Curb Appeal 101

Everybody talks about Curb Appeal but what is it? Definition: “the attractiveness of a property for sale and its surroundings when viewed from the street”.

The easiest way to gauge the curb appeal of your home is to stand across the street and look at it with the eye of a potential buyer. You should even take photographs from different angles since your home will soon be photographed when it goes on the market.

What jumps out at you? Write a list in exactly the order that you see the issues and start from the beginning. Usually the things that you notice first will also be the things that your Buyer will notice first.

Here are some low cost ideas that can make a big visual difference:

1. Paint your front door and the trim. Painting your front door makes a huge visual difference – especially if you use an eye catching color. The trim shouldn’t be neglected either. Your listing agent will be using a lockbox on the door which will hold the key to gain access. While the Buyer waits what will they be looking at? Your front door of course. Freshen it up! Speaking of the front door – you need a new door mat. Don’t argue – if your mat is older than 6 months old just go buy a new door mat.
2. Spray paint your existing hardware. Oil Rubbed Bronze is trendy but any of the metallic shades will work well. Click Hereis a great tutorial on getting that done. If you have the extra dough then go buy all new door hardware and switch it out.
3. How about new house numbers on the mailbox and the front door? For custom decals click Here: 
4. Hang some new porch lights or remove the old ones and clean them. Nothing says dated like some nice 1980s porch lighting.
5. Add a couple of large plots of flowers for color!
6. If you have the budget take a look at your garage door. Your garage door and trim can really show the passage of time. Not only is it full of dents and dings but if it is more than 10 years old it is probably sincerely dated. A new garage door can make a huge difference
7. Professionally power wash the house and the roof. Most people think they can tackle the power washing themselves but this is a job that, if you make a mistake, can cost you big bucks to fix. It is ridiculously easy to take a gouge out of your siding or deck and truly, only a professional should wash a roof. Ask your real estate professional for recommendations.

Stay tuned for Curb Appeal 102!