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Curb Appeal Ideas To Help Sell Your House

Emma Tomsich November 14, 2023

What would you see if you stood in front of your home right now? Would the siding, landscaping and walkways be eye-catching or drab and dirty?

You’ve probably heard it’s important to stage the interior of your home in preparation for buyers. But the first thing a buyer sees is the exterior of your home, so wouldn’t it make sense to stage that, as well?

Stucco house with red flowers in the front yard.

You only have one chance to make a good first impression for potential home buyers visiting your house for the first time. That’s why it’s so important to make it count by focusing on your home’s curb appeal.

What Is Curb Appeal?

Curb appeal is the attractiveness of a property and its surroundings when viewed from the street. Some of the biggest factors that determine curb appeal are:

  • Landscaping
  • The front entrance
  • The condition of the paint or siding

Why Is Curb Appeal Important?

You would be surprised how many homes for sale have overgrown grass, dead flowers, crumbling stoops and missing shingles or siding. Taking the time to maximize your curb appeal makes it easier to market your home and add thousands of dollars to your asking price.

Your home could have the most newly renovated interior but lose potential buyers if it looks uninviting from the outside. Therefore, the better your home’s exterior, the more popular your home will be on the market. And as a for sale by owner seller, the more buyers you can bring in, the better!

How Can I Improve My Curb Appeal?

Buyers want to see that a seller has taken care of the home, so you’ll need to make your home’s exterior shine to give them the right first impression.

Start about 30 days before putting your home on the market, and you can impress buyers by following these tips.

Take Care of Your Lawn

A freshly mowed lawn combined with nicely trimmed trees and bushes goes a long way in the eyes of buyers.

If your home needs more than mowing and trimming, you’ll need to decide if you want to tackle it yourself or hire someone. At a minimum, it’s important that your grass is full, and you don’t have any dying bushes or trees.

Simple fixes and upgrades, like a fresh layer of mulch, show buyers that your property is well-maintained. Ultimately, home buyers love to see fresh greenery and life on the front lawn.

Add A Flower Garden

Now that your lawn is set, it’s time to think about flowers. They can be a quick and inexpensive way to make your home inviting. Consider adding flowers and plants of varying heights to the beds that frame your house. Some things to keep in mind are whether your plants and flowers prefer sun or shade, and where they would best thrive in your yard.

Another way to welcome buyers and add life to your front yard is with colorful flowers or topiaries near the front door. Try to have at least two matching planters on either side of the door. If you don’t have enough space, you can use one larger planter in a corner and add two other planters of varying heights in the same corner to create a statement.

Paint And Clean The Outside Of Your House

Does your home need a face-lift? Consider repainting the siding and trim if your paint has faded or is peeling. This is a budget-friendly fix with major impact.

A good way to clean your roof is with a simple bleach-and-water solution to help remove any dirt and mold on your shingles – and to keep house hunters from imagining a costly roof replacement. Repairing any damaged areas of your roof will also enhance the structural integrity of your home and prevent water damage, pest infestation and mold.

While you’re focused on the roof, make sure you clean the gutters, which can get rusty or damaged from the weather. If a simple cleaning won’t do, consider replacing them with snap-fit vinyl systems that are more durable and easier to maintain.

Add Lighting To Your Home’s Exterior

A good way to highlight all of the curb appeal work you’ve done is with uplighting. Be sure to stick to warm light though, rather than distracting buyers with a rainbow of colors or a light show.

Be sure that any exterior light sources are clean, so that the light can shine through. If any bulbs are burned out, replace them before you list your home. It may seem small, but lighting really highlights your home’s features.

Create An Inviting Front-Yard Walkway

Freshen the walk to your front door for potential buyers. You want them to envision themselves making that walk every day. If the path isn’t clean and inviting, you could miss out on a sale. This is one of the final and most important steps when adding curb appeal to your for sale by owner property.

Be sure that you have accessories like a seasonal wreath, a new doormat and a seating area to invite buyers into your home. They will linger here and look around as they wait to enter.

Also make sure your front porch is structurally sound, and that there aren’t missing bricks or wobbly railings. If you’re comfortable with a power washer, giving this area a good blast can really make it shine.

Does Curb Appeal Sell A House?

By now you’re probably wondering whether curb appeal can actually sell a house. We are firm believers that having an eye-catching exterior with strong curb appeal can certainly help homes sell faster and for more money, especially if you’re selling your home on your own.

As a for sale by owner seller, there are also other ways you can attract more buyers. Read on for even more ideas about best practices for selling your home.

Other Tips To Help You Sell Your Home

If you really want to leave a lasting impression with buyers, use these additional tips during the home selling process.

Staging Your Home

Just as your home’s exterior matters, so does the interior. That’s where staging your home becomes important. When it comes to making sure your home’s interior is ready to welcome in potential buyers, there are a lot of things to keep in mind. So where do you begin? Check out our blog on the 5 Most Important Rooms To Stage.

Marketing Your Home

After the interior and exterior of your home are staged and ready to welcome in guests, it will be time for you to attract the potential home buyers. You can spend hours staging your home, but if you don’t have any buyers to look at it, then you’re back at square one. That’s why it’s so important that you market your home. Whether you have previous marketing experience or don’t know where to start, we’ve compiled these 5 Simple Steps To Market Your Home For Sale By Owner that are sure to help you attract potential buyers.

Showing Your Home To Potential Buyers

After following our advice and freshening up the exterior and interior of your home, more buyers will be interested in attending open houses and putting down offers on your property.

As a next step towards sealing the deal and closing on the house, make sure that you’re prepared for home buyers to attend showings at your property. This will be a great opportunity for potential buyers to see what your home has to offer and begin envisioning their lives as future homeowners.