Curb appeal is an essential factor when preparing to sell your home. However, sometimes home sellers are in a bind because they need all the financial resources they can gather to put towards their new home. The good news is there are numerous ways to add positive curb appeal to a home that doesn’t break the bank.
Try the following five tips to quickly and inexpensively bolster your home’s appearance before listing it on the market.
1. Clean Up the Lawn and Landscape Features
A seller never knows when a potential buyer may cruise by an address they saw listed online on a real estate website. To ensure the house always looks good at any given time, you should clean up all debris, keep the grass mowed, pull weeds from flower beds (plant some color in the process), add mulch, remove dead brush, and trim tree branches.
2. Add Fresh Paint to the Front Door
When a front door looks tired, this is an immediate deterrent to potential buyers. As a home’s entry point, it’s one of the first features people see—and they will notice a door in bad condition. Give the door a fresh coat of paint; a bold complementary color is best. Be sure to properly prep the door before painting. Once done, hang a pretty wreath or another welcoming door hanging.
3. Eliminate Clutter and Beautify Home’s Exterior
Clutter is an immediate turnoff to potential buyers, so make an effort to tuck trash and recycling containers out of sight. Remove toys, lawn tools, hoses, or other items lying around and put them away.
Once the yard is clear, focus on the driveway and walkways. Be sure both are swept clean and, if needed, be sure the driveway is sealed or, for concrete driveways, patch the cracks. You can also add solar lighting to illuminate walkways and invitingly arrange lawn/porch furniture. But, again, the little things often make a big difference.
4. Upgrade the Mailbox
Mailboxes are usually one of the first things interested homebuyers will see, yet people rarely give them much thought and rarely upgrade. In the meantime, metal mailboxes often become rusted, and plastic ones fade and lose their luster. Installing a new mailbox adds instant curb appeal and doesn’t cost much. Just be sure to properly install it because you don’t want it to tip over or inadvertently break USPS rules.
5. Install New House Numbers
This is an easy upgrade, yet one that you might overlook. Homes with faded, missing, or simply old house numbers might give the impression that the homeowner ignores detail. Adding new house numbers offers a decorative touch while ensuring people looking for a home will instantly know they’re in the right place when they see shiny new numbers.
House numbers installation is cheap and doesn’t take long. You can pick up numbers at your local big-box home improvement store, or you can order a customized plaque for about $50. Another option is to take the DIY route and build your own—don’t be afraid to be creative!
Moving Made Easy!
No doubt, first impressions matter when selling a home, but making exterior home improvements can make a huge statement to buyers. Fortunately, there are many upgrades you can make that won’t drain your budget.
Selling your home and need to make moving arrangements for your new home? Contact us today for a free quote.