Curb Appeal is Important!

By Guest Blogger, Stephanie Platt, 2012 Graduate of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh

 

So you have decided to sell your house and get it staged.  Staging is a great way to showcase your home and it really lets buyers see your home at its best.  It is important to not forget about the outside of your house.  Curb appeal is so important when selling your home.  Don’t miss the opportunity to make a great first impression.  Here are some quick and simple things that you can do to make your home stand out.

-Maintenance: Even though the outside of your house might look clean it will still benefit from a once over with the power washer.  Siding and brick especially collect dirt and pollen over the years.  While you have the power washer be sure to go over the patio and walkways. Also be sure to trim any trees or shrubs and pull any weeds.

-Paint: You don’t have to go crazy and paint the whole house but touching up the paint on the trim and the door will make a big difference.  You may also want to update the color of your door; red (like this example from prettyhandygirl.com) is the most popular color for front doors. The door in the picture is painted with Sherwin Williams Crabby Apple, it is a bold color but not too bright, it goes well with a neutral color palette.  Check with your HOA if you have one before starting to make sure a color change is allowed.

-Change out the hardware: This could be anything that’s on your house.  All of the light fixtures should either match or be in the same style.  The door knob and door knocker may need updating.  These may seem like little things but a buyer is looking at the details.  Changing out this hardware can also give your house a more modern updated look.

-House Numbers: Make sure that your house number can clearly be seen.  It should be on the mailbox and near the front door.  You want the buyer to be able to see the numbers from the road.  Black letters are the easiest to see, but if you have a darker house color you may opt to put them on the front door or to use a plaque.

-Add Seating: If you have one, a front porch is a great opportunity to create interest.  If you add some seating and an outdoor rug you can create an outdoor space that increases your usable square footage. Make the space even more inviting with a porch swing, accesories and some throw pillows.

-Add Color: Adding color to your front porch adds interest.  You can add color very easily by adding plants.  You can add brightly colored flowers to planting beds or pots.  However if you don’t have a green thumb you can still achieve the same effect.  Go with low maintenance leafy plants, like shrubs and ferns and plant them in brightly colored pots.  They will look great next to any home.