Curb appeal is a big deal in selling a house. The first impression a buyer gets of your home is through your online listing, but if what interests them online does not match up with what they first see when they pull up to your home in person, it can cause a buyer to rethink their interest in the property.
Great curb appeal can elevate a home’s perceived value by as much as 7%, according to research from the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics. If your home’s curb appeal is not at its best, the good news is that you don’t have to take months and months to get your landscaping and exterior of your home in shape. There are some things you can do in just a few days to help your home stand out and welcome potential buyers, getting them excited to take a look inside.
What Is the Best Way to Boost Curb Appeal with Just a Few Days?
First step is to simply look at the home from the curb
Start out increasing your home’s curb appeal by walking out to the street, turning around, and taking a look at your property. What is it that you see from that angle? It may have been a long time since you stepped out on the street to really notice what your home looks like to passersby. Walk the length of your front property line and check out your house from different angles. Are there things that stick out? Is there something that seems unsightly at first glance? Make note of these things because they make a big difference in how welcoming your property looks to buyers.
Start with the lawn
If you have a lawn, not all homes do, it is the area that takes up the most surface space in your landscape and has the biggest visual impact on the curb appeal. Nothing can transform a yard faster than freshly mowed grass. Make sure to set the mower at the right height, which is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches, to keep your lawn looking healthy. For additional impact that communicates things are well taken care of, edge along the sidewalks and driveways, and create crisp, clean lines. You can also mow in alternating directions to give a fun, professional striped look to the lawn. A recently trimmed lawn speaks volumes about how the home is cared for.
Do a few exterior home touchups
The exterior of your home is also a big part of the curb appeal. A freshly painted door with a bold, welcoming color draws the eye right to the door and encourages a buyer to come inside. A brand new exterior lighting fixture and clean and crisp updated house numbers can do wonders to make the front of your house feel fresh, well-cared-for, and up-to-date.
Add a few visual touches
Many people mistakenly think that landscaping needs to have several eye-catching spots of interest in order to be ready to show off and sell the house. However, all you need is a couple of low-maintenance, eye-catching plants placed strategically to make the yard feel like it has an elevated element of curb appeal. Something like placing a low-maintenance lavender plant that brings color and beauty to a flower bed can do wonders to take the yard from feeling OK to appealing.
Keep up with a few light maintenance touchups
Until your home has an offer, it is a great idea to take a few minutes to make sure that everything is fresh, neat, and ready to go for a showing. This means making sure that the front porch is swept or pressure-washed and free from yard debris that blows around on a daily basis. The same goes for walkways and the driveway. Additionally, every once in a while, making sure the grass is freshly cut, and that any shrubbery is neatly trimmed and flowering plants are deadheaded, is well worth a couple of minutes every few days to keep your yard looking welcoming.
Your yard doesn’t need to look like it is designed by a landscape architect, but it should look clean with a few pops of interest, and things on the front of your home should look fresh and recently cared for. A few simple touches in just a couple of days can get your home in great shape and ready to say hello to potential buyers.