What exactly is curb appeal, and why should you care?

Prospective home buyers begin to develop their opinion of a neighborhood as soon as they enter that neighborhood.  As a home seller, there isn't much you can do to influence the "feel" of a neighborhood.  But, you can greatly influence a buyer's opinion of your property the moment they see it. The goal is make your property a home they want to see.

Curb Appeal Basics

The simplest concept of curb appeal is to simply mow the lawn, make sure there isn't any junk laying around, and make sure the home is in good repair by fixing the porchlight that's been hanging halfway off for the past two years.  That's an average house, probably in an average neighborhood.   Now, if we want a house that's going to stand out from the average homes in the area, it will be necessary to step up the curb appeal a bit.  The most cost effective way to do this is to pressure wash the house to clean off dust and discolorations, trim hedges and shrubbery, and plant flowers, if the season allows.  After those steps are done, thoroughly clean the front windows, inside and out.  What you'll have is a clean attractive property with color accents that will be more inviting to homebuyers.

Taking it to the next level

The process outlined above is a fairly inexpensive method for making a home moderately more attractive. But, what if you're really seeking top dollar and want to get every potential buyer to walk through your door? It takes money and effort, and you'll need to start across the street. Take a notepad, and a friend if you think they'll be more objective, go across the street and look at your house. Start writing down every last thing that is wrong, or might be considered unattractive or outdated. Look at the condition of the roof, along with any piping, flashing or chimneys you can see. Is everything in good shape, or do you need to pitch that TV antenna that hasn't been used for years? Are there trees that have been allowed to overgrow and overwhelm the house? Does the trim on the house need new paint to make it look new, or near new? What about the house body color? If it's more than a couple of years old, you should change it. Are the windows in good shape, or are they old and unattractive? How about the front door, hardware and fixtures that are part of the front entry. Everything should look new, scratches, stains and discolorations just won't cut it. What are the walkways to the front entry like? Old boring concrete, or is it clean, flat and attractive.
Time to find out what's available at Lowes or Home Depot.
If your budget doesn't allow for changing/improving everything that really should be done, you'll need to put your list in order of what's most cost effective. Landscaping and trimming can usually be done fairly inexpensively, so that's a good place to start. Painting the house, both trim and body color, also provides very good results for the expense incurred. The front entry is very, very important, so do not scrimp on making sure this is perfect. Also, although it's expensive, do not underestimate the buyer perceived value of a new roof.

Remember, Curb Appeal isn't everything

Depending on your budget, you can make even a bland house stand out from other houses in the area. That's great for getting people in the front door, but you'll also need to have the rest of the house compare to the buyer's expectations. The good news is interior renovations are also fairly inexpensive unless you are doing major bath or kitchen updating. Most rooms should have fresh paint, good flooring and updated fixtures which often require time, but not a lot of materials.