When it comes to selling your home, curb appeal can be a major factor in a buyer’s overall impression of your property. A home with good curb appeal is one that people will want to see more of, so it’s vital to provide a positive first impression to viewers and potential buyers.
If you are struggling to sell your home, or just want it to have more of an impact for first-time viewers, follow these tips to increase your home’s curb appeal.
Touch-up painted surfaces
The first thing we can do to improve our home’s exterior is to touch up painted surfaces. Whether your full exterior is painted, or you just have painted details like the fence, front door or window ledges, applying a fresh coat of paint can really help everything pop and instantly get rid of any signs of weathering or ageing.
If a lot of the homes in your area have the same appearance, you could even consider adopting a new colour for a unique facade, however, make sure to not go for something that could scare potential buyers away.
Take note of the little things
It’s not just the big things that make a difference, but the little things too. With the little things, although they may not notice when they aren’t there, they will certainly notice when they are and the time it takes to stop a door squeaking, fix a wonky trellis or pull up some garden weeds can be well worth it.
Natalie Evans, the Founding Director of Little Barn Door, one of the UK’s leading Home Staging businesses, told us: “My number one tip is to make small fixes. When we live in our homes on a day to day basis, we can become a little blind to the small external repairs and snags - a squeaky door, a rusty post box or broken plant pot.
“When viewing a property, a prospective buyer needs to feel comforted and reassured that their buy is a safe investment, and whilst small repairs to the front of your property may seem insignificant, they are indeed extremely impactful in reassuring your future buyer and securing your offer.
“By taking just half an hour to make these minor repairs, you are guaranteed to get your buyer's confidence and encourage them to see more.”
Upgrade your front door
Your front door is often a person’s first impression of your home. Whether you go for something bright and eye-catching or something more subtle and classic in style, it can be one of the most defining characteristics of your home’s exterior.
A memorable front door can make such a difference to your home, as the entry point will be the first thing that potential buyers really notice when having a viewing. And upgrading your front door doesn’t have to mean buying new. It can mean giving your current door a fresh coat of paint, making it over with a completely new colour or changing it completely.
Add some subtle lighting
Due to the often-dark British days, we are not blessed with 24/7 sunshine and you have to be prepared for potential viewers to visit in the dark or the rain. Although we can’t do anything about the weather, you can make sure your house stands out with some subtle lighting. Whether you choose up-lighters in front of the windows or to add some side lighting to the driveway or garden path, not only can some subtle lighting help viewers see what they came to see, they can give a really upmarket feel to any home.
Pressure wash the dirt away
The power of a pressure washer when it comes to cleaning is immense. Even if you regularly sweep your driveway, you’ll be amazed at just how much of a difference a power wash can make. Taking years of wear and tear off, you can make your features look as good as new, and trust us, it’s incredibly satisfying to do.
If you don’t want to buy a pressure washer for this, you can hire an external team or even hire the washer and do the work yourself.
Hide any personal items and bins
Having personal items in your front garden or driveway and bins is a normal part of life, however, these can take away from the overall look of your house. Yes, although we all have wheelie bins, you don’t want your viewer’s first impression to be the overflowing recycling boxes parked next to the front door.
Whilst you are having viewings, make an effort to hide any personal items and those pesky bins from sight. This can mean not leaving dirty shoes on the porch, wheeling the bins into the garage for a few weeks and making sure there are no packages left lying around. These are small and natural things, but they can clutter your exterior easily.
Replace your house number/name plaque
Finally, it’s the smallest detail on the list but can have a massive impact. The house number or name plaque is an often-overlooked tool that can upgrade an exterior in seconds. If your home has the same plaque as all of the others on the estate, why not make it unique with a custom sign? They don’t cost a lot of money, but a new, sparkling sign is a small touch that can make a big difference.
How to increase your home’s curb appeal:
- Touch-up painted surfaces
- Take note of the little things
- Upgrade your front door
- Add some subtle lighting
- Pressure wash the dirt away
- Hide any personal items and bins
- Replace your house number/name plaque
As a builders’ merchant, we can help you with everything from plumbing and heating supplies to paving kerbs. So, why not use some of these tricks on your home today and upgrade your curb appeal?
For more articles and inspiration, check out our blog.