Curb appeal is inarguably one of the finest ways to boost the value of your home. Having a stunning exterior and a striking yard surely attracts more buyers to your doorsteps and increases your curb appeal. It also allows you to earn a handsome value when you decide to sell your property. It naturally brings us to the question, “How to improve curb appeal when selling a house?”

The good news is that since curb appeal and real estate are closely tied, the internet is chock-full of ways to boost curb appeal to ensure a higher estimation of your property’s value. While interior updates and renovation projects certainly drive up your home’s value, a pristine outdoor appearance will attract the right buyers to your property.

Let’s take a look at the aspects of your home exterior that you can upgrade, fix, or renovate to enhance the attractiveness of your home and drive up its potential value.

How to Improve Curb Appeal When Selling a House

Here are some surefire ways to improve curb appeal when selling your house:

1. Landscaping for Curb Appeal

Landscaping for curb appeal is a surefire way to improve the value of your property. Even if your property is already landscaped, it doesn’t hurt to take a step back and replace some old bushes, add new mulch, or repot some flowers. After all, when you pull up to a house, you certainly don’t want to be greeted with dying grass or weeds growing in an unkempt yard.

Moreover, protective buyers who come to visit your property will notice the state of your lawn right away. It’s the first thing they will spot as they turn the corner onto your street. If your lawn is unkempt, it will leave a negative first impression of your home and set the tone for the rest of the visit, which is the last thing you want.

An unkempt lawn will indicate to the buyer that you don’t maintain your property, and they will have to face maintenance issues down the line. On the flipside, investing in your lawn, weeding the soil, planting new flowers and trees, and fixing up the flower beds will enhance the curbside appeal of your house. Moreover, it will indicate to the buyer that you care enough about your home to maintain it. So, before you list your home for sale, find a professional landscaper to landscape your property so that it looks striking. Also, make sure that the landscaped area is well-balanced and not chaotic.

2. Neaten the Yard

A well-manicured lawn and yard will boost the curb appeal of your property. So, make sure to grow, mow, and manicure your lawn so that it doesn’t look overgrown. Cut, trim, and edge the lines for a neat look. Don’t shy away from using the mower and your trusty rake to spruce things up. You can also add pre-potted plants to your porch and walkway to enhance your property’s curbside appeal. Replace the concrete siders on your flower bed with new ones.

Prune the shrubs, keep the plants orderly, and create seamless borders for the greenery, potted plants, and flower beds for a balanced look. Choose singular or two distinctively shaped large pots for your porch to draw the visitors’ eyes to your home. Don’t forget to replace overgrown bushes with colorful annuals and leafy plants.

Additionally, surround the bushes and trees with reddish-brown bark mulch as it will give your yard a rich feel. Pull all invasive vines and weeds, and plant some geraniums in pots. Use water and lawn food for greening up the dull grass. If you see any bare spots, cover them with sod and seeds.

Pro Tips: If you want to maintain your landscaping and yard, stand back, squint your eyes, and look at the yard until your vision is blurred. This way, you will notice certain parts of the yard that appear bare, dark, or messy. Focus on fixing those parts. You can also photograph your yard in black and white mode. The lack of color will help you notice the areas of landscaping that need your attention.

3. Spruce up Your House’s Face

Washing your house is certainly one of the simplest yet most effective ways to boost curb appeal, which will help you increase the value of your property. After all, your home withstands various weather elements throughout the year. The periodical onslaught of dirt, dust, rain, snow and other weather-related elements results in dirty windows, doors, sidings, and walls.

Giving the exterior of your property a good scrub will cost you nothing more than cleaning supplies, water, and some elbow grease. Removing the grime and dust will give your home a sparkling look. All you need is a bucket of soapy water and a soft-bristled brush with a long handle that will help you remove the dirt and dust from your windows, doors, and other surfaces outside your house.

Make sure to wash all surfaces, including metal, vinyl, wood, brick, stucco, and fiber cement siding. Don’t forget to wash the windows and doors inside out. Home down the downspouts, swipe cobwebs from eaves and give some love to your garage door. If you can’t remove the dirt right away, scrub it off with an effective solution of 1 gallon of water and 1/2 cup trisodium phosphate that you can find at hardware stores. For a fresher look, you can choose to powerwash the curb areas, patios, decks, and gutters. Ensure to get rid of all dust, algae, mold, mildew, and blemishes from all surfaces.

4. Power Wash that Dirty Driveway

Driveways tend to get dirty and grimy pretty quickly. In fairness, no one expects a driveway to be spotless. However, if weed and years of dirt are accumulated on the surface, it will leave a negative first impression on prospective buyers. Moreover, it wouldn’t help if your house looks squeaky clean, but your driveway is grimy and discolored.

If you want your driveway to be as clean as possible, get it power washed. It will remove the effects of years of snow, rain, leaves, and weeds from the surface. If you want to save on the cost, you can rent an electric pressure washer from the nearest Home Depot and fix up your driveway yourself.

However, don’t just clean the driveway. Make sure to de-clutter it as well. Keep all the recycling bins, garbage, kids’ toys, and anything else that is typically on your driveway out of view. Moreover, if the driveway is cracked or stained, make sure to get it fixed so that it appears flawless.

You can also accentuate the driveway with a border to frame the landscape around it. It will look beautiful with a long driveway as it will make your landscaping and exterior house design more intentional. You can also decorate the driveway with planters for a neat yet striking look.

5. Paint the Exterior

The best thing that you can do to boost your home’s curbside appeal is to paint the exterior to appeal to potential buyers. Refreshing the exterior of your home with a new coat of paint will go a long way, especially if the old paint was chipping or had faded. Even though it might be a costly update, it can make all the difference in the value of your home.

