CURB APPEAL for a CONDO? Seriously?
In a community of look-alike condo doors, how much "curb appeal" can you really have? Can you make YOUR condo stand out from the crowd, and get SOLD?
DOOR #1: Take a look at Door #1 - the typical gray-green front door in a brown condo building. The door mat has welcomed its share of guests, and is tired and worn, with the porch carpeting not far behind! The full length sidelight is great for letting would be guests or home-invaders check to see if you're really home and/or how big your big screen TV actually is, but doesn't do much more. The HOA repaints every few years, but this sad little door was starting to show some signs of rust, and really couldn't wait another year or two. Although not visible in this photo, the condo had TWO doorbells! A dilemma for visitors who had to ring both, just to be sure!
THE CHALLENGE: The challenge was to get the OUTSIDE of this adorable condo to be just as inviting as the inside! The budget? Oops, having spent almost everything getting the inside spruced up, the budget for this part of the task was only $10 - pocket change.
DOOR #2: A call to the HOA led to the delightful news that they provide the paint FREE to homeowners wanting to paint / freshen up their condo's exterior. SCORE! A coat of paint on the door and trim made an immediate 100% improvement. Next, the wreath is handmade from fabric scraps (free), a wire coat hanger (free), and $3 worth of fall leaves from a local "dollar store". The full length sidelight was "frosted" with a mix of clear and white silicone caulk ($2), applied and textured with a stiff bristled brush. The dysfunctional doorbell was removed and the wall scars were covered by a miniature hanging wind chime (also free, a "found around the house" item).
But the most dramatic impact is what was done to the porch! Black exterior latex paint was used to "paint" the tired old porch indoor/outdoor carpet, using a latex textile painting technique (Google it, or search Pinterest), again "free" (really, who doesn't have a half-dozen cans of paint in their garage!). Last, a fresh new door mat ($5) WELCOMEs guests into this sweet condo.
And the curb appeal project came in exactly on budget, that is, if you don't count sales tax! Which just goes to show you that:
Imagination + effort + a few bucks = CURB APPEAL!
(P.S. This APPEALING condo will be on the market FOR SALE next week. More info to come.)
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