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Curb Appeal Deserves Top Priority

Published January 1, 2009
By Brad Bergamini  

Home sellers should give top priority to improving their home's curb appeal – the view that buyers see when they drive by or arrive for a showing.

A large percentage of home buyers decide whether or not to pursue a house based on that initial impression, so take steps to ensure you won't lose them before they have a chance to see the interior.

Curb Appeal Exercise

The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway to get a good view of the house and its surroundings. View the property from the same position as a home buyer who is doing a drive-by.

  1. What would be your impression of the house and yard area if you were seeing it for the first time?
  2. What are the best exterior features of the house or lot? Can you enhance them even more?
  3. What are the worst exterior features of the house or lot? How can you minimize or improve them?
  4. Park where a potential buyer would and walk towards the house, looking around you as if it were your first visit. Is the path clean and tidy?
  5. Start making a list of your positive and negative feelings about the property's appearance.
  6. Take photos of the home's exterior. If you have a digital camera, view the color versions first, then switch the photos to greyscale. Sometimes it's easier to see problems when color isn't present to affect our senses.

Evening Appeal is Important

Do the exercise again at dusk or just after dark. It's not unusual for potential buyers to drive by houses in the evening, so its curb appeal should extend into the nighttime hours.

Outdoor lighting is nearly always a plus:
String low voltage lighting along your drive way, sidewalks, and around landscaping elements.

Add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.

Solar versions of outdoor lights are quick and easy to install, but only work when they receive full sun each day.

Lighting that's visible through front windows should enhance the home's appearance.

The Rear View

Buyers doing a drive by will try their best to see your back yard. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, it should be a part of your curb appeal efforts.

Landscaping Decisions

There are times that adding elements to your landscaping can help curb appeal, but there are also times when removing something is more effective.

Here's an Example

There was a listing for a large brick house with white columns in front. Tall evergreens, planted in front of each column, had grown taller than the roof. They obscured the columns and windows and made it difficult to see the front of the house.

It was suggested that the owner remove them. She trimmed them back, but it didn't do the trick – they were unattractive and still kept potential buyers from seeing the true character of the house.

The house sold to a couple who could see past the trees. One of their first tasks after closing was to yank them out of the ground, instantly boosting the home's curb appeal.

The Moral of the Story

Most buyers cannot visualize changes, and often won't take a second look at a house if the first isn't appealing to them. Those who can visualize changes, and are prepared to make them, expect YOU to reduce the price of the house to compensate for the work.

The owner of the house in the story was comfortable in the house and couldn't understand why leaving the trees in place made a difference. She forgot that you have to show buyers the best aspects of a property—you cannot expect them to imagine improvements on their own.

Other Enhancements

If you can budget it, a fresh paint job does wonders for a dingy house. Drive around to find color schemes that are appealing.

How about a more attractive front door, maybe something with leaded glass inserts?

If you can't justify the cost of a new door, consider replacing plain doorknob hardware with something more attractive.

If new hardware is beyond your budget, how about repainting or staining the door and polishing the hardware?

If you brainstorm, you'll find that there's a solution to most problems—one that lets you stay within your budget.