While most articles, realtors, home stagers, and designers focus on the interior of a home, one area that doesn’t get the same love and respect is the exterior of a home. Honestly, I think it should have the lions share of the focus. Curb appeal or the WOW factor! That feeling you get when you pull up to the front of your home is pride and joy. You’ve saved for years, forgone a trip to the Dominican and maybe even stopped buying Starbucks coffees to help save money. So why shouldn’t you love the outside of the home?
I ask you, is it because its not fun? Is it too much work to maintain, or do you believe the price is not worth it? Let me tell you this. If you want to attract a buyer or stand out from the rest of the houses for sale, put some TLC into your curb appeal.
Let’s start with paint. That’s right, there’s no need to replace your dull, faded siding. A fresh coat of paint will surprise you. One step further is painting the brick. I assure you; you can’t even tell. Speaking from experience, a natural/ neutral tone, like grey or sand color, will make it look like the home was built that way. If you want to add pop and personality, bold colors like blue, green or red might be better suited for the front door.
Next up, green grass. The allure of a lush full yard, no weeds, and perfectly mowed. So, you don’t want to open and dump bags of earth? Hire a landscaping company at the beginning of the year. Fresh earth and seed yearly, plus regular watering, will keep your lawn looking great. And please, mow the lawn! There is nothing worse than pulling up to a beautiful home with an uncut lawn. Buyers will immediately think the home has been neglected.
Another way to add great curb appeal is the driveway. Black asphalt is like a pair of cool Raybans. Sleek-looking and sharp. If your driveway is crumbling, look into investing in a complete redo. If that’s not in the budget, hire a professional to seal it with a new topcoat. If you are one to do it yourself with a kit, which I highly recommend you don’t, please take the time to do it properly. Seeing the paint roller lines along the driveway is almost worse than having the crumbling look.
And last but not least, the garden. Color. Every home needs some color. A pop of red, pink, white, and orange. These colors stimulate the senses. Everyone loves getting flowers. Just the idea of flowers triggers positive thinking. Every major box store has a garden center. Pick up a few containers of flowers and plant them. While you’re at it, a few bags of black mulch and you’re in business.
If you’re thinking of selling your home, imagine what the photos will look like. Certainly, they will stand out. Imagine how a buyer will feel when walking up to the front door. Imagine the offer price the buyer will make.
If you are one of the lucky ones with a green thumb and can do this yourself, go for it. If you have over-watered a plant and killed it, think about hiring a landscaping company for the time you have your home on the market, they will take care of everything. Consider this to be one of your selling expenses.
Richard Sholzberg