While interior upgrades may close the deal on a home sale, curb appeal brings buyers to the table and has been shown to encourage homebuyers to offer more money on a home. On average, buyers are willing to pay 7% more for a home with great curb appeal. Because of this, real estate agents suggest that homeowners invest $3,467 in curb appeal before listing their homes. While this number may seem high, it is minimal when you consider that the average monetary addition to resale value by curb appeal is $11,718. These are seven curb appeal projects that will increase your home’s value.
Green Up Your Grass
Time and time again, the curb appeal project with the best return on investment is basic lawn care. Cutting the grass, fertilizing your lawn, and controlling weeds are simple weekend projects that any homeowner can and should tackle before listing their home. A well-manicured yard is so important to homebuyers that it can increase your home’s sale value by $2,173.
You should begin the process of creating a lush green lawn by removing debris from the entire yard. This includes sticks, leaves, and clutter from around the grass area, landscaping, and exterior of your home. Next, inspect your lawn for bare spots or weeds. If there are thin or completely bare areas, you’ll need to put down grass seed. If you have areas of excess weeds, you should use a weed killer to destroy the weed down to the root. Finally, fertilize your lawn with a slow-release fertilizer. Keep your grass cut to a height of three inches for the best appearance.
Add a Landscaped Area
A well-maintained lawn is even more appealing when it is surrounded by beautiful landscaping. Designated areas that contain bright colorful flowers, easy to care for bushes, and a fresh layer of mulch can drastically increase your home’s value. Adding a landscaping upgrade will add over $6,000 to your home’s sale value. But what type of landscaping is the most appealing to homebuyers? In a word: low-maintenance. Homeowners are not interested in overly ornate gardens or complex landscaping designs that will leave them with more work if they purchase your home. Choose low-maintenance small bushes such as boxwoods and junipers. Next, pick a few disease and drought-resistant perennial flowers and plants such as tulips, coneflowers, and lavender. Mix in a few annuals such as marigolds or petunias. After you have planted your flowers, cover them with a fresh layer of mulch to reduce weed growth, retain soil moisture, and add value to your home. Finally, add some form of landscaping barrier between the mulched area and grass. Popular options for landscaping borders are natural stone, brick, or timbers.
Add a Walkway
Does your home have a clear, crack-free, well-maintained walkway for potential homebuyers to follow directly to your front door? If not, you may be missing out on additional resale profits while unknowingly deterring possible buyers. A clear pathway is just like rolling out a red carpet for buyers and they are willing to pay extra for it. Installing a stone walkway will give you a 105% return on investment. Use precast concrete pavers or stone pavers for a hassle-free walkway. You can place pavers in a straight line, stagger them, or create a unique design. Just make sure that the pathway is secure, free of weeds, and easy to access.
Make Your Front Porch Shine
Front porches are very appealing to buyers. They represent an additional sitting area, a place for friends and family to gather, and an extra area to personalize. Recently, the value of a front porch has increased nationally by over $2,000. You can make your front porch the focal point of your home but first, you need to start with a deep-down clean. Power wash your home’s exterior, clean the windows, and the area around the windows. Next, make your front porch inviting by adding a seating area with exterior furniture such as rocking chairs or Adirondack seats. In addition, add an exterior rug and front porch decor that matches the style of your home. A few small additions will make your front porch shine and add to your home’s value.
Paint Your Front Door
Over 70% of real estate agents recommend adding a fresh coat of paint to your front door before trying to sell. But what color will attract buyers? Many real estate agents suggest painting your front door black. A classic black door provides contrast to a lightly colored home but also works nicely with brick and natural stone homes. If you are more interested in adding a pop of color to the exterior of your home, a bright yellow, teal, or red door would work well and draw the buyer’s eye toward your front porch. If you are not interested in painting your door and prefer a wood door you should match the wood stain to the style of your home. Whatever color or stain you go with, choose a high-quality exterior product for the best finish.
Replace Your Garage Door
Just as painting your front door will refresh your home’s curb appeal, so will replacing or fixing your garage door. If your garage simply needs to be cleaned you can power wash it or scrub it with warm soapy water. However, if your garage door is dented or noisy when opening or closing you should replace it. Installing a new garage door will cost approximately $1,200 however it will add $2,797 to your home’s value. Choose a garage door that matches your home’s style and your home exterior color.
Make it Bright
Home showings occur even after the sun goes down, which means you should have plenty of exterior light to provide a safe well-lit area around your home. Adding exterior lights does not need to be a hugely expensive project. There are many solar-powered light options at your local hardware store that will add plenty of light to your exterior. Everything from mounted spotlights, in-ground spotlights, and walkway lights are available in a variety of lumens. Add a strand of solar-powered hanging lights around your front porch or a hanging lantern for additional front porch lighting.
Upgrading your curb appeal with small additions will increase your home’s value. The overall return on investment far outweighs the effort and upfront cost of improving your curb appeal. Choose just a few outdoor curb appeal upgrades and you will quickly reel in buyers and add to your home’s sale price.
