Are you considering selling your home? If you are, one of the biggest questions you would want to answer is, does curb appeal increase home value? Well, the answer to that is quite simple. Read on to find out.
What Is Curb Appeal?
Before answering the question, does curb appeal increase home value? You probably want to know what curb appeal is. Simply put, it refers to how attractive someone viewing a property from across the street thinks it is.
A home with great curb appeal typically has everything in place and looks aesthetically appealing from the outside.
What is the Importance of Curb Appeal?
Does curb appeal increase home value? This is a valid question, seeing as it is the interior of a house that matters, because that is where the buyer will spend most of their time. Whether the interior of the house is good or not, curb appeal still matters, and here’s why.
First Impression Matters
Before a potential buyer walks through your front door, they will have already started forming an opinion of your home. That means that if the yard is unkempt and dirty, a spotless and organized interior may not be enough to make up for it.
Sometimes, the way your house looks on the outside may be enough for a potential buyer to write off your home. You are probably not sold on this and you are probably still asking, does curb appeal increase home value? We have another reason to convince you that it does.
You Cannot Control How Long Prospective Buyers Will Wait Outside
When a potential buyer arrives at your home, you cannot control how much time they may spend outside. Sure, they can jump out of their car and into your home without as much as glancing at the exterior, but chances are that they will. When they do, chances are that they will already have formed an opinion about the home, albeit unknowingly.
Curb Appeal can Increase Interest in your Home
Now that you have established that potential buyers begin forming an opinion about your home before walking in, you want to make the exterior look as good as possible. If a prospective buyer falls in love with your house before they get to see the whole of it, chances are that they will be willing to pay the asking price without negotiating. Moreover, they are likely to overlook any of the flaws inside. If you feel like your house won’t fetch as much money, you can increase its curb appeal to justify high pricing.
The Internet Will Judge Your Curb Appeal
The world is going digital with most homebuyers searching for their perfect homes online. That means that you need to have pictures of your home taken and uploaded online so that prospective buyers can know what they are getting themselves into. Needless to say, you need to have eye-catching pictures that will attract potential buyers. Now, you cannot have such pictures if the exterior of your house is nothing to write home about. So, if you are still asking, does curb appeal increase home value, then it does.
Curb Appeal Ideas to Increase Your Home’s Value
Now that you have the answer to the question, does curb appeal increase home? It is time to look at some of the things you can do to increase the curb appeal of yours.
Do Some Landscaping
Most homeowners make the mistake of committing most of their funds to renovate the interior of their houses and neglecting the exterior. Contrary to what you may believe, the curb appeal of your home should begin with landscaping and the foliage at the front of your house. Mow landscaping projects can be as easy or as complex as you want them to be, but a good start would be to plant grass to give the exterior of your home a uniform plush look. Dirt or burnt patches look tacky and they make your property appear neglected, old, and dirty. You could also add some flowers to the mix because all it takes is to plant the seeds and water the ground for several weeks. If you do not have enough time for the greenery to grow, you can get artificial grass and flowers. Work on dying or overgrown bushes as well, if your property has any, because they are eyesore. Note that getting a landscape supply company to help will be beneficial, seeing as you may not have the skills or creativity required.
Repair or Replace the Roof
Aside from putting to work with the landscape of your home, you also want to consider your home’s physical condition, which has a lot to do with the roof of the house. Although it is not usually considered a property’s most aesthetic feature, the condition of your roof will either attract or turn away potential buyers. No one wants to purchase a home with an old roof that looks like it won’t last for the next few months. If it is leaking, you had better brace yourself to sell the house at a throwaway price. So, does curb appeal increase home value? You are in the best position to answer that at this point. Anyway, get the best roofing company to replace or fix yours just to ensure that the person who buys it will not experience any issues, but before that, ensure that it looks good enough for them to want to buy the house.
Clean the Exterior
How does the exterior of your house look? Is it dirty and disorganized? You can’t have that, otherwise, you will be among those people who constantly ask, does curb appeal increase home value when the answer is right in front of your eyes. So if you need to clean the deck or scrub your front porch, go ahead and do it. Trying to sell a dirty home is like trying to sell a dirty car. People will dismiss it even if it has value, because they cannot see beyond the dirt and you don’t want that with your property.
