If you’re thinking of selling your home, curbside appeal should be a top priority. Simply put, curbside appeal refers to all the things that will make a property attractive to the person viewing it from the outside. From well-manicured lawns to clean roofs and great-looking siding, curbside appeal entices would-be buyers and gives the impression that the property is well taken care of and is therefore worth buying. There are many inexpensive things to improve a home’s exterior. Read on to find out 10 things you could do to increase your home’s curbside appeal.
Upgrade Your Garage Door
When entering most homes, the garage door is the most prominent focal point and if you’re wondering what is curbside appeal and how to achieve it, perhaps you should begin with the garage door. A garage door upgrade will instantly improve your house’s exterior aesthetics. While some updates could prove costly, sometimes all you need to do is repaint your old door. To prepare for repainting, first power wash the door then clean it with water and vinegar before applying a new coat.
If your garage door is looking dated and rundown, you can give it a modern look by simulating windows with plastic adhesives. Should you have some handyman skills, this is a project you could carry out on your own. For best results, you might consider contracting a garage door company.
Garage door upgrades do not just increase the physical appeal of your home but also enhance home security. For a modern home, a great way to upgrade your garage is by installing a smart door system. Like other features of a smart home, smart doors enable you to monitor the garage from any location using your smartphone. A prospective buyer who finds a smart system in place will be more willing to do business with you. Overall, garage door upgrades increase home value by up to 4%.
Renovate Your Bathroom
Together with the kitchen, the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in any home and its condition could determine how quickly and for how much you could sell your house. While potential buyers might be unnerved by a dingy basement or study, you risk scaring them away if they find your bathroom in a state of neglect.
When buyers consider what is curbside appeal with regards to the bathroom, they’ll want to see a plumbing system that is working properly. The buyer will also look at the drawers and cupboards, the paint, the vents, and the faucets. If you have leaking faucets and dirty vents, you must fix them before inviting potential buyers to view the property.
While you can quickly fix some of the problems with a bathroom, sometimes you might have to consider a complete renovation. If you have an old bathroom, there is a very high chance that some fixtures have outlived their usefulness and need to be replaced. Some fixtures you might have to replace include towel rails, shower door installations, and taps. If the fixtures you currently have look outdated, you might consider replacing them with modern and contemporary designed fixtures.
Fence In Your Home
It’s impossible to think what is curbside appeal without thinking about a home’s fence. Even before they look at your home or consider venturing inside, potential buyers will look at the fence and make up their minds – if the fence is ragged, they might conclude that the rest of the home is in a similar state of disrepair.
Fencing in a home does not only increase its curb appeal but also boosts security. If you (or your prospective buyer) have pets and kids, you want to be certain that they can play outside without getting attacked by strangers or stray animals. Where you fear for the safety of your loved ones, electronic enclosure companies could help you install an electric fence.
Fencing-in also enhances the home’s privacy. Should you decide to host a lawn party, your fence guarantees that your activities are kept away from the eyes of passersby. For people intending to sell their homes, fencing is one great way to increase home value. The American Society of Landscape Architects estimates that landscaping (under which fencing falls) could increase home value by almost 20%.
Replace Your HVAC
An HVAC system is critical to any home. A properly functioning system ensures that the home is comfortable during weather extremities. But crucial as the HVAC system is, it must function without burdening you with crippling bills. If you’re wondering what is curbside appeal as it relates to the HVAC system, it’s a home’s cooling and heating system’s ability to serve the residents well in different weather conditions. A malfunctioning system will generally mean that home residents could be exposed to sweltering heat during summer and freezing conditions during winter.
While some malfunctioning HVAC systems could be handled by an AC repair service, sometimes it might be necessary to get the entire system replaced. Replacement is costly but, if you’re considering selling your home, this might be the only option you have. An inefficient HVAC system means higher bills and the Department of Energy recommends that systems that are 10 years or older should be replaced.
Additionally, you should consider a replacement if your current system calls for frequent and never-ending repairs. Regardless of the cost of HVAC replacement, you start to reap from it immediately as the new system will guarantee higher energy efficiency. For prospective home buyers, this is a critical consideration and could help you sell your home quickly and at a higher price.
Landscape & Hardscape
Do the outdoor spaces in your home look inviting? Do you think a person who is wondering what is curbside appeal would get an answer by looking at your landscape? Given that the outdoor spaces are the first encounter that a potential buyer has with your property, the importance of creating a good first impression cannot be trivialized.
When looking for home buyers, landscaping and hardscaping could be critical. You might have exotic trees and plants but they might be withered and the grass on the lawn could be overgrown. Apart from the vegetation, the walls and walkways could be in a state of disrepair. If potential buyers are not impressed by the outdoors, chances are that they might not show any interest in your property and will move on to a home with impressive landscaping.
