Selling Your Edmonton Home? Boost Your 'Curb Appeal' with These Three Inexpensive Home Makeovers

When somebody is looking to buy a new home their first impression will always be from the photos they are given, which can be easily manipulated to show off the best aspects of a property. So if the photos are intriguing enough what would the next step be? Almost all prospective buyers will drive by the house to see for themselves how it looks in person and if they make an appointment this perspective will be their opening into the home. For sellers to make their chances of closing better they need to make sure their property has ‘curb appeal’ and thankfully there are ways to do that without breaking the bank.

Keep the Lawn and Gardens Well Maintained

Any slight disturbance in the lawn or garden of a home can be a huge turnoff to buyers. As silly as it sounds, one dead plant or patch of brown grass may be the thing that dissuades a couple from making an appointment. If there are any empty garden beds they should be filled in with seasonal perennials to provide colour to the property. The lawn should be landscaped and weeded regularly to give it an appealing look from the road. If there are areas of the yard that are noticeably empty they can be easily filled in with potted plants. This makes the property appear fuller with the added benefit of being able to reuse or relocate the plants.

Focus on an Inviting Front Door

The first piece of advice normally given to increase ‘curb appeal’ is to add a fresh coat of paint or siding to the house to make it look new, but this isn’t very practical advice to somebody on a budget. Instead, the focus should be given to the front door. New paint will hide any blemishes and make it stand out from the street, especially if it’s different from the colour of the home. Some quick maintenance can remove any creaking sounds the first time the door is opened and more luxurious additions (arches, stained glass or frosted windows) are relatively cheap in comparison to ones required for the entire front of the house.

The House Should Look Just as Good at Night

Something easily overlooked by homeowners is that there is no guarantee the buyers will drive by to look at the home during daylight hours. Most people are at work during the peak hours when the house will look its best and will be forced to check out the place during sunset, dusk or even night. Investing in a nice set of torchlights for the path or accent lights for outdoor areas can go a long way in making the place look amazing during all hours of the night. The key take away is that properly using space on the property is the best way to create an attractive visual when selling a home. Most buyers will drive by a house on their own time and the goal is to make them want to see inside. By focusing on the landscape, front door and night lighting, any property’s ‘curb appeal’ can be boosted enough without the seller having to spend a fortune.