SECRETS TO CURB APPEAL

Secrets to Curb Appeal
What kind of first impression does your home make?  I often find when taking buyers out to see properties they are quick to make a decision as to weather they want to go into a property or not simply by the way the exterior of the property looks.  This is why I advise my sellers to do a light landscape makeover prior to putting their home on the market.  And did you know the average return on landscape at resale is 100%!!!  You only get 1 chance to make a first impression!  What constitutes true "curb appeal"?  While the term embraces everything between your front door and the street, it doesn't take much to make dramatic style improvements, whether by adding flower boxes, sprucing up the mailbox, or constructing an elegant driveway.  With a little faith in your vision, and a few tips from the pros, you can transform a dowdy exterior to an inviting, welcoming entranceway.

•«     Colorful flowers and blooming plants are a wonderful greeting along the pathway to the front door.  This creates an inviting walkway and draws the attention into your home.  When your garden needs some punch, containers can be the answer. Place them in strategic locations to draw attention to a specific area, such as the front entrance.

•«     Cure ugly mailbox syndrome.  Oddly enough, it is the humble mailbox that often creates that first impression of a suburban home.  It can extend guests a welcoming visual invitation or give them the cold shoulder.

•«     Blending utility with personality, house numbers don't just tell guests where you are; they can also tell them who you are.  Their potential ends only with your imagination.  Use scavenged materials for an eclectic look, or match your home's décor more closely for a refined look.  Placement isn't limited to your front door- consider planting numbers in a garden bed or affixing them to a retaining wall near your driveway.

•«     A front door says a lot about a home.  And it is true that old ones add character.  A fresh coat of paint and new door knobs and locks shiny up the entry.

•«     Sod the front and backyard.  IT is like having new carpet on the outside!

•«     Paint a home's exterior.  A fresh coat of paint gives your home a crisp look that will pop!