Simple and Affordable Ways to Improve Curb Appeal

Simple and Affordable Ways to Improve Curb AppealHome sellers know that first impressions count. Improving curb appeal is one way to attract potential buyers and get them to walk into a home. In some ways, it can be more important than staging a home's interior, in that the exterior of the home and surrounding property is the first place where buyers will actually see a home. Even homeowners on a budget can make changes to a home's exterior and boost curb appeal.

These suggestions are relatively inexpensive and easy for the average seller looking to make a home more inviting to buyers.

Initial Clean Up

Buyers tend to want to imagine themselves living in a home. A homeowner's trash, pet projects or children's toys can be a turn-off. Walk around the property and pick up and discard any trash. Store bikes or toys out of sight. Put away any projects left outside. Remove unhealthy plants and other debris that may be on a property.

A little effort on landscaping can improve the appearance of a home. Prune shrubs, trim trees, pull out weeds and add a new layer of mulch to landscaping beds or under trees. Mow the lawn regularly and fertilize as needed. As the seasons change, rake leaves, remove snow and remove sticks and debris from walkways.

Quick Repairs

Take a look at the exterior of the home. Examine the siding, walkway, decks and doors for signs of distress, damage and discoloring. Power washing the siding, window, patios and decks can remove grime and make a home sparkle. Touch up areas of peeling paint and add a fresh coat of paint to the front door and shutters on a home. Perform minor repairs on shutters, windows, siding, fences, front porches, sidewalks and garage doors. A seller needs to make sure that a home looks well-maintained. Otherwise, loose railings, cracked sidewalks and discolored and moldy sidings can serve as red flags of poor maintenance to prospective buyers. These could help your home stand out in communities, like some of the homes in Fayette County.

Check Your Foundation

A foundation can show cracks and become discolored over the years. Address small cracks and chips that may show in a foundation. In addition, adding a faux stone panel over the foundation can cover over recent repairs and improve the appearance of a drab foundation.

Brighten Up the Exterior

Add a few seasonal plants to gardens and near decks and patios for a more inviting look. Those with smaller properties may choose to plant in window boxes. Window boxes are easy to change up and plants can be seen from outside and inside a home.

Windows that are small can be made to look larger with the addition of shutters. Shutters in a contrasting color can make a home more visually interesting to prospective buyers.

Restaining a concrete patio or deck can bring new life to a weathered space. As staging goes on not only inside, but outside a home, restaining can be one of the initial steps taken to create an inviting deck or patio space for visitors. A few well-placed chairs and plantings can help complete the look.

Spruce Up Your Home

Inexpensive projects and a little elbow grease can do much to improve the curb appeal of a home going to market. For a second option, take pictures and talk with family, friends and a trusted real estate agent to get the thoughts on how to make the exterior more attractive to potential buyers. Homeowners on a tight budget can boost curb appeal without resorting to an expensive renovation or upgrade.

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