How to Increase Your Home's
Curb Appeal
And Other Tips to Attract Potential Home Buyers

So you've decided to sell your home. Not sure where to begin? Perhaps you have seen those popular TV shows about house flipping and selling your home. One key tip that all these shows stress is the importance of curb appeal. Those selling a home may think that the few hundred dollars and hours of work outdoors may not be necessary. Think again. Those who stage homes for a living can speak matter of factly. Curb appeal is VERY important. It can make or break the deal. If you can't get someone to come in the front door, how will you sell the home? You also need to be aware that what you put into the outside landscaping of your home will return 100-200% in added value. It's worth it!

Many of the things one can do to attract potential buyers is quite simple, but some planning is required.

The first thing one must do is inventory the property. Get a notebook and take notes. This is the good the bad and the ugly. You may want to enlist in the help of a brutally honest friend or a neutral third party. Sometimes we can overlook the simple things ourselves. Here are some things to keep in mind and assess as you walk around your house and property. While doing this process, figure out who your potential market is trying to reach and steer your work in that direction. Some professionals say that curb appeal is not too important to first time home buyers, but if your market is towards previous home owners. Curb appeal is absolutely important!

Next, stand at the curb or even across the street and look at your house. What is the first thing that you notice? Does your home have a focal point? Or do you find yourself noticing several flaws that draw your view across the property instead. Does your home look warm and inviting? Or are you distracted by everything else? People are drawn to homes for a variety of reasons, let's help those potential buyers find those reasons they are drawn to yours.

Before you begin, the seller should do a title search on the home to insure that there are no liens on the property. Once the search is complete, your work can begin. Most changes needed, anyone can do themselves. *Tip* Limit the amount of debt you take on as you tackle this project. Credit cards should be avoided. You will need to have good credit to buy your new home. Don't overspend what you will make from the sale of this home.

First, trim the vegetation around your home. This includes any bushes that may be concealing windows, grass, weeds, saplings, etc. and does not only include the front of the house, but the whole property. The whole property should look manicured. The lawn should be edged. Curbside mailboxes should look new and solid. Add some plants near the mailbox base, edge the walkway with landscaping or flowers and guide the visitor's view. Landscaped areas should have fresh mulch and dead limbs should be trimmed and removed from the trees. Make sure your landscaping looks great all of the time even if you must hire someone to help. Your home should look great year round.

Attention should be drawn to the front door. This should be your focal point. Many professionals find that simple potted plants on either side of the door work great in the summer time and more permanent plants like potted evergreen look great in the winter to help draw one towards the door. You want to invite the potential buyers inside.

One way to help pull this off is to keep things simple. Limit your exterior colors to three to four simple exterior paint colors. Lines should be crisp and guide your vantage point towards the front door. There should not be any peeling paint on the exterior. If your home has siding, be sure to check for chips and cracks, if any damage is noted, that will need to be replaced. The front door can be its own unique color. Ever notice how a home with a rather drab exterior can pop with a bright red front door? Color can play an important key. It's the WOW point. Don't forget that garage door. Make sure that it is in good repair. Its color should match that of the sides of the home. If you use one of your accent colors, it can overwhelm the front door and move the focal point.
Remember we want people to want to go into the home.

Next, look at the driveway. A significant number of people look at it. Is the driveway full of cracks and weeds? Is it full of oil stains? Is it supposed to be black? If the driveway looks new, the house will no doubt look new too. Don't give a potential buyer the impression that the home is in poor repair. Asphalt driveways should be recoated with asphalt sealer. Concrete should be scrubbed to remove any oil stains. Before sealing the driveway, remove oil spots then reseal the driveway. If the driveway is deeply pitted, a second coat may be necessary.

Are the sidewalks neat? Or are they cracked? Overgrown with weeds? Don't neglect them. Broken sections should be replaced. A crack as small as one inch in the driveway or sidewalk can prevent your home from passing an inspection for a potential buyer. Edge the sidewalk (and driveway). An edged lawn creates a pleasing appearance once again drawing you towards the home.

