Cultivating Curb Appeal for Your Home

A homes curb appeal should beg you to want to get inside and see the rest of it. Everything about it should be appealing and in perfect repair.  From the mailbox and the numbers to the walk way, drive way and front door. You want buyers to think to themselves "this home has been loved." You never get a second chance
to make a good first impression. You do the most obvious things such as tending
the yard, putting out a new welcome mat, trim the trees, etc. There is a lot
more that you can to do to help improve your home's curb appeal.

1.  Front door. You do not want a front door that has peeling paint or dingy hardware. Replacing a front door with a new one (which costs about $1,200) offers one of the biggest bangs for your buck at resale (an average of 73% of the cost  may be recouped, according to Remodeling magazine's 2011-2012 Cost vs.
Value Report, which analyzed 35 remodeling projects payback potential).
Sometimes you can salvage a front door with new paint just don't overdo it with
colors that don't flatter the home.

2.  Windows. Wash them inside and out. This is so simple and makes a huge difference in a home. You can't give away dirt, not to mention sell it. Go a step further and take the screens off. You can try dressing up the windows with flower boxes.

3.  Garage. The garage can make a huge impact on a home depending on its orientation. Does the door need paint or repairs? Should you replace it? A new steel garage can cost around $1,500, but sellers, on average recoup nearly 72% of that investment,  according to the Cost vs. Value Report.

4.  Front porch. Don't overlook this important selling point. Use the opportunity to sell the outdoor living space. Stage it with as much care as you would any other room. It's a symbol of American living. Invite buyers to "sit a spell" by
adding a swing or a pair of rocking chairs or even an outdoor living suite.

5.  Driveway. Pressure wash it to remove any stains. If there are cracks you can patch them with premixed concrete materials. A complete resurfacing could cost you about $2,000 for concrete driveways.

6.  After dark. Outdoor lighting is highly effective at staging the home at night. You can conceal a couple of outdoor lamps and aim them at the house. If the home is not hardwired for outdoor lights line a pathway to the front door with solar lights. The technology has improved greatly in the past few years and solar lights are much cheaper to install that hardwired lights.

Remember, if you can't get a buyer in your home you can't make them fall in love with it.