There’s a saying that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. However, when it comes to our homes and their exteriors, it’s hard to look past chipped wall paint, missing shingles, and broken fences, regardless of whether you’re house hunting or just taking a stroll around the neighborhood. Homes tell a story about the people who live in them, and keeping your exteriors in tip-top shape is just as important as focusing on the interiors. If you happen to be preparing your home for sale and are searching for ways to increase your property value, these six useful tips will ensure you boost your home’s curb appeal and grab the attention of any prospective buyer.
Create a welcoming front porch
As soon as your potential buyers pull up to the house, they will immediately start to form an opinion about your home, so you’ve got to make sure they feel welcome. While giving your front door a fresh lick of paint is always a good idea (red hues seem to be a popular option among homeowners), consider making some small upgrades such as adding seating to make your porch more inviting. Add a couple of chairs, an ottoman, and a coffee table, and spruce things up with accent pillows for added comfort. When paired with proper porch lighting, these elements are sure to give your front porch a stylish boost while also making it feel warm and cozy.
Freshen up your exterior walls with a lick of paint
There’s nothing quite like a fresh paint job that can take a house from drab to fab. A quick fix for a worn-out exterior, covering your walls with a fresh lick of paint can really boost your curb appeal, even more so if you select an eye-catching color scheme. When it comes to choosing exterior paint colors for your house, you want to go with colors that will enhance the architecture of the house while still blending in with the rest of the houses in the street. It can be a DIY project if you’ve got some experience with painting. However, if you’re trying to boost your home’s market value, maybe you should consider leaving the painting to the professionals.
Make sure your property looks well-cared for
Taking some time to keep up with basic maintenance can do wonders for your home’s exterior. Go for an inspection around the house and see what can be improved. If you notice cracked windows, chipped wall paint, or missing mortar between bricks, make sure you tackle those issues as soon as possible. Although they’re minor problems that usually can’t be seen from the street, you want your house to look good both up close and from a distance. Other than tackling minor tweaks, you also need to make sure your home is in pristine condition. Give your windows a thorough scrub, polish the hardware, and consider renting a pressure washer to remove dirt and grime from the pavement and ensure your house looks spick and span.
Invest in landscaping to boost your home’s value
Landscaping is an effective way to leave a lasting impression on home buyers while also giving a boost to your home’s value. Keep the shrubs trimmed, tackle the hedges so they look neat, and cut those tree branches that stand in the way and block the view of the house. Plant perennials and evergreens that are low-maintenance and make sure your lawn is perfectly manicured whenever you’re showing your house. You also want to make sure that your driveway and pathways look appealing, so consider using decorative concrete to aesthetically enhance your outdoor space and make your home stand out. When done right, landscaping can fetch you up to 12 percent on top of the original price of the house, making it an investment worth considering.
Examine the roof and fix what needs fixing
Another part of the exterior that the prospective buyers are going to notice is the roof, and its condition can largely affect the way they perceive the house. There is nothing about broken, faded, or missing shingles that is going to impress the buyers, so you need to make sure you tackle those issues prior to the open house. If there are a couple of shingles that need to be repaired, that will only cost you around $150, while bigger roof repairs can cost anywhere from $300 to $1000. You can also try to clean the roof to freshen it up, which can cost you around $500 to have it professionally cleaned.
Pay attention to details
While tackling some major upgrades is a necessary step of home selling, details are often those that capture the buyers’ attention. House numbers and mailboxes are one of the things most sellers don’t pay much attention to, although their state can say a lot about the homeowner. Replace your old house numbers and choose something sleek and chic, and swap out your mailbox for something modern. Add a welcome mat as a cozy entry detail. These will add nice finishing touches and wrap up the design of your home’s exterior.
You only get one chance to make a great first impression, so make it count! Apply some (or all) of these pro tips above to ensure your home’s exterior looks spotless and attract top dollar when the time comes to sell.
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