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Real Estate Information |
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Curb Appeal
First, lets start with what it is. Curb appeal is quite simply the rate of attractiveness your home projects to viewers from the street. Why is this important? As the definition states, it is the ultimate first impression. You may have an immaculate, luxurious interior but without high curb appeal, few will bother to step inside to see it. This is even more important when selling on your own because you don't have a realtor to hype the interior as worth a viewing. Is it worth the trouble to invest, if you don't have good curb appeal? The payback value on exterior upgrades to your property range from 49% for landscaping improvements to 62% for exterior home improvements, such as painting. Next to the kitchen and bath, these are the highest payback ratios for home improvements and are well worth the initial investment. In the order of highest payback value, we have provided some tips to help you achieve higher curb appeal for your home: Exterior Painting Painting the exterior may appear daunting and not worth the effort, but research shows that it results in the greatest return on time and money for exterior improvements. As a guideline, when choosing color, a long and low house looks most appealing with colours that emphasize vertical elements such as doors and shutters, while taller more narrow homes should contrast its horizontal elements likes fascias and gutters. Window boxes are a nice touch as well. If painting is out of the questions, the bare minimum improvements should be to: Wash the full exterior to clear it from dirt and cobwebs. Renting a high pressure washer is best. Fix any loose, missing, or damaged shutters. Clean, paint, or replace mailbox, doorknobs, and street numbers. Windows Especially with a freshly painted or washed exterior, dirty windows will stand out like a sore thumb, and will date them past their true age. Tips for cleaning windows - Do not clean windows while they are in direct sunlight. Your cleaning solution will dry too fast. Using a 100% cotton cleaning cloth, dip the cloth in cleaning solution and wring out excess before wiping the window to loosen dirt. Using a squeegee, start each stroke in a dry spot, and squeegee in a pattern from top to bottom or side to side. If you are cleaning the outside and inside of the window, alternate the pattern on each side (i.e. top to bottom on the inside and side to side on the outside). This will make it easier to identify which side any streaks are on. Keep your squeegee blade dry by wiping it with a cleaning cloth between strokes. Nicks in the squeegee blade will cause streaks. Replace when needed. If you do not have a squeegee, newspaper will dry freshly washed windows, whereas papertowel or cotton will leave lint behind. Cool clear water is the choice of solution by most professional window washers. For very dirty windows, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar per gallon of water. Landscaping Homeowners should plant colorful flowers along walkway leading to the door, prune existing trees, shrubs and bushes, and add fresh mulch. Clean out dead plants and weeds from flower beds and refresh with colorful plants and annuals. Taller plants at the corners of your house will help anchor it with the landscape. Shorter plants near your home's entry bring attention to your front door. However, this could have a negative impact if the front door is in need of repair (another reason to rethink the exterior improvements noted previously). Last but most definitely not least and probably most important, ensure your lawn is trimmed and green. If you have a lawn in need of attention, you may want to consult a landscaper for advice before trying to repair on your own. Overall Appeal Some further touches that will go along way to increasing the appeal of your home from curbside are: Outdoor lighting - Exterior lighting in your garden, walkway or entrance area add a warmth and welcome feeling that will make a viewer want to see more. Indoor lighting - While your house is on the market, leave lamps on in 1 or 2 front rooms. It brings the home to life and, again, provides the same warmth and welcome feeling as the exterior lighting. Exterior lighting alone will not provide the appearance of a well loved, lived in home, like the combination of exterior and interior lighting can. Furniture - As long as the chairs are well kept and not cluttered looking within the space, two chairs on a front porch provides a tremendous visual appeal from the street. Buyers view the exterior as an extension of the home and will want to view more. The best advice for creating great curb appeal, is to take a walk through your favourite neighbourhood. Analyze what works really well and what doesn't. Then determine why and incorporate those items to fit your own exterior. Most of all enjoy the outdoors and don't get too overwhelmed by the work at hand. © February, 2004 - Xstream Realty Incorporated Amie Walton is the president and founder of Xstream Realty Incorporated, a Virtual Agent online real estate service. She has retained her ASP designation in Home Staging and is managing both XstreamRealty.com and XstreamStaging.com as complementary businesses for assisting homeowners to sell their homes quickly and profitably.
