You know the old saying: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. The same holds true for your home, so make sure that the first glimpse a person — or potential home buyer! — gets of your house leaves a lasting impact. Play up the curb appeal of your residence with these easy tricks of the trade (including some you may not have thought of) and roll out the welcome mat for compliments and inquiries.
Top Tips to Enhance Your Home’s Curb Appeal
- Power wash the windows outside and clean them thoroughly on the inside. Be sure to remove debris and cobwebs — these will make windows look dull, and you want them to sparkle and shine.
- Affix or replace loose roof shingles.
- Clean out gutters and replace if they’re rusty, bent or look old and in disrepair.
- Rake up leaves and tidy up flower beds and gardens.
- Keep your lawn mowed and manicured throughout the sales process. Make sure sidewalks and walkways are edged neatly.
- Get rid of weeds, dandelions and grass growing up through the driveway or sidewalks.
- Trim trees so that they are out of the way of the roof.
- Make sure all yard tools and toys are stowed away. Roll up your garden hose neatly.
- Put bikes, skateboards and scooters in the garage.
- If you have a basketball hoop, replace the net if it’s torn, dingy or worn.
- Trim back unruly, unkempt bushes. Remove them altogether if they look scraggly and dry no matter what you do.
- Install a motion detector light in the front yard so when lookers come by in the evening, they can see the front of the house.
- Install low-wattage ground lights along the front walkway.
- Keep the walkway to the house, the driveway and sidewalk in front of the house neatly swept.
- Plant eye-catching bright-colored flowers and keep them watered and looking fresh. Remove wilted dead blooms religiously.
- Wherever your foundation shows, place a planter with colorful flowers.
- Give your front door a fresh coat of paint or replace it if needed.
- Replace the door’s hardware and knob.
- Power wash the entire exterior of your home. If you have any loose, peeling or cracking paint, you’ll need to hire painters — or do it yourself!
- Paint or stain your wood fences and repair any broken fencing.
- Replace the mailbox.
- Apply large, clearly visible house numbers to the front of your house.
- Keep garbage barrels in the garage out of sight.
Don’t Forget the Sides and Back of Your House
- Power wash your deck or patio and sand and stain if necessary.
- Secure any loose railings and boards on your deck.
- Trim bushes and vegetation throughout your back yard area.
- Set up attractive, comfortable-looking sitting areas in the back yard. You can stage the outside of the house as well as the inside.
- If you have a dog, be sure to clean up after it on a daily basis. If your dog’s a barker, keep it inside rather than let it stand outside chasing potential buyers away.
- Remove any wasp nests and ant hills from the premises.
- Keep all backyard toys and tools put away and the hose rolled up.
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