5 Steps to Boosting Curb Appeal for a Faster Home Sale

If you’re like most home sellers, then your yard could probably use a little TLC…or a lot. In preparation for your all-important listing photos, it’s important to make sure your home has propper curb appeal. Now, you’ll hear me mention curb appeal a lot throughout this article but what does it actually mean? Curb appeal is simply the attractiveness of a property for sale and its surroundings when viewed from the street. So, what should you do to increase your curb appeal?

Step 1: Take the lawnmower out of your shed.

I don’t have to tell you that your landscaping and lawn plays a big role in your curb appeal. There’s nothing more inviting than a freshly cut, well-manicured lawn. Here’s a tip, the day before your listing photos are scheduled to take place, mow the lawn! This trick of the trade is easy and it’s sure to make a great first impression on potential buyers. If you still have a few months before listing your home on the market, even better. Take this opportunity to plant some grass seed in any bare spots and put down some fertilizer for that extra green look.

Step 2: Weeds don’t belong in your garden.

If you’ve spent the time and money to plant a nice garden, a buyer will take note of that and reward you when it comes to putting your home on the market. Make sure to spend some time pulling the weeds out of the ground and invest in a fresh layer of mulch so they don’t come back. Plant a few inexpensive flowers around the walkways, purchase some potted plants for the front door and get some hanging baskets for the porch and patio.

Step 3: Trim your hedges.

The last thing a potential buyer wants to see is overgrown hedges making it look like the home is vacant. If this is the case at your home, you’re in luck because this is an easy fix. All it takes is a trimmer and about 20–30 minutes and you and your hedges will be in good shape.

Step 4: Pressure-washing is so underrated.

If part of your home doesn’t receive much sun, then there’s a good chance you may have some ‘green stuff’ growing on the side of your house. Do yourself a favor and invest in a pressure washer to clean your home’s siding. While you’re at it, pressure wash the walkways, the deck, the patio and anything else that needs a little TLC. With a $200-$300 pressure washer, you can make your home’s exterior look brand new which will pay dividends when it’s on the market.

Step 5: All the little things

Okay, by now you’ve mowed the lawn, planted nice flowers in your garden, trimmed the hedges and pressure washed the siding. All that’s left is the little things. This could be anything from replacing the exterior light bulbs to putting away the kids’ toys. You’ve come this far so why stop there. Think about putting a fresh coat of paint on the front door or a cool accent piece to put in the garden.

If you’ve followed these steps, then you’re off to a great start. As real estate experts, we can’t stress enough the importance of making a good first impression and curb appeal is one way to make your home stand out from the rest.