6 Easy Ways to Boost Curb Appeal

First impressions affect our lasting attitude toward everything—from meeting new people, to shopping at a new store, or searching for a new home. Your home makes its first impression to prospective buyers through its curb appeal. Boosting your home’s curb appeal is an effective way to encourage curious buyers to learn more about your property and to get your home sold faster.

You don’t want to invest too much energy, money, or time into improving curb appeal, but there are simple, quick ways you can spruce up your home’s look to get more attention from buyers.

1. The first step is the simplest—clean up! Make sure any yard debris is cleared away. Moss removal is a valuable investment to make, especially when selling real estate in the Pacific Northwest where the climate is wet. Renting a power washer to clean driveways, sidewalks, and the exterior of the home can make your home look newer and fresher. Touch up any dings in paint on the garage door and don’t forget to take a moment to clean out any bugs in the light fixtures.
2. People will notice when something is bothersome, so make any quick repairs in the front of your home that stand out. Put some cement in the ground to stabilize that wobbly mailbox. Adjust or put in new hinges if that front gate sticks. Make sure your exterior light fixtures have bright bulbs installed. If that screen door squeaks, silence it with a little WD-40.
3. How happy are the plants in the front yard? Make sure your yard is free of weeds, plants are sufficiently watered, bushes are trimmed, and grass is cut neatly. Planting flowers and ornamental grasses is a very inexpensive way to add some personality and beauty to your home. For an extra personal touch, try using plants native to the Pacific Northwest for a more “Oregon” feel and look.
4. Quick updates like a more modern light fixture, address numbers, or doorknob can be done in just a moment after a trip to your favorite home improvement store and are very effective. Swap out any hardware to make sure the metal finish on front exterior fixtures matches or coordinates so nothing stands out as outdated or too tarnished.
5. No one gets excited about a drab house. A pop of color makes your home stand out (especially to buyers window shopping from their cars as they drive by). A couple coats of a cheery color on a mailbox, door, or porch furniture can brighten your home. You can take it further with a colorful wreath or coordinating ceramic pots for plants on the porch.
6. If you have the time, adding seasonal touches to your front yard can give your property a welcoming, homey feel. Make sure not to overdo it; a collection of scary decorations may be fun at Halloween, but stick with a gentle touch. Try stacking pretty pumpkins on the porch in the fall or putting a potted evergreen outside in the winter.

Your home only gets one chance at its first impression with potential buyers, so make the most of it by taking simple steps to enhance your home’s curb appeal.