10 Ways to Add Curb Appeal

If you’re looking to sell your home, the summer months are the best time but buyers will expect to be wowed when laying eyes on your home for the first time. That’s where curb appeal comes in. Luckily without a huge outlay of money, there’s a lot you can do to spruce up the front of your home.

1. The basics- Tend to your lawn. Make sure it’s edged, the sidewalks are clear of debris, spray for weeds, and grab a cheap bag of grass seed and fill in any dead spots.

2. The landscaping- The key to landscaping is to not overspend. You don’t need to spend $10,000 to make it look good. First, clean it up. If something is dead, get rid of it. Weed everything, edge the perimeters of the beds, and maybe add some decorative elements. Replace dead bushes with a few new ones and lay down new mulch.

3. Powerwash- It’s quick, cheap, and it will revitalize the front of your home. Rent a powerwasher from your local tool rental place, purchase the cleaning chemicals, and go to work. You’ll be amazed at how much better it looks.

4. Paint your door- The focal point of your home when people first arrive is your door. A fresh coat of paint, possibly in a bold color, is money well spent.

5. Change out the hardware- Is the hardware on your door looking a little dated? Replace it. You can purchase new locksets for cheap.

Related: 6 Ways to Save on Lawn Care

6. Replace the light fixtures- You’ll need some basic electrical knowledge but lights often go on sale. Watch for those great deals at your local hardware store.

7. Landscape lighting- Speaking of lighting, some of those solar powered landscape lights not only look good at night, they make a great looking accessory during the day.

8. The mailbox- Before they see your home, they’ll probably see your mailbox. Is it looking a little old and tired? Replace the mailbox or if the post has seen better days, replace both at the same time.

9. More Expensive but worth it- All of your great work may be for nothing if your home’s exterior needs painted. It’s time consuming and a little more expensive but nothing says neglected like an exterior that clearly needs a fresh coat of paint.

10. The garage door- Also a little more expensive, if your garage door looks bad, it’s time for an upgrade. It’s likely taking up a lot of visual real estate when a person looks at your home so make sure it looks good. Instead of replacing, it may just need a coat of paint.