Curb Appeal Improvements to Make Your House Stand Out

By: John Garcia | Date Posted: November 9, 2022

When selling a house, you want to make your home appeal to potential buyers. More appeal leads to more interest, which leads to more offers and likely a higher selling price, and first impressions matter when it comes to curb appeal.

If a buyer looks at a photo or pulls up to the curb and isn’t impressed by the look of your home, that impression is likely to hold firm, even if they like the inside more than the outside (assuming they were willing even to take a look inside.

While many buyers like to imagine how they would turn the house into their own home, they tend to look for homes ready to move into that don’t need a lot of work done just to make them comfortable to live in.

Great curb appeal is a way to show how well the home is cared for and the excellent condition it’s in. While technically, an overgrown lawn doesn’t mean there are underlying structural problems with the house, it sends the impression that there are. Buyers will assume that if the outside hasn’t been taken care of, other home areas haven’t been taken care of either.

Luckily there are plenty of ways to improve curb appeal. You can do many straightforward jobs yourself throughout a few weekends, while others are likely best left to professionals. Here are some of the best ways to get your home to stand out from the crowd by boosting its curb appeal.

Start from the Top

It might not be the first curb appeal boost most people think of, but a roof in disrepair stands out. When you’re trying to make a good impression, a roof that sends out a lack of maintenance vibes is the last thing you want. Loose shingles should be secured, debris should be removed, and the roof should be thoroughly cleaned to remove years of stains and make it look new.

Roofing companies like Professional Roofers can get your roof in tip-top shape, both aesthetically and structurally, for any would-be buyer.

A Good Scrub

Just like the roof, your house’s exterior should be thoroughly and properly cleaned. If your home’s paint job looks worse for the wear, it might be best to repaint. But if the paint is in good condition, you simply need to remove the layers of dirt and grime that build up over time.

Rent a pressure washer and blast the dirt away. You’ll be shocked at how much livelier your home looks. While you’re at it, go over driveways and walkways to give them a refresh.

Colorful Plants

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Plants are a fantastic way to add liveliness and color to your home’s exterior. Add some seasonal flowers and keep up with tending to them to avoid unappealing dead heads.

As much as plants help make your home pop, it’s important not to go overboard. Too many plants can create a cluttered effect and distract from what you’re trying to show off – your house. While color is key, stick to two or three complementary colors to avoid making things look too busy.

Landscaping

Landscaping

While plants add pops of life and color to your home, landscaping helps solidify the impression that your home is well-kept and properly maintained. Balance and neatness are the priorities,

Overgrown trees and shrubs should be pruned to keep them tidy and prevent them from blocking the features of your house. Flower beds should be weeded and mulched to give a nice finishing feeling to your property.

Keep on top of mowing your lawn, and depending on the season, be sure to stay on top of fallen leaves. It’s essential to keep up with these even without showings scheduled, as you never know when potential buyers will decide to do a drive-by.

Front and Garage Door

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The exterior doors of your house play a big part in the impression it sends to buyers. If they’re starting to fall apart, replacing them is a good idea. Front and garage doors also happen to have high returns on investment.

If it’s not an investment you want to make, or they just need a little TLC, consider repainting. Painting your front door a bold color will give an inviting impression and make your house stand out from your neighbor’s homes. Giving your garage door a fresh coat of neutral or bold

paint helps give it a clean and crisp look, which is extremely appealing to buyers.

Light it Up

Lighting

While most buyers will see your home during the day, embracing curb appeal at night is also crucial. Buyers do drive-bys at different times to get a sense of the house and the neighborhood, and some people will need to see the house in the evening. Make it look stunning with some atmospheric lighting.

Illuminate pathways and walkways with stylish lighting, which doubles as a safety and security feature. Light up canopies and gardens and any feature of your home that you want to highlight. It will give a warm glow and create a magical effect on your property.

Final Touches

A small improvement, but one that has a large effect, is putting up new house numbers. These can get banged up and grimy over time, and replacing them with shiny and new numbers will give your home an added boost.

Make sure you choose ones that are complementary to other elements of your home, and make sure they are clear and visible. House numbers that are too small or located somewhere they can’t be seen from the street will create confusion as buyers try to find your home. Also, avoid choosing a color that is too similar to your home or that doesn’t pop enough to be viewable from further away.

Curb appeal is an important part of a home selling strategy and one that shouldn’t be ignored. Making these small improvements will add a wealth of curb appeal to your home and have buyers coming for a closer look.

Thank you for reading!

John
 

John is the founder and chief editor of Homienjoy. With over 15 years of experience in the home improvement industry, John is passionate about helping homeowners confidently tackle their projects. Holding a civil engineering degree and working as a contractor, project manager, and consultant, John brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the Homienjoy community.

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