The outside of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see. How good your exterior looks is called curb appeal. It’s based off of what people see from the curb of the street you’re on. Here are 5 quick and inexpensive ways to drastically improve your home’s curb appeal.
1. Pressure Wash
If you already have a pressure washer, then you can use that. If you don’t, you can either hire a crew to pressure wash your house, driveway, and street, or buy one for a few hundred dollars and DIY it. Either way, it removes nearly all dirt and grime and makes your exterior seem new again without having to repaint the exterior and redo the driveway.
Find Local Pressure Wash Companies2. Add Mulch
Mulch is a very cheap and easy way to spruce up a yard. It can cost as little as $20 per square yard. Add around some cheap drought-resistant plants to liven up the yard and make it much more interesting.
3. Add Symmetrical Planters
Adding some ceramic or terracotta planters at either side of your door, as well as possibly along a short path can make your front yard much more interesting. The symmetry element makes them look even nicer, so keep them consistent.
4. Paint Your Front Door
The front door is what welcomes you into the home, so make it interesting and inviting. A bold color like red helps people focus on entering your home. From the street, a beautifully painted front door will help your home stand out.Â
That said, if you’re sprucing up your curb appeal in order to sell your home, consider painting your door black. Yes, black. According to an analysis done last year by Zillow, homes with black front doors sold for $6,000 more!
Find Local Painters“Homes with black or charcoal gray front doors sell for $6,271 more than expected, the highest sales premium of all the room and color combinations analyzed.”
5. Use Porch Decorations
Similarly, your front porch should be welcoming and inviting. A welcome mat and wreath on the door can help create a simple yet inviting vibe upon entering. Other small items like wind chimes and hanging plants create a calm effect when entering as well, plus they just plain look nice.
Another great element around the front porch is lighting. There are a variety of cheap, easy solar lights available that can really improve curb appeal at dusk.
Don’t go too over the top, though. Too many decorations can become cluttered and overwhelming.
Improve Curb Appeal To Sell Your Home
If you’re thinking about selling your home, don’t forget about curb appeal. It’s not just an HGTV buzzword, and it really is important to help sell your home faster for more money.
When doing any home improvements with home selling in mind, contact a real estate expert first. Some improvements can help, while others can actually hurt.
The best Columbus, Ohio real estate agent to contact when selling a home is Realtor® Rita Boswell. She can help you get the most bang for your home improvement dollars.