Let’s face it. Buyers are pretty persnickety these days. So if your home is up for sale, and you see too many cars hightailing it in reverse out of your driveway, it’s time for some easy curb appeal improvements.
1) Clean the trash from the yard and porch
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many homeowners will step over broken Big Wheels and walk right by dead plants in black plastic pots on their way to the comfort of the womb chair and TV. And take down the spiderwebs too…unless you’re hoping to still live here for Halloween.
Cost = $0; net effect = could be priceless if someone decides your interior is worth a look.
2) Paint the front door
The day before your project begins buy sandpaper, blue painters’ tape, and a good angled trim brush. Hopefully you have an old shower curtain or sheet to use as a drop cloth. I like having an X-acto knife as well to trim the blue tape that will cover the hinges and other hardware. If $$$ are an issue, check out the “oops paint” selections at your local big box store. These are quarts (usually $1) and gallons (usually $5) that other people have decided they did not want. You can often find a great accent color here; it’s amazing to me how many people change their minds on some perfectly lovely colors. Nice for you when this happens, as a door in a contrasting color to the rest of your house always adds style and interest. Keep in mind that an exterior gloss, semi-gloss or eggshell finish “trim paint” is what you’ll need. If you find an oil base paint you like, plan to toss the brush unless you want to buy paint thinner, too. Prep the surface of your old door with the sandpaper before you begin; you’ll want your new paint to last beyond the close of escrow. Best to remove the door to sand and paint it while it rests across sawhorses, but OK to do the job while the door hangs on its hinges. Plan to keep the door open for most of the day – it’s best to start this task very early in the morning. A warm day is ideal. Better if you can safely leave the door open all night, or at least open with a chain lock. This one project will take up most of a day, but it’s oh so worth it.
Cost: $15 to $50; net effect = perceived pride of ownership (aka priceless)
3) Plant flowers, miniature trees, or a pair of topiaries in quality oversized pots by the front door.
Buy big, sturdy ceramic or faux ceramic pots that look really believable. (You’re after more than just curbside believability here; a buyer who feels duped before they enter the house will be looking for other deceptions.) Good plant choices: Jasmine, honeysuckle or Boston ivy trained on a topiary frame for traditional woodframe houses; palms or fragrant flowering dwarf Meyer lemon trees for stucco houses; bamboo, rye grasses or New Zealand flax for modern houses.
If cats roam your yard, add big pebbles to the surface around the plant to keep the pots poop-free.
Cost: $60 to $200; net effect = this house is alive and wants me to live here, too; bonus = you can take these with you to your next house!
4) Find a new place to park your car; and degrease the driveway while you’re at it
Face it. Your car is a reflection of your home. And a car in a garage makes the garage look small. So if you’ve outgrown your family home but you’ve decided to keep the mini-van for another 50,000 miles, then for gawdsakes, park it down the street. Because when your potential buyer sees “Hey, wash me!” fingered into the dust on the rear window, they may decide to re-sign the lease on their apartment and get a vasectomy and/or tubal ligation.
Cost: $0 to $8 (for the degreaser); net effect = romance lives, even in the suburbs
5) Buy some new house numbers
Nothing looks cheesier on a house than stick-ons or thin little Ace Hardware aluminum numbers from the 1960s. Remove them and get some quality cast metal numbers. Keep in mind that modern fonts (no serifs) in brushed nickel or oil rubbed bronze look great on deco, Craftsmen, and modern houses; while shiny brass fonts (with serifs) look good on Colonial, traditional, or cottage style houses. Look at your front door hardware and match it in style and finish if possible.
Cost: $7 to $20 per number; net effect = this is an address worth remembering!
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