Curb appeal. You’ve probably heard that term before. It refers to how valuable and enticing your home looks to a buyer who is “standing on the curb”. When it comes time to get a property ready for the market many people focus on prepping the inside of their home for sale, neglecting the outside.
If you’re thinking about selling your home it’s essential for you to present your property as a complete package. Correctly or incorrectly, people often associate the condition of the yard as a reflection of the level of effort you put into the general upkeep of the interior of your home (if you don’t mow the lawn and everything is dead in the yard, what are the odds that you are on top of that slow leaking faucet or pipe?)
Fortunately, getting your yard ready for the market isn’t that complicated and doesn’t need to break the bank, a bit of time and elbow grease can go a long way! Here are 15 tips for upping the curb appeal of your property.
CREATING CURB APPEAL: 15 SIMPLE TIPS
- Clean or update (if necessary) the hardware on your front door and make sure it works properly!
- Fix or replace any broken window panes and torn screens and make those windows sparkle!
- Replace broken or outdated light fixtures; make sure that all entrances and paths are well-lit and all outdoor lighting works (this applies to front, side and back of the house).
- Make sure the house number is clearly visible from the road and the mailbox is properly attached to the house.
- Power-wash everything (be careful to not get water under the siding or in vents).
- Paint and/or repair any areas that look worn out including; railings, roofing, deck, shutters, fencing, siding, woodworking, and stairs.
- Clean out the gutters and downspouts.
- Time to trim the overgrowth. Prune any branches that touch the house, cover a window or block a path and make sure to get rid of any dead trees, shrubs and flowers at the same time.
- Baby your lawn! Patch any dead areas with sod or seed, and make sure to keep it clean-cut and raked.
- Plant some annuals in with the perennials in the garden (both in the front yard and the back). Perennials are fantastic but often have a short blooming season, adding some annuals will give your garden extra colour and added impact, consider low-care annuals like impatiens, petunias and geraniums.
- Hanging baskets and potted flowers are also a great way to add curb appeal and draw attention to your entrance ways, windows and porches.
- Make sure to get rid of the weeds in your garden beds and use mulch.
- Create conversation areas in your yard. For example; install a collection of bird houses, put a unique sculpture in the yard, stage an outdoor table complete with potted plants, string up a hammock, create a great BBQ area, or arrange a sitting area – two chairs side by side with a little table works nicely!
- Put away all the toys and garden tools.
- And perhaps most importantly…make sure the yard is clean from all garbage and debris on a DAILY basis!
If you need any further help or information on how to create better curb appeal please don’t hesitate to contact me. My team and I are always happy to help!