The exterior appearance of a property is just as important as what’s inside the house, especially when you’re trying to sell your home. Curb appeal plays a significant role in a home buyer’s decision. After all, the outside of the home is the first thing they see when they check out a listing, more so when they visit the property for a real-life tour.
Improving your home’s curb appeal is not as difficult as it seems. Unless your exteriors are utterly unpleasant, then a few small changes can be enough to turn your home into the best one on the black.
That said, here are some of the fastest and easiest ways to boost your property’s curb appeal before you put it up for sale:
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Resurface the concrete
Ugly, dirty concrete is a turn-off for most people, and it can bring down the appearance of a house by several notches. The good news is that you don’t have to replace your concrete to bring its appearance back to how it used to be. With concrete surfacing, your concrete can look good as new again without damaging your landscaping nor spending a lot of money. Best of all, concrete surfacing can take as little as twenty-four hours to finish, so if you are pressed for time, this is a great way to quickly boost your curb appeal.
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Paint the front door
The front door may take up a small fraction of the house, but it is the first thing that home buyers walk up to when touring your property. That said, how your front door looks can make a significant first impression on homebuyers, as well as anyone else who visits your house.
Repainting your front door can breathe new life to your porch and even cover some unsightly blemishes that the door has accumulated over the years. It can only take a gallon of paint or even less to repaint an average-sized front door completely, which means that this upgrade can cost as little as $30 to do.
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Do a major lawn cleanup
Sprucing up your lawn is one of the best ways to improve curb appeal since it takes over a big part of your property. If you’ve been a bit lax on lawn maintenance, now is the perfect time to catch up. Trim the greenery, mow grass, plant some flowers, pull weeds, and lay down some fertilizer for that coveted perfect-green color. It can take a day or two to accomplish most of these tasks, but if you’re in a rush, you can call in a professional lawn service to give your lawn a major clean-up before home buyers trickle in.
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Repair and repaint your fences
See to it that you repair the issues on your fence before potential buyers come to see your property. Savvy home buyers will likely see problems on your fence and treat it as an additional expense that they can use to negotiate a lower price on the property. Thus, it is better to address these problems yourself before you start the selling process.
After making necessary repairs, consider giving your fences a brighter look with a fresh layer of paint. Alternatively, you can also apply varnish if you want to preserve the original color of the wood.
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Replace your mailbox
If your mailbox sits along the road, consider replacing it with a new one for added curb appeal. A stylish and durable mailbox can cost as little as $50 or even less. And when buyers see that you have a new one, they will assume that you’ve made other upgrades around the house as well.
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Add shutters or accent trim
Shutters or accent trims add personality to your house’s exterior and thus play a significant role in boosting curb appeal. Depending on the size of your home, the installation of these upgrades can take a few days at most, if not a single day, making it one of the quickest ways to improve your home’s exterior look.
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Clean the roof and gutters
Roofs and gutters teeming with debris and dirt are a turn-off. More than that, the excess dirt can hinder potential buyers from seeing the true appearance of your home’s crowning glory. That said, make it a point to clean your roof and gutters before taking pictures for the listing and before potential buyers come for tours.
Selling a home is rarely an easy feat, but with great curb appeal, you have better chances of making a fast sale—and at a great price at that. If you have limited time on your hands, these options are a great place to start.