Is your home on a sloped lot? Instead of areas that are difficult to mow or that may look less than professional, landscape it to avoid mowing that area altogether. Use minimum maintenance plants. Mix perennials with annuals to help insure a nice landscape texture year round. Plant in rows. Taller plants should be towards the rear with shorter plants towards the front. Space your plants evenly. Remember that most ground cover plants take as much as three years to fill in. You can always purchase more plants later and plant them evenly among the originals. Fill in bald and thin spots in the yard. Overseed your yard without tilling up the soil.
Flower beds near the house should remain simple. Less is more. These often take much time to weed and water. Using a mulch will cut down on weed growth. Stone mulch can be a good choice. If using plants, keep it simple. A few small plants work great with wood chips. You should try for a pleasing contrast in color. Dark plants should have a light colored mulch. Use dark mulch for light plants.

Also look at your trees. Do you have bare spots under the tree? These can be difficult to fill in with seed. Don't let these bald patches decrease your yards appeal. A tip I see many doing these days is to create planters around the trees. These can also be used to help define the other flower beds in the yard. Use concrete blocks to create a planter around the tree. They do not require any mortar. Set them down, fill with topsoil or potting soil and plant. I've seen some homes use the larger retaining wall blocks, but I personally think the smaller ones look much better. Make the rings two or three rows thick and you are set to go.

For those who don't want flower beds next to the house, consider window boxes. These are particularly simple and can really add to the focal point of the house. These are easy to be maintained and can be painted to match the home's paint accents.

Gutters should be cleaned regularly. While doing this, inspect that they are still in good working order. Are all pieces intact? Is there any peeling paint? Damaged gutter should be replaced. Peeling paint should be removed and repainted. Are there any leaking joints? If so, make sure these are properly sealed. Covered gutters are an added selling feature. If you find it necessary to replace the gutters, they are something to consider.

While working on the gutters, take a good look at the roof. How old is the roof? Many buyers like homes that have a new roof or one that looks in good repair. Do the shingles curl? Are they rounded instead of square? Do you see stripes on the roof? All these can indicate signs of age and need for replacement regardless if the roof currently leaks. If only stripes are present and no other indicating signs, try cleaning the shingles. These stains can sometimes be cleaned away and may save you the added cost of reroofing.

So you've cleaned the roof, now take a look at the siding. You've already inspected the sections for damage. If the siding is in good order, wash it. One will be surprised at how much better the home will look if you get rid of it's own "road haze". Power washers work best for this. Start at the top and work towards the bottom. Remember, too narrow a stream can actually cause damage to the siding. Don't forget to clean those windows as well. This means not only on the inside, but the outside as well. The power washer can help. You may need to use a degreaser on the windows to loosen the grime to get a fabulous shine.

Is your fence in good repair? Does it need new paint or waterproofing? Is it leaning? Old? Rotton? Replacement may be necessary. You want your home to look like a million dollars. If replacement is necessary, you may want to consider shrubs instead. Many people these days are being drawn towards outdoor living spaces. Plants provide the privacy. I also often see a nice privacy fence on the back of the property with a row of shrubs in front. If you are using shrubs inbetween properties, don't plant directly on the property line. You will need to allow room for you to be able to maintain the other side.

Next, look at your deck. Does it look like something that has been left neglected in the elements for far too long? Check to make sure all wood and hardware is solid and in good repair. Once repaired, or if everything checks out, add refinishing to your list. Start by removing the old finish with a deck stripper and pressure washer. Next, scrub it with a deck cleaning solution and rinse. Make sure it is good and clean so your new finish will hold up. Allow the wood to dry for at least two or three days before sealing. If overly humid, may need to increase dry time. Now it is time to seal.

Have a shed in your backyard? Make sure it is in good repair. A fresh paint job will make it pop! Sheds are a nice added selling feature. Make sure that it is sale worthy. Do you have patio furniture, a BBQ, picnic table, playground equipment, etc in your backyard? Make sure that it is in good repair as well.

The outdoors of your home are now ready to go. You've got curb appeal! Those buyers want to go inside and see the well cared for beauty within. Time to stage your home and get ready for open houses and property viewings.

Time to sell your home!