Improving a Home"s Curb Appeal
Improving curb appeal can be one of the most important things a person can do to sell his or her home.
While much attention is given to the kitchen and bathrooms on the inside of the house for raising the value of the home, if the home doesn't have curb appeal it is likely that no one will even look at the home.
A home's curb appeal is a combination of its landscaping, architecture, and positioning on the lot.
Obviously, two of the three cannot be improved.
It would be very difficult for a homeowner to change the home's architecture without a lot of effort.
It would also be very difficult to move the home or change its position on the lot.
Landscaping is the biggest thing that a homeowner can do to improve the curb appeal.
Landscaping does not just mean the flowers and shrubs are well groomed and attractive.
It can also mean the appearance of the driveway and anything that is located near the front of the house.
For example, mildew stains on the driveway in a spot that never dries due to the lack of sunshine in that spot are not attractive.
These should be power washed away before the home's pictures for an ad are taken.
Another thing that looks awful that has nothing to do with landscaping are the weeds growing in between the slabs of the driveway.
These weeds spring up when the wood between the slabs rots enough that seeds can get lodged and start growing.
They look awful and do nothing to give potential buyers the impression that the home overall has been maintained by the current owners.
Once these minor things have been taken care of, thought needs to be given to the landscaping in the front of the house.
There need to be some flowers as they are welcoming and provide a splash of color.
Shrubs and bushes are great but something with color beyond green needs to be in the beds as well.
Any trees that are in front of the house need to be trimmed and not have stray branches falling out of the trees.
If the tree's branches are scraping the roof, the homeowner needs to have the canopy raised.
Raising the canopy will give the house more light on the inside and make the exterior look more polished.
Leaves should be removed from the yard and any pine needles should be raked up as well.
Any shrubs or bushes also need to be trimmed so the point that they look clean and not unkempt.
While much attention is given to the kitchen and bathrooms on the inside of the house for raising the value of the home, if the home doesn't have curb appeal it is likely that no one will even look at the home.
A home's curb appeal is a combination of its landscaping, architecture, and positioning on the lot.
Obviously, two of the three cannot be improved.
It would be very difficult for a homeowner to change the home's architecture without a lot of effort.
It would also be very difficult to move the home or change its position on the lot.
Landscaping is the biggest thing that a homeowner can do to improve the curb appeal.
Landscaping does not just mean the flowers and shrubs are well groomed and attractive.
It can also mean the appearance of the driveway and anything that is located near the front of the house.
For example, mildew stains on the driveway in a spot that never dries due to the lack of sunshine in that spot are not attractive.
These should be power washed away before the home's pictures for an ad are taken.
Another thing that looks awful that has nothing to do with landscaping are the weeds growing in between the slabs of the driveway.
These weeds spring up when the wood between the slabs rots enough that seeds can get lodged and start growing.
They look awful and do nothing to give potential buyers the impression that the home overall has been maintained by the current owners.
Once these minor things have been taken care of, thought needs to be given to the landscaping in the front of the house.
There need to be some flowers as they are welcoming and provide a splash of color.
Shrubs and bushes are great but something with color beyond green needs to be in the beds as well.
Any trees that are in front of the house need to be trimmed and not have stray branches falling out of the trees.
If the tree's branches are scraping the roof, the homeowner needs to have the canopy raised.
Raising the canopy will give the house more light on the inside and make the exterior look more polished.
Leaves should be removed from the yard and any pine needles should be raked up as well.
Any shrubs or bushes also need to be trimmed so the point that they look clean and not unkempt.
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