When you put your home on the market, you will be in competition with all other homes similar in price and size. To make your property stand out, take some time improving the home’s curb appeal to make the best impression with prospective homebuyers. You can make a number of improvements in your home’s marketability with as little as $50. Here are a few ideas:
Spruce Up Your Front Door
Put a coat of paint on your front door in an attractive, muted color to make a good impression on potential buyers. You may want to change the door handle or add a knocker, for an updated look.
Trim Your Landscaping Plants
Your foundation plants, trees and shrubbery may have gone through a number of hot summers and icy winters. These plants often show signs of damage that affect the appearance of your property. Any real estate agent knows the value of well-maintained landscape plants to help a property look its best. Invest in a tree pruner and a set of good clippers to cut back trees and shrubs into an attractive shape. Remove dead or broken limbs.
Add a Flowerbed or Hanging Basket
An ornamental tree, blooming flowerbed or hanging basket on the porch adds beauty to your entryway and tells buyers the property is valued and cared for. This simple touch puts buyers in a favorable state of mind before they even enter the home.
Patch & Trim Your Lawn
Keeping your lawn in good condition can be a laborious process that many people don’t have time to do thoroughly. However, when your home is for sale, making the time to improve your lawn can have big dividends. Seed in bare spots and give your turf a high quality weeding and feeding treatment. Ensure that the edges are trimmed around sidewalk, driveway and entryway. Keep the grass trimmed and watered.
Remove Clutter from Your Yard
Clutter can accumulate quickly if you have children, enjoy outdoor hobbies or forget to put away everyday maintenance items. You can find a wide range of hooks that can be installed in your garage to store these objects out of the way. Shelving or plastic tubs will make it easy to keep outdoor equipment out of sight, to ensure good curb appeal.
The best way to see how your home will look to a potential buyer is to stand on the other side of the street and give an honest assessment. Certain problems will be obvious to you, and you may even see a few things that never occurred to you before. If you tackle these issues, you will be surprised at the big difference these improvements make to your home’s curb appeal.