There’s a belief that when it comes to buying and selling homes, decisions can be made based purely on the first 10 seconds and before a home has been fully explored. Yes, it’s all about curb appeal.
Whilst we still have some to do on the exterior of our home and would like to re-add a front garden (the original 1930s front garden was removed to make way for a drive), we have already done a lot to improve our home exterior.
Here are some tips to wow those potential buyers before they even set foot through the door.
Keep Your Lawn Well-Maintained
If you have any planting or lawn laid to the front of your home, make sure this is kept tidy. It’s a good idea to keep grass looking healthy by keeping on top of lawn care and making sure that weeds are removed. Plant some perennial shrubs that will add interest and come back year after year.
You may not feel like getting up in the morning to mow the grass due to the bright sun beaming down on you. But you can always get a lawn mower shade canopy for protection. In addition, doing minor upkeeps outside the house can make a difference when enhancing your home’s curb appeal.
Pay Attention To Your House Style
There is a time and place for mixing and matching different styles, designs or period of your home. The street-facing aspect isn’t a good idea to try and incorporate too many designs and can actually lower value.
For example, are you living in a country-style home? Then it may not be appealing to include a minimalist-style garden in your outside space. Instead, an English-styled garden will complement the style of your farmhouse better due to its design and architecture.
Update Your Gutter System
We’ve recently had to replace some leaking gutter that were causing issues for the front of our of our house. Every time it rained heavily instead of draining the water away, it just crashed down the front windows and walls, resulting in a damp problem at the bottom.
If potential buyers see that your home has a broken gutter system, they’ll be quick to turn around. Unfortunately, few people have the patience to do repairs, especially if the damage is extensive.
So when looking to enhance your outdoor space, do repairs on what’s important. Look to see if there’s a leak in your gutter, if any of them are hanging, or if there’s a hole within the system. Buyers will be more than happy that you took the extra mile to do updates since it’s one less thing they must worry about.
Renovate The Exterior
One of the updates we made a few years ago was to re-render and repaint the front and side of the house. The difference it has made is immeasurable.
Before, it looked tired and old-fashioned whereas now it looks clean and modern whilst still in keeping with the period of the house. Even our neighbours across the road commented how much more pleasant it was to look at.
Just as repairing the gutters will wow potential buyers, so will updating the exterior walls.
It’s something that many people prefer not to do due to time or money, so they prefer that the previous homeowner will take the time to do it before buying. Also, you can easily change the feel of a home or the outside look by adding a new coat to the exterior walls or repairing the siding.
Consider The Appeal Of Your Driveway
Driveways are often seen as a very practical, slightly dull, aspect to owning a home. Certainly here in London having off-street parking is a privilege.
Driveways mustn’t be forgotten though when considering the value of a house. Make sure there are no cracks or holes and all repairs are kept on top of. Driveways often attract weeds so make sure it’s tidy and never underestimate the power of a good jetwash.
We also want to add a flower bed to ours as we have parking for two cars but don’t ever anticipate being a two-car family. I can’t wait to add something that’s a bit more environmentally friendly than just brickwork.
Makeover Your Front Door
You don’t need to replace a front door to create the wow factor. They can be expensive and time-consuming to sort out.
A much more cost effective way of updating the look is to give the door a lick of paint and maybe add new door furniture.
There are so many paint ranges on the market that it doesn’t matter if your door is wood or composite, it can be painted. We painted our wooden front door many years ago and changed the letter box and knocker and it made such a big difference.
Deciding what you should update or repair before selling is always challenging. You want your home to entice potential buyers to envision themselves living there.
With the right updates, you may need help finding someone to sell your house to. However, you’ll quickly change your luck by making small updates and repairs to the exterior areas of your home.
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