How can Curb Appeal benefit you as a Home seller?
Curb appeal is a term commonly used by realtors when talking about home exteriors, but what exactly is it and how can it help you sell your home?
Curb appeal, simply means the aesthetic (or visual) attractiveness of a property, specifically as viewed by a prospective buyer from a distance. This is important for home sellers because this can help slightly increase property value, but more importantly can help sell your home faster.
A study done by Michigan State University revealed that homes with high curb appeal were able to sell for an average of 7% more than homes with uninviting exteriors. Whoa that is money in the bank!
Here are some ways that you can increase your curb appeal before you put your home on the market to ensure a quick sale with the best offers.
A good wash.
This can cost you little to no money, just some soap and water and a little elbow grease. Washing the exterior of your home is a great way to give your home a great first impression to prospective buyers and help them envision themselves in the home.
Don’t have time to scrub your home by hand? Power washers can cost about $70 per day to rent and you can also power wash your deck, porch and driveway at the same time.
Pro Tip: Investing in buying a decent power washer can cost you about $150 and will pay for itself in under 3 years. Power washing your home once a year can help create good habits to maintain your home every spring.
Freshen up existing paint.
To get your whole house painted a different color can cost a lot in labor and material and may actually cause you to lose value on your home if your choice of color isn’t cohesive with existing homes in your neighborhood. Try scraping a little paint from your existing color and have it matched at your local home improvement store. This way you can focus only on areas that need a little TLC for as low as $20 a can.
Pro Tip: If you want to add a splash of color to your home you can paint the front door something a little bolder, which can be eye catching and create interest. Focus on color that also compliments the exterior of your home and can be matched with a few more decorative elements to create balance to your overall aesthetic.
Repair your roof.
This tip will probably cost you the most money to fix on your exterior, but will earn you the greatest ROI. This is something that potential buyers are definitely looking at because a poorly maintained roof can create other problems such as water damage and pest issues.
A well manicured lawn.
Maintaining your lawn is more time extensive than costly. Just make sure you are regularly watering and mowing your lawn. Seed and sod any areas that have seen better days. Make sure to get rid of weeds and prune your overgrown shrubbery. Try planting some annuals to create a friendly environment.
Pro Tip: Don’t have time to fix yellow patches of lawn? Try getting some lawn spray that will paint your lawn green and environmentally friendly because it is specifically made for grass.
The finer details.
There are a few little things when all is said and done that you can do at a low cost to help just bring your curb appeal to the next level. Some of these little extras include, lighting your pathway, replacing your mailbox, and adding some colorful potted plants. You can DIY most of these projects to save some cash or invest a little extra if you choose. These minor details add up and create a hierarchy of design to the front of your home which will invite the buyer to take in all the major projects you have created and really bump up your curb appeal game.