Making Your Home into a Curb Appeal Beauty
Selling Property Requires Paying Attention to Visual Details
© Gia Gee
Dec 31, 2008
Don’t let your home become a run down shadow of its former self. Neglecting little details add up to missing out on big marketing opportunities. Curb appeal is the recent buzz word among real estate professionals. Why is curb appeal so important? Well, without the ability of attracting potential buyers to your home a sale will take much longer than you think. Let’s look at just how easy it will be to transform an average home into a curb appeal beauty. Assuming the curb appeal assessment has been completed and the results are just average. The window shutters are faded, the siding is dirty, leaves can be seen hanging from the gutters, the lamp light post is faded flat black and has lost its shine. The driveway is stained and the concrete no longer looks clean. The windows have torn screens and the front door needs painted.
WHERE TO BEGIN
Begin by cleaning out the leaves and dirt from your gutters. This will not only improve the look of your home but prevent your rain spouting from becoming clogged with debris from trees. This process is easy and can be completed within one to two hours. Clean the façade and edges of the gutters for maximum appeal.
CURB APPEAL CAN BE INEXPENSIVE
A major misconception is that making your home into a curb appeal beauty will cost a fortune. Nothing can be further from the truth. Remember those vinyl shutters that have faded? Well, to replace the shutters would require time and money which is not an option. At most home improvement stores vinyl restore products are sold which are easy to apply. Those faded shutters will look new again after taking a few hours to apply the product. Look for a product that is a friend to the environment.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Dirty siding is a real turn off for buyers. It spells maintenance neglect. The easiest method to clean your vinyl siding is to rent a power washer at your local rental store. Set aside a few hours on a Saturday to clean your siding. The difference will absolutely be amazing. Vinyl cleaning products are sold at your local home improvement store. While you have the power washer, consider cleaning your concrete driveway. Concrete cleaning products for power washers can be purchased at your home improvement store.
Making the faded lamp post look new again is another easy fix. Prepare the surface as necessary and then apply exterior paint manufactured for the type of material surface you are painting. Remember to protect areas which are not going to be painted with painters tape. Your front entrance is the welcoming area for visitors and potential buyers. This area requires attention to detail and should be immaculate. The front entrance door should have polished hardware, and be free of dust and dirt.
Making your home into a curb appeal beauty is really easy. In almost all cases, money is not the issue to improve the appearance of the home. It takes a little work, time, patience, and a willingness to be honest about how your home looks from the street. Oh, and what about those torn screens that are detracting from the home’s appearance. For a few dollars, you can buy new window screen, splining material, and a screen replacement tool. The average window screen can be replaced within an hour for most novices. Take before and after photographs of the home and watch the transformation with amazement.
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