Pull up to the property and look objectively. Ask yourself, does the home look clean and well maintained? Does the yard look taken care of or is it growing out of control? Providing the impression of a clean, well-maintained home and yard can help to make the property look more inviting thus gaining the interest of potential buyers.
Home Exterior Improvements
Home Exterior Improvements and Repairs don’t have to be expensive to make a difference. Start small on home exterior improvements with the basics of cleaning, decluttering, and making small affordable repairs. Clean the exterior of the home to remove any stains of pollen, moss, etc. Consider using a power washer, clean the gutters, walkways, porch railings, sidewalks, HVAC units, etc. Then wash the door and the windows. Wash and polish light fixtures and door handles. Replace or repair any broken screens, broken shutters, broken light fixtures, etc. Check and replace any broken shingles on the roof. Declutter the area around the house, remove trashcans, equipment, kids’ toys, yard tools, and more. Stack woodpiles neatly and organized. Consider storing items and equipment neatly in storage sheds or at the back of the house in order to not be visible from the road. Consider removing or replacing porch furniture that looks old and dated.
Once the decluttering and cleaning phases have been completed, possibly consider giving the door a facelift with a new coat of light neutral-colored paint. Get a new clean and welcoming doormat. Change the porch light bulb watts to a higher watt on the porch. Try to make the porch look spacious, clean, well-lit, well maintained, and inviting. Decorations should be limited, you want to make the home look inviting, clean, and well maintained, but you also want to let the buyers imagine the space as their space, so it is suggested to remove unnecessary decorations from the porch and entrance areas. Plants on the porch which are need and tidy
Lawn Scaping
Lawn Scaping to provide a yard and area that looks well maintained can do wonders for improving the curb appeal affordably. Mow the yard, trim the bushes and shrubs, edge the walkways and entrances. Don’t forget to weed the flowerbeds and gardens and trim back tree branches from the house. Possibly consider adding mulch to frame flower beds or garden areas, and adding colorful foliage or planters but not too much!! Another affordable opportunity to improve curb appeal is solar lights in the flower bed around the house or porch areas.
Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting can help to showcase the features of the home at night. Home Lighting on the Exterior can highlight doors, entryways, porches, yard features, and more. Additionally, outdoor lighting can help in providing a sense of security. Using higher watt lightbulbs for the porch and over windows can enhance focus on the design features of the home. For porches without existing lights, consider adding solar lights, in areas such as the porch and entryways to light up the areas for improving curb appeal at night. Additionally, spotlights or solar lights around the flower beds, flag poles, shrubs, and other focus areas in the ground can help to create a neat and organized look while providing the impression of a well-maintained home, while highlighting the yard features.
Prepare Home to Sell
Getting homes ready to sell doesn’t have to be expensive. We suggested that sellers address the exterior needs of the home before focusing on the interior. The first step is decluttering. The decluttering step offers sellers not only a chance to improve home appeal but also to make preparing for a move easier. The next step is cleaning. Cleaning all aspects of the exterior from the siding to windows and doors, to the gutters, to the sidewalks. All areas of the exterior can speak volumes about the condition of the home. While cleaning the exterior, we suggest sealing any gaps around windows with caulking. Additionally, lawn scaping helps to present a well-maintained property in addition to home lighting to highlight features as well as provide a sense of security.
Many buyers desire move-in ready homes, meaning homes that require no work other than moving in. If your home isn’t move-in ready, you could be losing potential buyers. Cost-effective small repairs are suggested, such as new screens on windows if needed, replacing messed up shingles, fixing any loose boards around the porch and handrails. As the first impression of a home, the exterior needs to scream clean and well maintained in order to attract buyers.