Curb appeal is one of the fastest ways to attract potential buyers, and it doesn’t have to involve a significant investment. Try these easy ways to make your house look more inviting.
As you prepare to sell your home, you may be wondering about quick and easy ways to attract buyers from the start before they’ve ever even set foot inside during a showing. The power of curb appeal can’t be overestimated, as the outside of your home is the very first thing people see. The trick to modern curb appeal is to add life to everything and prevent your home from looking like a bland copy of every other house on the street.
1. Paint the Front Door — and More
Add a pop of color with a fresh coat of paint. The front door is one of the first things people see in the house, and a bold, bright color can really catch the eye. Choose a color that fits in with the rest of your home’s exterior but still stands out, like red, hunter green, or navy blue. Make sure you use a paint designed for the outdoors so that it stands up to the weather, While you’re painting your door, take a look around for anything else that could use a coat of paint. The railing on your porch, your fence, outdoor furniture, gardening pots that are nearby, and even the trim on your house may benefit from a repaint, whether that’s in a neutral color like white or a complementary color to call attention to stunning architectural detail. You can even add a contrasting color to the trim around your door for added effect.
2. Add Some Plants
Make your home look like it rests in a lush oasis. Whether you choose to plant directly in the ground or use containers overflowing with greenery, adding some flowers, bushes, and trees can make your house seem full of life. Choose plants that are in season so that they look their best, and carefully plan where to put them. A bush randomly placed in the middle of the yard simply looks haphazard and difficult to mow around, but a series of containers leading up the porch steps and overflowing with trailing ivy and bright poppies looks inviting.
For any plants going directly into the ground, consider the upkeep. While roses look beautiful, potential buyers may not want to handle the maintenance and may choose not to purchase the house. Instead, a sturdier, more self-sufficient plant like lavender or snapdragons may go farther in enticing people to place an offer.
3. Pressure Wash Your Walkways
If your house is dirty, it won’t sell. That’s just as true for the outside as it is for the inside. Make sure you pressure wash your house, your porch, and deck, and your walkways all the way down to the street. A pressure washer can be rented from almost any hardware store, it only takes a few hours, and it makes a massive difference in your home’s appearance.
4. Get a New Mailbox
If you really want to stand out, upgrade your mailbox. While you’ll first need to check on local regulations to ensure you don’t break the rules, it’s a lovely way to set your home apart, right at the street. Get one in a color to match your front door, invest in a bigger mailbox or one with a separate compartment for a newspaper, or if laws by you allow, invest in an artisanal one with a unique shape and design.
5. Upgrade Your Lighting
At night, go outside and look around. Check that the path to your front door is clear and easy to see, ensure that your front porch is bright, and that the tone of lighting accentuates your house's features. Lighting is often overlooked — many assume the outdoor lights that come with the house are fine. However, cool colors may highlight your cherry red door, whereas a warmer yellowish light just makes it look orange, or you may find that the walkway can be hard to follow after the sun goes down. Upgrade any lights to match the architectural style of your home, install small uplights to showcase your garden even at night, and line your driveway with small spike lights. It’s small and easy to do but has a significant impact.
Curb appeal is one of the most critical areas to focus on when selling a home, and there are many ways to maximize it quickly with little investment. To get more tips on increasing your house’s curb appeal or interior upgrades that will draw in buyers, contact Jared Bowers at the Bowers Group for some fresh ideas.
