4 Tips to Boost Your Curb Appeal

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

4 Tips to Boost Your Curb Appeal

If you’re selling your home, you probably already know how important curb appeal is. It’s a buzz term repeated over and over through the selling process. What is curb appeal? It’s just what it sounds like: the appeal that the outward appearance of your home holds to potential buyers.

Your home can be expertly staged on the inside, but if the curb appeal is disheveled or dull, no one will ever know it. To sell your house successfully and for a reasonable price, you have to grab the attention of homebuyers from the first impression.

Bring Your Curb Appeal Online

Forty years ago, curb appeal referred to what the buyer sees when they drive past your home or pull into the driveway. Today, without a good online listing, the buyer may never drive past your curb to begin with. Online listings on real estate sites like Zillow and Trulia are crucial to the housing market today, and buyers are much more likely to click on listings with pictures. So make sure to not only shape up your curb appeal, but take pictures that show off its best features and add those to your listing.

Don’t Just Focus on the Front

It’s true, the front of your house is a big part of your curb appeal. It is the first sight, but that’s not all there is to curb appeal. Remember, buyers who tour your home will look at the backyard, too, and a good backyard can be make or break. Don’t cut corners when inspecting what needs to be improved. Walk around to the sides of the house and finally the back to get the full picture. Buyers will be able to tell, and appreciate, a thorough facelift.

Refresh the Paint

Boosting your curb appeal doesn’t have to be expensive and extravagant. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint can help your house look like new. Start with the front door. A brightly colored front door is eye-catching and inviting. It should match the house, but also make a statement all its own. Red doors are classic, but bold blue or green doors can be just as charming. If the siding needs to be painted, put in the time to do that, as well.

Your Mailbox Counts

Your mailbox may seem like a small detail, but remember that buyers will watch out for those small details when looking at a house they’re considering for their next home. If your mailbox is dingy and rusted, or riddled with chipped paint and dents, you should probably look into buying a new mailbox. Sure it’s possible a potential buyer wouldn’t notice your old mailbox, but they’ll certainly notice a fresh, new one.

Finally, work with an experienced realtor to get the most out of your curb appeal. A real estate agent who is an expert in the area and the housing market will know what buyers want to see when they look at houses, and will help you make your house the home of their dreams.