Top 10 Improving Curb Appeal Tips
By Editorial Staff
Contributed by Cindi Pearce, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru
You have to put your house on the market. You are moving cross country because you’ve been offered the job of your dreams.
Naturally, you want to make a profit on your home or at least break even. How are you going to manage that in a time when home sales are on the decline? Focus on improving the curb appeal of your property and residence.
Curb appeal means the visual attractiveness when looked at from the street. Make the place so darned appealing that there will be a bidding war over it. Here are the top 10 tips for improving the curb appeal of your home:
Before you continue reading about the Top 10 Improving Curb Appeal Tips there is a special announcement we would like to share with you. Catalogs.com has negotiated special medicare rates for our vibrant community of seniors. If you are over the age of 60, you can head over to our Seniors Health Section which is full of information about medicare. All you need is your zip code and a few minutes of your time to potentially save 100s of dollars on your medicare bills.
10. Fix little things
Pay attention to the little things that you may not even notice anymore but which potential home buyers will. If the driveway is cracked then fix it. An oil stained driveway is unattractive so clean it up with a garage and driveway stain remover. Yes, there is a lot of work entailed in improving the curb appeal of your home but don’t despair. It will pay off in the end when you get the price you want (or more!) for your home.
9. Roof repair
Are shingles falling off of your roof? Fix them.
8. Beautify the front door
Don’t underestimate the charm and appeal of a beautiful front door, with a gleaming knocker, and obviously visible and a good-looking house set of street numbers on display. Paint your old door or get a new one. Hang a beautiful wreath on your door. The door is the entrance to your abode, and you want to set the right tone.
7. Wash your house
If your house is sided and the siding is dirty use a pressure washer to de-grime it. This will make a tremendous difference in the appearance of your home. Besides, it’s fun to watch the dirt roll off of the house.
6. Check downspouts
Check out your downspouts. Are they hanging by a thread? Fix them. Clean your gutters, too, while you’re up on that ladder.
5. Decorate the porch
The little things make a difference, such as outdoor porch lights. If your porch light is unremarkable or looking its age invest in a better one that shows off the front porch and a portion of the yard when turned on at night. Lights are also necessary for home safety. Make the front porch appealing, with table and chairs and some potted flowers. The tables and chairs should be freshly painted.
4. Window washing
Wash your windows, inside and out. Not only will this look good from the outside but from the inside.
3. Clean the yard
If your yard is beginning to look like something from Deliverance, you need to do something about it, now! Mow, rake, weed, get rid of leaves and edge the lawn. Spiff up your backyard because it can be a real selling point. Clean out the street gutters as well and sweep your driveway (which you may have just had repaved.)
2. Serious landscaping
After you’ve cleaned up your yard, get serious and landscape your front yard. A carpet of healthy green grass, some dazzling flowers, flowering bushes, ground covers, hedges and blooming trees will boost the curb appeal of your home tremendously. Add tasteful – and minimal – garden decor, like stone edging for flowerbeds, a bird feeder or colorful garden stakes.
1. Paint
Popular Savings Offers
If the paint on your house is peeling this is an eyesore and people are going to turn up their noses in distaste. Maybe just your trim or the shutters need painting so do it. A new coat of paint can work miracles. Same goes for your fence. If it is rickety, in disrepair and the paint is chipping, repaint. If you are going to paint your home it is probably in your best interest to paint it a neutral color. Potential buyers might be turned off by a bright red or blue house, even though you like the color. Remember, you’re trying to sell it so you have to appeal to the senses of those who in the market to buy. Neutral colors are much safer and not as apt to turn off a customer.