Real Estate News

5 Budget-Friendly Curb Appeal Upgrades

by vahabj

Curb appeal paint door

 

Home sellers often ask if there is anything they should do as far as staging is concerned. Similarly, first time homebuyers, perhaps stretched for funds after their first big investment, want tips on making that new house a home. Similar rules of thumb apply, so let’s focus on developing the exterior beauty, roll up our sleeves and step outside:

  1. Tackle big issues first.
    That spot along the side of the house or garage where you keep leftover lumber, drainage pipes, or an old basketball net – get rid of it. If you haven’t touched it in over two years, discard it.

    If you have an old shed that is an eyesore to you – you know, the one you hope will grow legs and walk away – trust me when I say potential buyers have 20/20 vision and will zero in on any negatives.

  1. Get into those gardens!
    Dig up weeds, turnover the dirt, put nice clean edges in, and rake that garden! Trim, move, or get rid of unruly shrubs and perennials. Friends and family may be willing to donate some of their flowering perennials to your project. Also, big chain hardware stores sell their hanging baskets of annuals at half price or less. Strategically planted groupings easily add instant punches of colour to the yard.

  2. Remove outdoor knick-knacks.
    Curb Appeal GardenBuyers are on a mission. In the first minute of taking in the curb appeal of your property, they are going to know if they will even consider purchasing this property. Give the rest of your home a fighting chance! You may love the garden gnome, but don’t distract buyers from their mission with personal items.

    You want potential buyers to visualize themselves relaxing in the yard (with a nice iced tea). As REALTORS®, we want to hear the buyers say things like: “Wouldn’t our patio set look amazing here?” or “Oh honey, the kids would love this yard!”

  1. Shingles.
    If those shingles are showing wear and tear it makes it that much harder to sell your home. In fact, depending on the level of wear of the shingles, this can make your home almost undesirable since worn shingles are often related to other issues within the property. Some roofing companies offer financing through major banks, which can make things much easier on the pre-sale expenses.
     
  2. Paint the front door!
    Front doors painted with POW colours make people want to enter! Red! Periwinkle blue! Black! Yellow! Go for it! You’re moving anyway, so you don’t have to love it. Just make sure your REALTOR® updates the photos to show off the new colour!

    While you’re out there, ask your friends to help and have a painting party! Touch up all window frames and wooden fences.

A bit of elbow grease and creativity go a very long way in showing prospective buyers your lovely home. So, here’s to saving money and selling your home for the best possible price!