Did you know that you have less than 100 milliseconds to make a first impression?
People use everything they can to make that impression. Your clothes, your behavior, even your smile. But have you considered your home’s curb appeal?
Getting a house ready for sale means making the best first impression possible. You need curb appeal ideas that will resonate long after a prospective buyer goes home to think about it.
In this guide, we’ll discuss why you should boost curb appeal, and a few ways to do it.
Why Good Curb Appeal Ideas Matter
If you want to sell your house, it may seem like curb appeal comes dead last in priorities. What really matters is that the house is in good condition. No leaks, no need for major renovations, and proper furnishings.
However, a key component of getting prospective buyers is getting them in the front door. If the appearance of the front of the home turns them off, they might not even show up.
A poor exterior condition points to problems with the interior. If there’s poor landscaping upkeep, that suggests that the previous tenants trashed the inside. Even if the issues in question are small, they add up when the buyer decides whether to push through with a purchase.
Appearance all has a strong influence on the price. Homes that capture the right flair sell for more. Creating a home with the right character could add several thousand dollars to your asking price.
Let’s discuss a few key ways you can improve your curb appeal.
Take Special Care With the Landscaping
Plants make things beautiful. There’s nothing better than a clean-cut lawn, trimmed trees, and orderly bushes. If your lawn is a foot long and the bushes are bare, it makes your home look like it’s in disrepair.
Even if the grass isn’t that green, keeping it trimmed makes a big difference. If you’re looking sparse on the vegetation, try adding some potted plants for good measure. Even putting new, cheap flowers in the flower bed goes a long way.
Remove all the weeds that you possibly can. Rake the yard for dead leaves and sticks, and keep the compost pile in check.
Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
Nothing screams horror movie more than fading, peeling paint. Even if the walls and foundations are good, old paint leaps out from a mile away. It’s a subtle difference that adds a whole new feel to a property.
Make sure to scrape off old, brittle paint as much as possible. Get weather-proof paint to make sure it lasts a long time. Whether you go with a matte or polished finish, make sure it matches your home’s aesthetic.
Give Your Home a Deep Clean
Even a freshly-painted home might not look the best. Dusty fixtures, scale in the bathrooms, and mold on the windows put off potential buyers.
Make sure to scrub the floors well. Locate any sources of mold and eradicate them. Check the entire house for dust, ensuring that you’ve removed it from appliances as well as all those corners and moldings.
Update Exterior Lighting
To follow the horror house example from above, good lighting is a huge deal. It makes your home look warm, inviting, and approachable. The lack thereof makes your home look like the abandoned place at the end of the street.
Get solar lamps and spike them along your front walkway. Install some Victorian-style light fixtures on the sides, or try something else that fits your home’s style. If you have floodlamps, make sure they’re clean and have halogen bulbs that give the best illumination.
Make sure the lighting is warm, rather than white and sterile. Focus on downward-facing lamps or recessed lamps that sit flush with the wall.
Replace the Mailbox and House Numbers
These are those little details that people often forget. You never want to forget the small touches, since they hint at dedicated overall care for the home.
You don’t need to go all out, here. A new, sturdy mailbox will do wonders to boost curb appeal. Replaced the old, faded house numbers with a modern fixture that will outlast the home.
Fix Light Switches and Other Hardware
Prospective homeowners are going to put your house through its paces. One of the first things they’ll invariably do is go through the house hitting light switches one by one. And if they find a broken light switch or two, that will put a frown on their face.
While these are small things, they add up in the course of a typical move. Bad switches mean calling in the electrician. Add the movers, plumbers, and others, and you create a hectic situation.
The same goes for things like doorknobs. All of this comes out very cheap in the end but could add a lot of value to your home. Oftentimes you can negotiate a higher price just by having updated, modern hardware.
Add a Bit of Decor
Your home’s curb appeal needs to delight the senses, and good decoration can do this. Even if you remove it when you move out, it makes the house look better than it actually might be.
Colors that draw the eyes and go well with the home’s exterior trick the brain. They make it think that your home is more luxurious. It’s a cheap trick that goes a long way.
Improve Your Curb Appeal Today
Curb appeal can make a huge difference when convincing someone to buy your home. They may sway a buyer who was initially not convinced. Having the right curb appeal ideas will help you to sell your home for a much higher asking price.
Selling a home can be a tiring endeavor. Check out our blog for more home and lifestyle tips.