You could be doing your best to keep your lawns and backyards well-maintained by cutting the grass and pruning the trees but might forget to clean the mess thereafter. While you could conduct the cleanup yourself, you might consider contracting yard and wood waste disposal services to help keep your outdoors sparkling. Taking care of your home’s landscape and hardscape improves curb appeal and increases property value.
Soften Your Water
For people who are keen to find out what is curbside appeal, water softening might be a surprising addition. Why, you might wonder, do you have to soften your home’s water to make it appealing to potential buyers? When you look at all the appliances in a home that use water the importance of softening water becomes clear. Your home has washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters that all use water.
Think about the plumbing system too. The pipes and other plumbing fixtures are constantly exposed to water and hard water is the prime enemy of these fixtures. When your fixtures and appliances are exposed to hard water, they accumulate hard mineral deposits which clog and reduce water flow in the short run and, eventually, lead to the premature breaking down of your prized fixtures and appliances.
Water softening gets rid of the harmful mineral deposits and this means that your fixtures and appliances won’t suffer from premature damage. When you consider the cost of replacing crucial fixtures such as washing machines or the entire plumbing system, you appreciate the importance of keeping the fixtures safe through water softening. Prospective buyers appreciate the importance of water treatment. Installation of a water softener gives the buyer confidence that their fixtures and plumbing systems will last a long time. Moreover, soft water is good for the landscape – hard water makes plants and other vegetation in your lawn and garden wither due to a reduced supply of nutrients.
Opt for Metal Roofing
Roofs are highly visible parts of any home. If your roof is rusty, cracked, fading, or covered in moss, anybody passing by will notice. A roof that reeks of neglect and possible damage does you no favors especially if you intend to sell and have to contend with buyers whose most important question is what is curbside appeal?
Metal roofs are popular for many reasons. Unlike slate and clay tiles, metal roofs are highly durable. For the energy-conscious homeowner, metal roofs are also energy-efficient and could substantially lower your electricity costs. A metal roof will not only lower your bills but is also good for the environment as it reduces your carbon footprint.
The durability and energy efficiency of metal roofs makes them popular with people who are constructing new homes. If you have an old home that you wish to sell, you might consider replacing your current roof with a metal one to enhance its appeal and increase home value. Installing a metal roof through a commercial roofing contractor might appear costly but when you consider the long-term energy saving, the durability, and how the roof could help you sell quickly, it’s a worthwhile investment.
Refinish Your Basement
Traditionally, basements were rarely used rooms used to store plumbing, HVAC systems, and other forms of storage. But that’s the old-school way of using these vital spaces. For people who wonder what is curbside appeal, it might be time to consider basement refinishing.
The modern basement is a versatile space. People have converted them into gyms, playrooms, and offices. When you think about adding value to your home, basement repair could convert the disused space into the most glittering office thereby increasing home value. Basement refinishing could be costly but it pays for itself in the long run. Depending on the condition of your basement, you might only need to clean up, upgrade the floors, and install a new lighting system to get a fully functional additional room.
Build a Pool
Building a pool is a costly investment and, before embarking on such a project, you had better weigh your options. When wondering what is curbside appeal, the addition of a pool could be one of the most attractive investments you could think about. Apart from the huge financial capital outlay required for pool building, you need to have adequate space. Moreover, a pool will only make sense if you live in a location that experiences long summers or enjoys tropical weather.
Experts estimate that the installation of a pool could increase the value of a median-priced Los Angeles, CA, home by about $95,000. Before embarking on a capital-intensive project such as pool building, it might help to consult a custom pool builder. Experts will help you understand the immediate and long-term costs of pool installation to help you make an informed decision.
Repave Your Driveway
When you look at your driveway, what tell-tale signs of neglect do you see? Are there deep cracks, potholes, and moss growth? Such signs will not impress anybody looking for a new home and especially people who know what is curbside appeal.
While your driveway could be aged and probably has all the signs indicating that you need to replace it, the good news is that paving is all that you might need to do. Paving not only gives your driveway instant appeal but also lengthens its life. When a potential buyer sees a newly-paved driveway, they know that they might not have to think of repairs for decades and this will be a major selling point. When considering getting the driveway paved, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that the providers of paving services also undertake other home improvement projects including window cleaning, moss removal, and pressure washing, all of which boost curbside appeal.
Increasing the curbside appeal of a home is easy. While some capital projects could cost a lot, any efforts you make are never wasted. A home with great curbside appeal is comfortable and safe to stay in. On top of impressing visitors and would-be buyers, curbside appeal increases a home’s resale value.