Creating Curb Appeal When Selling Your Home

Maximizing curb appeal is the first step to get your home shown. You can't sell if potential buyers never get out of the car.

So stand at the curb and take a discerning look at your house. What bothers you? Does anything need to be repaired? What's dirty? What looks tired or dated?

When selling your house, the advice given most often is to de-clutter. This goes for the exterior as well as inside. Get rid of anything cluttering your driveway: RVs, boats, basketball nets, or old cars. Put them in storage or sell them, but make the drive look as spacious as possible before you list your house.

While you're looking at the driveway, have it power washed, fix cracks, and reseal if necessary. Put down a fresh layer of stones if it's a stone drive.

Does your house have mildew on it? Power wash and/or paint it. Make sure it looks fresh.

Does the front walk need to be power-washed? Trim the shrubbery so plenty of light comes in the windows. Weed and mulch the landscaping beds. Replace burned out bulbs in the exterior lighting and repair any fixtures if necessary.

If you have a porch, de-clutter that as well. Any furniture there should be attractive, any plants should be healthy and blooming. Get a new doormat.

Take a hard look at the front door. Does it need to be repainted or touched up? How about the trim? Are the front door knob and knocker attractive or do they need to be replaced? How about the kick plate? Replacing worn front door hardware and light fixtures will make a big impression on buyers, so don't skimp here.

If you have potted plants near the front door, they should be healthy and attractive. If not, replace them. Nothing draws the eye to the front door like brightly colored flowers.

Sweep away debris, old leaves, and cobwebs. While we're talking about doors, make sure all exterior doors are in good working order. If they stick, get them repaired.

Make sure your windows and screens are clean and repaired if necessary. Get the gutters cleaned. Remove or trim any shrubbery that is dead, dying, or overgrown.

As to your yard, keep the grass cut. Remove most, if not all, of the toys in the back yard.

Make sure your deck is in good repair and seal or stain to make it look fresh if necessary.

Take a hard look at the deck or patio furniture. Is it dirty? If power washing doesn't clean it, consider buying new. A new small table and chairs set will make a much better impression than an assortment of unattractive, dirty, old furniture.