Affordable Ways to Up Your Homes Curb Appeal
By Tim Smith
Do you remember driving past potential properties for sale and cringing at one or two that looked just awful from the outside? As a previous homebuyer, you know what makes the grade when pulling into a driveway. Now as a homeowner, you need to put yourself into a buyer’s shoes and look at your home with fresh eyes to make it as appealing as possible. After all, first impressions are a big deal. Add one or more of these affordable fixes to your home for picture-perfect curb appeal.
Seeding the Lawn
If the lawn has some patchy or thinning parts, don’t shell out hundreds of dollars for sod. Simply fertilize, seed and water the areas in the spring or fall. New sprouts fill the areas in quickly and provide an enhanced green hue to the property.
Got Oil Stains?
The driveway needs to look spectacular for a sale, too, so examine the area for old oil stains. Blast them away with a power washer. Rent these washers from a home improvement store to use the industrial strength models. The driveway will look brand new afterward.
Accenting with Color
Painting the entire exterior of the home is daunting and expensive, especially if hiring painters is necessary. Look to accent colors instead. Clean and paint window shutters, for example. The front door is a perfect location for a bold new paint color like fire engine red or a lemon yellow.
Mailbox and Numbers
Those address street numbers fastened to your exterior wall more than likely could use some love — or, probably, a total replacement with more modern ones. An old, rickety mailbox that screams 1987 should also get some attention. These two details are charming when seen as brand new additions. Potential buyers see you as detail-oriented, making the home more attractive in their eyes before even entering.
Storage Shed Magic
Landscaping equipment and children’s bikes may dot your front and back yards, but don’t let them remain during an open house. Purchase a budget-friendly storage shed to fix compactly in a property corner. Neatly stack all your items inside so when a potential buyer looks in, it’s not chaos.
Spruce Up the Foundation
Add some caulk to hairline fractures in the foundation that are visible as you walk to the front door. Foundations aren’t exactly the most attractive areas, but they can be dressed up as buyers walk up the pathway. Try placing some potted plants and flowers along the way.
Window Treatments are Visible
If you’re thinking your indoor window treatments aren’t a curb appeal item, think again. With clean windows, buyers certainly see the treatments within. Add drapes or sheer curtains to windows with blinds or shades to spruce up the appearance. If new treatments aren’t in your budget, simply clean your original ones to make them appear new.
Doorbell Update
One of the most overlooked items for curb appeal is the doorbell, but luckily they’re incredibly easy to replace. Pick one out that matches your front door’s hardware, or go high-tech with a smart doorbell that can be controlled by a smartphone.
Cleanliness and a modern look are two qualities homebuyers want in a property. Make your property the best on the block with simple detailed changes. You don’t have to invest in a major overhaul to make an impression in buyers’ minds. Unique thinking gets you the bid you want during the selling process.
For more tips and tricks, head to Modernize.com.
My mother would like to hire an asphalt selling service that will be able to fix her home’s driveway because it has a lot of cracks already. Well, I also agree with you that it would be smarter to have new window shutters. Thank you for clarifying here as well that we should replace the old number with a new one too.