You’ve bought a house and invested your time and money into rehabilitating it, what’s next? If you want to sell your property in a timely manner, it has to have curb appeal. Homes with curb appeal move more quickly and can command higher prices. And without effective curb appeal, most people won’t give your house a second look.
There’s more to rehabilitating an old house than simply repairing it. Some experts believe that good curb appeal can boost your property’s value by as much as 20%. What are some external improvements that can encourage traffic to stop in front of your investment properties?
1. Give the exterior a thorough cleaning
You’ll be pleased to know that a clean house can boost your house’s sale price by as much as $10,000 to $15,000, so it’s important to make your property look brand new. If you’re pressed for time, you can always hire a professional cleaning company to do it for you. If you decide to tackle the project yourself, make sure to do the following:
- Clean away any dirt and mildew on your house’s exterior.
- Use a pressure washer to restore steps and walkways to their former glory.
- Clean the gutters and wash the outside of the windows, making sure to remove any cobwebs.
- Thoroughly wash garage doors.
2. Repaint your exterior
Most paint jobs have a warranty for about 10 years, and then it’s time to apply a new coat. If you’re selling an older house, chances are it’s going to need a fresh layer of paint to give it that new look which attracts buyers.
A professional paint job could cost you around $4,000 to $6,000, depending on the size of the house and the company you hire. Alternatively, if you have the time and tools, with the proper preparation you can easily paint the house yourself.
3. Do some landscaping
Landscaping is an important part of boosting curb appeal. Statistically speaking, well-landscaped properties have a nearly 5.5% to 12.7% increase in value over those that don’t. For this reason, you want to make sure that the lawn compliments the house. Here’s how you can do that:
- Remove any weeds and keep the grass neatly cut.
- Fill any holes in patches of mulch that you have and use an edger to define the border between grass and mulch.
- Remove or replace any dead or dying plants in the garden.
- Add some potted plants around the front of your property.
4. Give the house a maintenance check
As you’re giving the exterior a facelift, take this time to assess the outer condition of the home.
- See if there are any parts of the roof in need of attention.
- Check the gutters and drainage pipes to see if they’re tightly fastened and unblocked.
- Assess the condition of the shutters. Note if they need to be tightened or repainted.
- Give all light fixtures an inspection. Change bulbs and replace lights that look worn and weathered.
Your home’s curb appeal can affect the marketability of your property. It’s the first impression that people will have and can impact the property’s allure for those who are searching online or just driving the neighborhood. That is why boosting curb appeal is critical if you want to get the most value out of your real estate investment.
