Easy Ways to Improve Curb Appeal

First impressions are always a big deal, whether it’s a job interview, a first date, or even a home that you are looking to buy. The exterior of a home is the first thing that a buyer sees when looking at your home. Here are a few easy ways that you can improve your home’s curb appeal.

1. Clean Your Sidewalks and Other Hardscape Areas

No one wants to drive up to a home that doesn’t look well maintained. One of the quickest and easiest ways to instantly improve curb appeal is to clean your hardscapes and sidewalks.

You can accomplish this by sweeping up any branches, leaves, feathers, dog hair, and such things that have made their way onto your decks and sidewalks. You can also take a further step to scrub hardscapes with a brush, soap, and warm water–This is the best way to deal with stains. Power washing is not advised for many hardscape materials, as it can often damage pavers, but it can be useful for some decks. Be cautious when using this method.

2. Power Wash Your Exterior

A clean and polished exterior is necessary for your home to make the best first impression possible.

Power washing is a quick and satisfying way to get your home exterior cleaned up, but make sure that you’re only power washing the materials on your home that cannot be seriously damaged, like any electrical elements, wood siding, old mortar, windows, etc.

Here are some tips to use pressure washer safely.

3. Try Out a New Color Palette

If your home exterior looks like its stuck in the 1970s, your home may not make the top of the list for curb appeal. Freshen up your exterior with a fresh coat of paint.

Here are some top classic home exterior color palette options

All White (4471 Willow Creek Dr., Park City, Utah)

White, Grey, and Red (1122 E Harvard Ave., Salt Lake City, Utah)

Mocha (1973 W Gray Hawk Cir., St. George, Utah)

Beige and Brown (169 E Hollybrook Cv. Draper, Utah)

Find more inviting color palettes here.

4. Get Your Lawn Healthy

Here are a few ways to help you get your lawn to be the healthiest lawn on the block, drawing all eyes to your curb.

Aerate your lawn to help break up compacted soil.
Water your lawn deeply and less often.
Use natural lawn fertilizers.
Cut your grass to the right height–different species of grass need different cutting heights.

5. Add Flowers or Flower Boxes

Flowers and flower boxes add color and visual interest to your home and when done well, give you a huge curb appeal boost.

Keep things colorful and eye-catching, and vary the heights of your plants. If you are using flower boxes, keep the theory of “thrillers” (tall, statement plants and flowers), “spillers” (plants that spill over the edge of flower boxes or pots if that is more your style), and “fillers” (surface area plants that fill in the gaps).

6. Plant Trees

With a similar theory to adding flowers, trees add additional landscaping elements to your curb appeal, and add shaded areas perfect for relaxing on a hot summer day.

7. Add Outdoor Lighting

One of the best ways to make sure you have some serious curb appeal is to make sure your home can be seen no matter the time of the day! Make sure you have some porch lights and light your walkway with some simple solar light fixtures, which are affordable and easy to install.

8. Upgrade your mailbox

Even the most appealing houses can be brought down by a dingy mailbox. Make sure yours doesn’t have any signs of rust or damage.

9. Coordinate Your Hardware

Small details can make a huge impact. Even if your potential buyers don’t notice explicitly, matching hardware will give your home a nice, well-put-together appearance.

Match your metals for your doorknobs, locksets, porch lights and address numbers. If you don’t have address numbers, get them! Make sure that your numbers are easy to see and make a serious decor statement.

10. Add Outdoor Furniture to Your Front Porch

If you are lucky enough to have a front porch, make sure that it is inviting and appears just as livable as the inside for maximum effect.

Keep to a simple bench and throw pillow for small porches, or if you have a larger porch, add a dining set, or an outdoor couch and coffee table to complete the look.

No matter how you choose to improve your home’s exterior, keep in mind that the best way to improve curb appeal is to make it as attractive as can be. Take a careful look around to determine what improvements you believe need to be made, and ask your local Windermere Real Estate agent for their expertise on the kinds of improvements that are getting homes sold faster in your area.

–

At Windermere Utah, we are proud to keep you up-to-date on the latest news, events, and listings. Be sure to keep checking back in here at the blog, and don’t forget to follow us on social media.