Curb Appeal, Home Decor

Curb Appeal That Will Help You Sell Your Home

So, you are ready to list your house and you have cleaned the inside, taken down your children’s artwork from the fridge, de-cluttered, and you have cookie dough in the fridge ready to put in the oven, come open house day. The interior looks fresh, clean and inviting. But what about the exterior?

Your home’s exterior is the first impression a person will have of your home. It will either get them excited to see more or turn them off to the idea of living there. It doesn’t matter how much time you have spent on the inside; if you neglect the outside, then you run the risk of turning away potential buyers.

Not everyone wants to spend a lot of money on a home they will be leaving soon, so here are some budget-friendly ways to boost the curb appeal of your home.

porchinviting

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The front porch or entryway is the heart of any curb appeal. It is what welcomes (or scares away) a person. And luckily, it is relatively easy to fix it up! Add a wreath, some potted plants, a rug or welcome mat, and update the light fixtures. Maybe even go as far as painting your front door. When you are picking out paint colors, since you are selling, keep in mind that not everyone loves bold, bright colors. Do you have windows by your front door? Consider adding some shutters or window boxes. View more ideas on how to make your entryway more inviting here.
cleanitup

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Just like the inside of your home, you want your outdoor spaces to be tidy as well. Use a pressure washer to clean brick or siding, wash windows, rake up debris, sweep the driveway and porch, and make sure that children’s items like bikes and toys are put away. Another good read for more tips is the article “5 Unexpected Places to Clean“.
drivewaysandwalkways

walkway

Spruce up your walkways and driveways! Add brick or pavers along the edge of the cement to give it a custom look. Or maybe plant some flowers on either side of your walkways. If you have a large driveway, you may want to add ground cover on either side to soften the hard edges. Clean any oil spills that may have happened over time.
doorsandtrim

driveway-garage-door

When we moved in to our fixer-upper, the garage door was pink and was missing a couple of panel inserts. We replaced the inserts with plywood and painted it a dark brown, since replacing the whole door was more costly. Assess what can be repaired. Paint can go a long way toward making things look better. If it can’t be repaired, consider replacing it. Scrape, sand, and paint any trim with peeling paint. Any work you can do that the new owners won’t have to do will make your home more attractive and worth the purchase price you are asking.
freshenupthelandscape

weeding

I almost bought a house once based on the landscaping alone. True story! I think the landscaping (or lack thereof) can seriously impact the sale of a home. Most home buyers want something easy to maintain. Keep that in mind when selecting plants for your yard. If you already have landscaping in place, then make sure things are trimmed and pruned, pull weeds, and add some new mulch to help it look fresh. Find more tips on using plants and flowers to enhance the look of your home’s exterior here.
dontforgetthelawn

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When I was shopping for a home with my husband and we drove up to a home with yellow grass or weed-infested grass, all I could think of was how much work it would entail to get a new lawn. We actually bought a home with a nearly dead, weed-infested lawn, but only because the price was dramatically reduced and we love yard work. You may not get so lucky with the people coming to see your home. Using fertilizer with added weed control can go a long way. If your lawn is already lush and green, then be sure to mow it often. If you have already moved out of your house and are not there often enough to mow, hire someone to mow it for you.

Doing these simple, cost-effective projects can greatly improve the chance of not just selling your home, but getting the price you want for it. Even if you are planning on staying in your home, these are things that you can easily do.

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