Spruce UP the Driveway
Just like other homeowners, you are probably guilty of neglecting and overlooking your driveway, but that should not be the case. It may be unnecessary to do a complete overhaul by doing driveway sealcoating or replacement, but that doesn’t mean that it should be in pathetic condition. Therefore, if your driveway is full of cracks and weeds, you can be sure that it will do nothing to add to the value of your property. You will then be asking, does curb appeal increase home value? You can do an easy touch-up and remove any weeds as part of your lawn care routine to make it more presentable.
Refurbish the Front Door
You cannot deny that your front door is the first thing a prospective buyer will see from across the street when they walk into your home. Now, you can choose to have the entire door replaced or upgrade the existing one with a fresh coat of paint, seeing as quality doors do not come cheap. That said, a new door will give you value for money, not to mention that it comes with a remarkable ROI.
Get Rid Of Mold and Mildew
One of the best things you can do to increase the curb appeal of your home is to eliminate any signs of mold and mildew. These can cause health issues and they do not look good on your property and you can be sure that they will be a turn-off for prospective buyers. In that regard, you want to do away with any moisture sources as they are likely to cause this problem.
Windows and Gutters
The gutters and windows play an important role when it comes to the curb appeal of your home. As such, you cannot risk having broken or raggedy-looking ones. Go ahead and have yours checked by a home siding company to determine whether you need repairs, replacements, or simply a cleaning session.
Store Equipment Away
Everybody knows that you use equipment to groom your property, but a prospective buyer of your home will not appreciate seeing the equipment laying around. To that effect, you want to store everything in its rightful place. Be sure to store everything, including your sprinkler and lawn mower away.
Play with Lighting
Curb appeal is not limited to the daytime. In that regard, you want to ensure that the exterior of your home looks just as beautiful if not more as it does during the day. The best part is that you can play around with the lighting. For instance, you can have your driveway lined with snake lights or highlight certain aspects of your landscaping with soft lighting. Do not forget to light your front porch as well. You’d be surprised how much value that can add to your property. Keep in mind that a significant number of potential buyers will drive by your house at night when they are coming home from work or other engagements.
Upgrade your Mailbox
Most homes have their mailbox strategically placed in front of their houses and if yours is one of them, you may want to consider upgrading your old mailbox with a new one. Alternatively, you can have it painted and maintain its vintage look. The best part? It won’t cost you much because, with as little as $20, you can get that done.
Replace your House Number
A house number sign may look like a trivial feature of your home, but potential buyers probably will not. Broken, fading, or old signs should promptly be replaced to improve the curb appeal of your property. A new number can cost as little as $2.00 while a customized one can between $50 – $100.
To add a twist to it, you can try matching your house number with your outdoor light fixtures.
Color Wash your Garage Door
It is no lie that a new garage door is likely to dent your pocket because these doors do not come cheap. You may therefore want to get a garage door repair service if yours is damaged. If you just need to upgrade its look, you can start by cleaning it and tinting it with a new color. That will do a lot for your home’s curb appeal. While at it, they handle small repairs like chipped paint and burned-out bulbs. Keep in mind that even the tiniest of flaws can stand out in an otherwise perfect exterior and that may cost you a buyer.
Embrace Symmetry
With symmetrical patterns, you can create visually appealing focal points that will make your home’s exterior look put together. For instance, you can position lamps or plants on each side of your front door to create a symmetrical pattern. Your outdoor space will certainly look good with that.
Conceal Electrical Fixtures
You want things to stand out in your outdoor space, but a colorful electrical box is not one of them. With a quick painting, you can conceal things so that they blend with the rest of your space instead of attracting negative attention. Pick a paint color that matches your home’s siding and you have a winner!
Get Outdoor Furniture
You can increase your home’s curb appeal by carefully selecting some outdoor furniture. Think about a swinging chair or an outdoor dining table. The furniture can be functional and make your outdoor space visually appealing as well.
The answer to does curb appeal increase home value is a resounding yes as you have gathered from everything discussed here. With that in mind, do not skimp on using any of the ideas in this article to boost the value of your home. You may need a few repairs and replacements or even a sprinkler system installation for your new grass, but it will be worth your while.