MORE RESOURCES: Cambridge is the worst city in New England for first-time homebuyers, study says. Where’s the best? The Boston Globe Blackstone's Wesley LePatner, a mentor to women and real estate investing leader, killed in NYC office shooting Business Insider Blackstone’s LePatner killed in NYC shooting Private Equity Real Estate | PERE The real estate market: 5 key themes to watch this week Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com AI Is Transforming Real Estate Marketing | Florida Realtors 18 months later, Blackstone still sees real estate comeback ahead Private Equity Real Estate | PERE Real estate: Condo prices rise in Indian River County; fall in Martin, St. Lucie counties Treasure Coast News Troy Furbay has been appointed Managing Director, Hospitality at Crescent Real Estate LLC Hospitality Net ‘Walking beside him’: Daughter continues stepfather’s real estate dream Mountain Home Observer Richland County property transfers recorded July 21-24 Mansfield News Journal Double digit price increases for Putnam real estate Mid Hudson News Alex MacWilliam of Alex MacWilliam Real Estate in Vero GlobeNewswire Haag-Brown Commercial Real Estate to open Bentonville office Talk Business & Politics RE/MAX revenue continues to slip despite agent gains Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com US industrial real estate investor Terreno sells $82m portfolio IPE Real Assets Executive Killed in Manhattan Shooting Was CEO of Blackstone's $53 Billion Real Estate Megafund Realtor.com Inside Zillow’s summer launch: 5 new tools built for agents Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Anywhere revenue inches up despite ‘weird’ housing market Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Real estate transfers: 7/30 Toledo Blade Real Estate Transactions | July 14-18, 2025 Republic-Times Leading Arizona Real Estate Team JBRE Joins Real Brokerage, Bringing $310M Sales Portfolio Stock Titan Real estate office renovating former daycare The News-Enterprise Exclusive: Apple to buy another Silicon Valley campus for $365 million San Francisco Chronicle Ledge Road property in Newport sold for $3.3 million tops latest Newport County sales Newport Daily News Christie’s Debuts Crypto Real Estate Division The New York Times What’s Rising Across the Upstate? Updates on 7 Real Estate Developments - Upstate Business Journal What’s Rising Across the Upstate? Updates on 7 Real Estate Developments Upstate Business Journal Santa Monica Ranks Second Most Expensive for Rentals as Real Estate Market Shows Mixed Signals Santa Monica Daily Press Atlanta real estate tycoon Tom Cousins has died at 93 Rough Draft Atlanta Easton home on Sierra Drive that sold for over $1M 'epitomizes one-of-a-kind luxury' Enterprise News Population Growth in England and Wales: A Boon for Real Estate and Social Infrastructure Sectors AInvest With The Enolia, MCB Real Estate reinvents the residence hall for Morgan State University Baltimore Fishbowl Boardwalk Real Estate: Q2 Earnings Snapshot San Antonio Express-News RealPage buys Rexera, maker of 'AI agents' for real estate deals The Business Journals Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. Reports Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results Quiver Quantitative One of the world’s largest luxury real estate firms wants to help you buy a house — with crypto New York Post Lucky Strike Entertainment Buys Up Location Real Estate RePlay Magazine Gold Key Real Estate lewistownsentinel.com Commercial Real Estate Still Has a Software Problem Commercial Observer Brixmor Property Group's Q2 2025 Earnings: A Strategic Playbook for Resilient Retail Real Estate AInvest Judge sides with LGBTQ+ Alliance in battle with ex-CEO Real Estate News by RealEstateNews.com Fed Interest Rate Predictions: No Cut Expected Tomorrow, July 30, 2025 Norada Real Estate Investments The Future of AI in Real Estate Valuations: Understanding Tomorrow’s Appraisal Standards Appraisal Buzz WeWork Wants You to Know It’s a Grown-Up Real-Estate Firm Now The Wall Street Journal NexPoint REIT Offers Shareholders Choice in $0.15 Distribution: Cash or Stock Payment Options Stock Titan Real estate: Home prices climb in Martin, Indian River counties; fall in St. Lucie County Treasure Coast News Partners Real Estate names a new top executive in Austin The Business Journals Virgin Hotels Chicago Flagship Sold in Strategic Deal Amid Timeshare Real Estate Shift – What You Need to Know Travel And Tour World |
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