Imagine a home with a perfectly lush landscape, welcoming entryway, and sleek exterior features. Doesn’t that mental picture make you want to step inside to see more? Adding a little curb appeal can go a long way to help charm potential buyers. In fact, 94% of realtors recommend that sellers improve their curb appeal before listing their homes, and 99% believe it’s important to entice a buyer, according to the National Association of Realtors. But what are the best and most cost-efficient ways to add curb appeal to sell your home?
Here are the top five ways you can spruce up your home’s curb appeal.
1) Create a warm welcome
Buyers want the warm fuzzies when looking for their next home. They want a place where they can see themselves living and welcoming their friends and family. An excellent way to jump-start that feeling is with a warm, welcoming entryway. Make it look cared for and inviting. A few inexpensive ways to do this include adding a little bench, potted plants, a door wreath, and even a fresh coat of paint for the door.
2) Wash the exterior
A low-cost way to upgrade your curb appeal is to clean the exterior windows, siding, and other highly visible surfaces. This may seem obvious, but it’s easy to overlook, and can make a pretty significant difference in the appearance of your home. Consider what your home is made of before you opt for a pressure washer. High-pressure streams of water can cause damage to many materials from stucco and brick to aluminum and stone. It’s important that if you go this route, you should exercise caution in choosing the right nozzle and pressure — or just hire a professional. For a lower-risk approach, you can use a scrubbing brush with a long handle and warm, soapy water.
3) Paint
A fresh coat can give your home a much-needed face-lift that attracts the eyes of potential buyers. While not quite as affordable as just cleaning the outside, the investment could provide outsized returns through a higher sale price. Ask your sales agent what they think. If you do decide to go ahead with painting, ensure you choose a color that is neutral and blends in with the neighborhood. Going too extreme can work against you and deter buyers.
4) Landscape
A home with a beautiful landscape can increase property values anywhere from 5.5% to 12.7%. That being the case, landscaping can offer one of the best returns on investment of all curb appeal tactics.
But what should you do exactly? Be sure to clear out any clutter, mow your lawn, trim hedges, fix any cracks in the pavement, add fresh mulch, and ensure that flower beds are well-tended. If you have more time and money to invest, you could add plants to complement the home and neighborhood, freshen up the lawn, or hire a professional to do these tasks.
5) Check For Needed Exterior Repairs
Walk around your home’s exterior and check for any needed exterior repairs. Exterior repairs might include missing/broken shingles, holes in your home’s siding, rotted deck boards, or damaged windows. If a buyer notices the need for external repair, they might begin to assume the same for the inside of the home. If any repairs are needed, determine what budget you have to work with to make those repairs. From there, prioritize what will make the best impact, and tackle what you can.
Why is curb appeal so important?
Imagine you’re interviewing candidates for a job, and one person looks very well-qualified but walks in with torn-up jeans, unkempt hair, and a stained T-shirt. While he might seem like the best option, his appearance makes you wonder and question if he’s the right fit. The same goes for your house.
While buyers care about the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the yard, the kitchen, and the structural integrity, it’s a package deal. If they’re going to buy something and live in it for many years, they want to love how it looks and be happy to show it off to their friends and family. If you don’t catch their eye with the exterior, they’ll likely never give you a chance to show them the rest. Besides, not only will a home with curb appeal attract more buyers, but it will also increase their perceived value of the property.
If you have any questions about how to enhance your home’s curb appeal in the most cost-effective ways or any other concerns related to buying or selling a home, the OVM team is standing by to help. We’re more than happy to guide you through every step of the process. Give us a call or start your application today!