It’s been said that web appeal is the new curb appeal. With a whopping 92% of today’s homebuyers using the internet in their search process, adding attractive photos to your online listing is one of the most important things you can do to help sell your home.
So, is your front entrance ready for its close-up? If not, there are a number of budget-friendly ways to spruce up your home’s exterior and entice online viewers to your front door for an in-person look. And they’re all projects you can do in a weekend!
Home Improvements to Boost Curb Appeal
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LESLIE: Slater in Texas is looking to boost the value of their home. What can we do for you?
SLATER: Well, I’ve got a really nice home. It would remind you of an (inaudible at 0:09:15.5) home in Dallas. It was built in ’56 and it’s real clean and it’s been updated and painted inside and out and all that stuff. But my question is I’m planning on selling it in about a year and I want to know maybe four or five things that I can do that cost the least yet bring the greatest reward when it comes to visual impact and to resale value.
LESLIE: When you’re saying it’s real clean are you talking about the interior has been painted and sort of tidied up or that’s the exterior?
SLATER: Mostly exterior. My interior is really squared away. But on the exterior I’ve got real good curb appeal and it’s real clean and all that but I was thinking of like an eight-foot privacy fence around the back.
TOM: Well, creating outdoor living spaces today is a very popular project and some of the cost-versus-value surveys that are out there show, for example, that installing something like a deck or a patio gives you a really good return on investment. So in terms of your privacy fence, if that’s part of an overall strategy to create an outdoor room space that’s probably a good idea. I would start at the curb. You say you have good curb appeal right now so let’s just review what that means. I hope that your landscaping is in good shape. I hope you’ve got some color in that landscaping. I hope that the outside of your house is well-painted and well-maintained without any rotted areas or distressed areas. I hope that you have good lighting both on the house and on the walkways because that makes a big difference, too.
There was another survey that was done by Therma-Tru that showed that replacing your front door can drive up the home value as much as $24,000. They did an interesting study where they showed photographs of homes with and without front door makeovers – new entryways in them – and they asked focus groups to estimate what the homes were worth and every, single time the homes that had the improved front door were judged to be worth a whole lot more money than the homes without it. So you know, those are the kinds of things that you could do that could really drive up home value and make the house easier to sell.
SLATER: Wow.
TOM: And Slater, we’re running a contest right now on MoneyPit.com. It’s called the Ugliest Door in America contest. So if you’re thinking about changing your front door enter that contest and the folks at Therma-Tru could replace it for free.
SLATER: OK.
TOM: And Slater if you want to enter that contest you’ve got to do it before July 1st and again that’s at MoneyPit.com.
Your front door is the main focal point for curb appeal, so make sure it sparkles with welcome. Repaint or refinish the surface, polish hardware and touch up surrounding trim. You can also update your front door by installing a new handle and lockset.
Freshen your home’s first impression with an up-to-date doormat, a stylish address plate or new house numbers, and a brand new mailbox. Frame the look with containers featuring bright seasonal blooms.
Give your home’s exterior a good scrub with a power washer to remove cobwebs and dirt. Clean the windows inside and out, and remove screens to show off the windows and let light flow into the home.
Illuminate the approach to your abode with an easy-to-install path lighting kit. If porch lighting looks tired, replace fixtures with modern classics that have the wattage to enhance safety and highlight facade features.
Landscaping is one of the easiest ways for homeowners to quickly increase a home’s value with little cost. Make sure the lawn is freshly mowed for pictures, and trim trees and shrubs that overhang the house and hide it from view. In one weekend, you can also tackle the weeds and fertilize your grass and flowerbeds.
With a few simple projects, you can have a beautiful lawn and distinctive curb appeal that will turn the sign in your front yard from FOR SALE to SOLD.
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