ListingLife Frontpage / Exterior Improvements

ListingLife

NOV 2009

Curb Appeal: Ten One-Day Ideas to Dress Up Your Home

By Lynn Coulter

First impressions make a big difference. When you’re selling your home, you want to catch a potential buyer’s eye as soon as he pulls into your driveway. But if he’s distracted by a battered mailbox or a weathered front door, he may form a bad impression about what’s inside.

Fortunately, there are some quick and easy projects you can do to increase the value and beauty of your property. Most can be accomplished in one day, and if you’re handy with a few basic tools, you won’t need to hire professional help.

Outdoor improvements can be an investment with bankable results, too. National polling group The Gallup Organization reports that landscaping can add between 7 and 15 percent to a home’s value.

Here are ten ideas, from plantings to easy painting jobs, that you can implement with no more than a free Saturday and a trip to a home improvement store.

  1. Add low voltage landscape lighting to brighten your home’s exterior.
  2. Install a water garden or water feature.  This could be as large as a pond, or as small as a portable fountain.
  3. Replace hardware on exterior doors, and update the street numbers on your house or mailbox.
  4. Use landscape edging to define flower beds.
  5. Create an inviting path with bricks or concrete pavers.
  6. Give your front door a “facelift” with a fresh coat of paint.
  7. Paint exterior trim and woodwork, and consider using a color that complements your door.
  8. Plant seasonal flowers around trees and shrubs, and place potted flowers on the front porch or steps.
  9. Pressure-wash your driveway or walkways.
  10. Update your garage door.


Curb Appeal: Ten One-Day Ideas to Dress Up Your Home