When it comes to refinancing, selling or appraising your home many homeowners do not realize the importance of curb appeal. Curb appeal is the way your home looks to a person when they pull up to your home. Increasing your curb appeal will help with the overall value of your home and there are a few ways that this can be done easily by the homeowner.
So, how much value does curb appeal add? A good curb appeal can add between 5 and 11% to the home value. True, it may not be as huge an increase as a newly remodeled kitchen, but when you consider that you can increase your home value by 11% but just spending a few weekends in your front yard, it is definitely worth it.
Within just a few weekends, homeowners can accomplish a few simple projects on the outside of their home that will make it more appealing to potential buyers and make selling or refinancing their home a faster process.
Install Custom Pavers
To create an eye catching entrance to your home adding custom pavers to your walkway or driveway is the way to go. Just this simple change can make or break your curb appeal! A custom paved walkway makes your home seem more inviting and beautiful. If you already have pavers, make sure you fix any loose pavers, take care of any weeds between the pavers and make sure your driveway pavers are clean. Installing or refreshing your existing pavers will definitely add some “wow factor” to the first impression your home gives.
Declutter Your Yard
Are you an active family with toys, balls, and bikes in the yard and driveway? Make room for each item in the garage and get it all cleaned up. Although these items show that you have an active family and enjoy being outside, it doesn’t make a great impression. When everything is in its place, put away, the curb appeal is much better.
Powerwash The House
If you haven’t given your home a good powerwash in years, it’s time! Some sidings can discolor and attract dirt, pollen, and sometimes mold. Let’s not even talk about windows! Rent or borrow a power washing machine and get to work making your home sparkle. You’ll be amazed at what a difference it will make in your curb appeal
Spruce Up Entrance
Did you know that adding some welcoming decor to your front porch can increase your curb appeal? This tip can be on the DIY-curb-appeal-on-a-budget list! Get a wicker chair, place it on your porch with a cute pillow, add a table and other cute decor. This will be an inviting touch you can do in only a few hours with items you might already have on hand. See, cheap ways to improve curb appeal can not only be cost-effective, but easy too!
Flower Beds
This is another must do when asking yourself how to increase curb appeal. If you already have established flower beds, make sure they are weeded and mulched. If you don’t want to use mulch, consider spending a little extra on stone. Remove all dead and poor looking plants and replace them with new ones. Planting colorful flowers along the walkway also makes the curb appeal better. If you have trees in your front yard, consider adding flower beds around them as well.
Light It Up
If the front of your home is not well lit, consider adding some lights that will showcase the house at night. You can add some solar lights along the walkway and spot lights to your flower beds that show the front of your home. This is something easy to do and will make a huge difference at night. Some home buyers like to drive around to look at the houses they are interested in and sometimes they do it at night. If they see how gorgeous your house is at night they will be even more excited to see it during the day.
Get Started
Now that we have gone over a few cheap ways to improve curb appeal, it’s time to get started! In a few short weeks you will have the curb appeal to attract buyers or to get that refinancing to go through much quicker. When working on major do-it-yourself projects, it is always good to consult a local professional for assistance.
