Why Curb Appeal is Important to Your Home
First impressions make lasting impressions. Whether you’re meeting someone for the first time or seeing a home, you instantly register a thought or opinion. That’s why curb appeal is important to your home.
What is Curb Appeal?
Curb appeal is the appearance of a home’s exterior from a street view. The way your home is perceived from the outside is the first impression. The view encompasses the home, the yard, the landscaping, and even the driveway and walkway. These elements come together like a painting. The mind takes it all in and builds an opinion.
You might not even realize the details that are affecting your impression. Maybe it comes from the trash cans left in front of the garage, the weeds in the garden, or outdated exterior light fixtures. The front porch is littered with dead plants, muddy boots, and toys. Possibly, the house needs a good powerwash, including the driveway and the owner just hasn’t noticed the dirt that has gradually built up. Once you understand the importance of curb appeal, you’ll see things differently!
Examples of curb appeal elements
What contributes to a home’s curb appeal? Here’s a checklist:
- Exterior: siding, trim, and doors
- Roof: quality and cleanliness, including the gutters and downspouts
- Front door: style, color, and condition
- Landscaping: lawn, gardens, trees, shrubs, and plants
- Hardscaping: driveway, walkway, walls, and edging
- Cleanliness: yard, entry, decor, windows (including visible treatments)
- Additional features: house number, mailbox, outdoor lighting
Take a walk to the curb outside your home. Stand back and give your home’s curb appeal an honest assessment. What do you see? Is everything well maintained, tidy, and attractive? While you’re outside, look at your neighbors’ homes and see how they compare. Take photos. Make yourself a list of curb appeal ideas to do.
More Appeal, More Value!
This first view illustrates the importance of curb appeal to your home. Studies of Realtors and homebuyers have shown that the appearance of your home from the outside makes a big impact on its value. Whether or not you’re planning to sell your home, you’ve invested in it. Maintaining the exterior elements serves to boost the value of your investment.
- Good landscaping increases the sale price of a home by as much as 5.5% to 12.7%, which is up to $50,800 for a $400,000 home.
- 94% of homeowners report that it’s important to them that their neighbors maintain their curb appeal.
- 71% of homeowners reported that a neighbor’s terrible curb appeal would impact their relationship in a major way
Curb appeal also communicates a sense of pride in your home. When you drive up, do you like what you see? Does it feel like what you want your home to be? As you drive around your neighborhood, what impressions do you get from the exteriors? Someone who loves their home and is invested in keeping it in good condition? What do you feel when you see a home that hasn’t been well maintained? Ask yourself what you think about the person who owns these homes. With that in mind, what do you want your home to say about you?
The good news is that you can add curb appeal without spending a lot. Often, it’s a matter of just making an effort. Here some ideas of how to add curb appeal easily:
- Clean up the yard of all debris.
- Prune the shrubs and trees.
- Rake out the garden beds and apply fresh mulch.
- Power wash the exterior, including the roof, driveway, and walkways.
- Paint the front door and replace the hardware with something more updated.
- Replace the mailbox and house numbers.
- Clean out the gutters.
- Tidy the porch, removing unsightly items and refreshing the plants in your container gardens.
It’s also a good idea to hire a professional to do some extra projects that improve your home’s curb appeal:
- Paint the exterior.
- Reseal or repave the driveway.
- Update your landscaping and hardscaping.
The time and money you invest in your home’s outside appearance will reward you with both pride and home value.
Contact DeLuca Homes Today!
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