People can make snap decisions about a home before they even step inside, sometimes without even stopping the car. There are lots of ways to make your house more appealing to potential buyers, but it all starts with the first impressions they get when they first see the exterior. Is your house living up to its potential?
Freshen up the Exterior
The exterior of your house can set the tone for your curb appeal, and shoddy siding or fading paint is a huge downfall. Taking care of your external cladding materials can be your first step to improved appearance. If you really want to boost your home’s value and impact, think about getting new siding put on. It looks great and will further impress potential buyers because it’s such a benefit for weather-proofing and insulation.
Paint Your Front Door
A fresh coat of paint in a fashionable color can create an eye-popping entrance, and it can cover up any ugly marks or scuffs that your door has accumulated over the years. While you’re at it, you can update your house numbers and even the handle and lock set to something more stylish.
Just make sure you use the right kind of outdoor paint, or your new look could start peeling and making things worse. Use this tip for a fresh new garage door too.
Get Landscaping
With everything else you have to do, digging up new flower gardens may not sound like something you want to tackle. So get a few nice pots and go with containers instead. Not only will they add a wonderful splash of natural color without much effort, you can even take them with you when you move.
Gardens should be kept weed-free and tidy, even if nothing is actively blooming or growing. A fresh layer of mulch can give a flowerbed a nice new look as well. Your lawn should be considered landscaping here too, so don’t ignore the mowing chores (and all the edge trimming too).
Take Care of the Clutter
As you clean up on the inside of your house, don’t be tempted to leave stuff outside. It can be easy to get tunnel-vision about emptying the inside, that you forget people actually see the outside areas first. Don’t leave piles of furniture out by the garage, or too many bags of garbage along the side of the house.
No place else to stash the trash? Rent a short-term storage unit and get all the excess stuff right off the property.
Window Dressing
Your windows create focal points on the exterior walls, so see if they need any work. Paint the trim, add shutters, clean the glass and even replace the curtains if they look bad from the outside. Crooked or broken blinds will also need to go too.
Hide Outdoor Fixtures
Sometimes outdoor fixtures are unsightly, even if they are necessary. Sure, having central air conditioning is a great selling feature, but looking at a big ugly unit outside in the yard isn’t going to help with curb appeal. Add a few strategically placed planters or a barrier of lattice to block some of the uglier outdoor spots.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
