Most people don’t realize how important curb appeal is when you are selling your home. Not only can it impact how long your house stays on the market but it can help determine your home’s valuation too. In fact it has been estimated that having a home with high curb appeal can increase your homes valuation by 5-11% when it comes time to sell.
But, like most home improvement projects, there are things you do that have a good ROI and those which do not. It’s important to make the right decisions when updating or freshening-up the exterior of your home to ensure your real estate transaction goes your way.
Any home improvement projects that are done specifically to help sell your home are unique in that they don’t necessarily have to align with your personal style and preferences. When looked at with a practical eye they can be achieved with much less stress and expense than a project undertaken to improve a home you are planning to stay in for the long-haul. Not only this, but it frees you up to update the font of your home so it reflects what is trending in and in-style today.
First impressions
So, let’s talk about why curb appeal is so important. It is well known that first impressions really matter when it comes to capturing the attention of potential buyers. The front of your home is the first thing they will see. If they don’t like what they see as they drive by looking for a parking spot, they will likely just keep on driving. Not only this but curb appeal is a way to also conform to the universal look of the neighborhood. This helps reassure potential buyers about the neighbors and the community in general. Some simple things you can do to improve curb appeal is pressure wash the sidewalk or paint the concrete driveway, especially if it is stained or dirty.
Increased valuation
So, let’s face it. First impressions don’t only matter for the home buyers. You also have to make a great impression on the person who is valuing your home. Now, they take into consideration a lot of hard numbers that come from local home sales and immutable parts of your home such as square footage, but some features, specific to the home, can bump up the valuation. Curb appeal is one of them. If they arrive at a home and the gate is broken, the flowers and bushes are dead or overgrown and there are patches all over the lawn, this is likely to have a negative effect on the value of your home. It will give the impression that hte house is in disrepair and might plant the seed in the mind of the buyer or home valuator that there are hidden and costly problems with the home.
Simple Designs Work Best
Some homeowners can overdo it when making updates to their home. They may end up spending money on renovations that don’t bring a return on their investment or help the sale of the home. In fact they may even prolong the sale of their home by focusing on the wrong types of updates to their curb appeal. So let’s be clear, more isn’t necessarily better in this case. A tip we received from expert Landscapers in Albany, Oregon is installing over-complicated or extensive landscaping may intimidate potential buyers who do not have a lot of experience caring for a garden or outdoor space. Oftentimes, adding new bark mulch and a few bushes is enough to make your front yard look pulled together. Not only this, but simple things like making sure the weeds are pulled, the hedges are trimmed and the grass is mowed can make the curb appeal pop.
If you’re looking to sell your home fast and for a higher price, investing in increasing the curb appeal is a good choice. It can be done relatively simply and at a low price point and can have a positive outcome on the value of your home and how fast you sell it.