Invest in a full exterior paint job covering all the windows, doors, and sidings. Don’t forget the front and garage doors as they face a lot of wear and tear and have to face outside elements regularly. Depending on your budget, you can hire a pro or paint the house yourself. The painting job will certainly turn your old, dull-looking home into an attractive home.

When choosing the colors, opt for neutral and white tones as they are the most innocuous and appeal to a larger audience. As for the doors and windows, you can choose to add a pop of contrasting color that will go well with the siding or brick. Before painting the siding, make sure to repair and replace broken pieces. Powerwash the areas that need your attention and then finish things up with a fresh coat of paint.

6. Fix the Roof

Your roof’s condition will be one of the first things a buyer will want to inspect. If your roof has faded, curled, or missing shingles, it will depreciate the value of your home. Moreover, if your neighbors have well-maintained roofs, your shabby roof will surely become a negative point in your house’s assessment.

Depending on your budget and the existing condition of your roof, you can choose to install a new roof or have the old one fixed up. Remove the dirt, algae, lichens, and moss, and fix the broken bits and pieces. Invest in a professional roof fixing service to ensure that they use the right tools and techniques to prevent further damage.

7. Install Outdoor Lighting Fixtures

Invest in outdoor lighting fixtures to improve curb appeal when selling your home. It will allow people to drive by at night and see your house. It will attract buyers who tend to drive by on-sale properties after work. Moreover, having lighting fixtures in the yard will keep burglars and intruders away. It will surely attract potential buyers looking for a safe home for their families.

If you have existing lighting features, make sure that they don’t have dust, grime, or cobwebs. You will also need to check all the lights to ensure that they are operational. The last thing you want is to have lighting fixtures that don’t work! If you don’t have lighting fixtures or they need to be replaced, you can invest in motion-detecting lights to increase the safety aspect of the property.

With the ideal combination of landscaping and fresh paint, the right lighting fixtures will certainly make your home appear beautiful. You can use distinctive lights to silhouette some of the finest landscaping features of your property or accentuate different architectural features. You can also install downlights at a height to illuminate your yard.

8. Add a Fence

A picket fence with a pretty garden frame will be pleasing to the eye and attract the buyers’ attention to the neatness and beauty of your home and yard. It will also make the space more defined and change the appearance of your yard by making it appear cozier.

Moreover, a picket fence will also add a sense of privacy and security without making the property appear unapproachable. It will be an added incentive for families with kids and pets as the fence will keep their children and pets secure so they may not wander off onto the road.

If you already have a fence, make sure that it doesn’t have any broken bits and gates. Tighten those latches and refresh the look of the fence with a fresh coat of paint. You can opt for a white-hued or a light brown-colored fence for a neutral yet appealing look.

9. Make the Porch More Appealing

The porch is an essential element that helps define the personality of your house. The porch needs to be an inviting space that welcomes your buyers. It should allow them to imagine spending some quality time with their family while relaxing on comfortable porch seating. So, make sure it looks clean, pleasant, and uncluttered.

Include some inviting seating and the ideal planters on the porch. If you have the budget, install a walkway to create a natural, welcoming path from the driveway to the porch. To border this path, you can also add some greenery, such as well-placed flower pots and plants.

10. Fix the Front Door

You will also need to pay due attention to the front door of your property. After all, you don’t want to only focus on the porch and make it as inviting as possible, only for prospective buyers to be disappointed when they lay eyes on your dull front door. You can add a ring or nest doorbell to the door or invest in smart tech for a modern look.

Make sure to fix any peeling paint or scuff marks by scrubbing the door and then adding a fresh coat of paint. Additionally, if your door features your house number, make sure to replace the old numbers will new ones that will boost the attractiveness of your door. You can find different, stylish house numbers at your local home improvement store.

11. Upgrade the Mailbox

Your mailbox is one of the first things potential buyers will spot when they arrive at your property. If your mailbox is faded or appears to be too frail, it’s best to update or replace it. This smaller project will improve your curb appeal. Depending on its condition, you can clean and paint the mailbox and invest in a better stand for it.

After all, an upgraded or upscale mailbox will send the right first impression and make your house stand out right away. If you need to change the mailbox, you can invest in a premium-quality, die-cast aluminum mailbox. Alternatively, you can choose a striking, hand-painted mailbox with stylistic house numbers.

12. Fix the Garage Door

You will also need to pay attention to your garage door to improve the curb appeal when selling your house. If your garage door has suffered extensive wear and tear over the years, it’s best to replace it with a new, durable door that will serve the buyer for decades to come. If you don’t have the budget to buy a new door, make sure to maintain the current one and fix it with powerwashing and a fresh coat of paint. Make sure to choose a color that goes well with the rest of your home exterior.

13. Other Tips to Improve the Curb Appeal of Your Home

Here are other ways that address how to improve curb appeal when selling a house:

• Invest in energy-efficient windows with a modern, sleek look.
• Touch up damaged trims and wood for a neat appearance.
• Add necessary splashes of color in your yard, with planters, flowers, and garden décor, to boost the curb appeal.
• Be diligent with the maintenance to ensure that you don’t miss peeling paint, roof water damage, missing bricks, or hanging gutters that will decrease your property’s value.
• Imagine how a prospective guest would evaluate your property and then fix the areas that need fixing. It could be broken sidewalk, dying flowers, damaged light fixtures, broken windows, damaged front doors, peeling paint, dirty gutters, and more. Fix all these potentially damaging problems to boost the curbside appeal of your home.

The Bottom Line

The appraised value of a property is typically deemed by its interior and exterior fixtures. It’s why a home’s curb appeal has a crucial role to play in its final value when reselling the property. You can use the handy tips mentioned above to improve the curb appeal when selling your house to draw in more buyers.

Good luck!