Tips for adding Curb Appeal and Value to your Home

The way your house appears from the street can make or break a sale. If it's attractively maintained and landscaped, it can add value to your house. But which projects pump up value the most? Some color goes a long way, as does some spit and polish!

Wash your house's face!

A bucket of soapy water and a long-handled, soft-bristled brush can remove the dust and dirt that have splashed onto your wood, vinyl, metal, brick, and fiber cement siding. Power washers (even if you have to rent one) can reveal the true color of your sidewalks & patios.

I recommend washing your windows inside and outas well! You'd be surprised how many houses need their windowsills dusted. Prospective buyers look at these parts too when they are getting serious. You want to make sure they think you've been taking care of all the little things as well...so swipe cobwebs from the eaves, and hose down the downspouts. Don’t forget your garage door, which was once bright and clean. If you can’t spray off the dirt, scrub it off with a solution of 1/2 cup trisodium phosphate—TSP (available at home improvement centers and hardware stores), dissolved in 1 gallon of water.

Freshen the Paint Job!

The most commonly offered curb appeal advice is to freshen the exterior paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it, and appraisers will value it (or not). Many clients have asked if they can just give a "paint allowance." My experience has been that you will sell the house for much more than the cost of doing the work if you can swing it. Even though the cost of the paint and supplies is "X," buyers will discount the price by "Y" often due to the lack of ability to visualize it as complete.

Neaten the Yard!

A well-manicured lawn with neatly trimmed bushes and freshly mulched garden beds will boost the value of your home. I recommend fertilizing the lawn to assure a full and healthy lawn and using a broadleaf weed killer on the lawn to rid it from dandelions, clover, and other fast growing lawn weeds. You may have to mow the lawn every 5 days at first, but this will make your house stand out from the competition! Ask my husband, a turf management graduate. He literally mowed our lawn prior to most showings for that clean, crisp appearance.

Add color!

Add a few potted plants with seasonal color to freshen up the outside look!

Spruce up the mailbox!

How about a fresh coat of paint on it? I see many nice homes in upscale neighborhoods with dingy looking mailboxes, often leaning one way or the other. While you're at it, put some fresh house numbers on the house and/or the mailbox. Make sure the size on the house meets occupancy code requirements, 4 inches in Moberly, MO. Hope these tips get you thinking on the right track...