general contractors near me
14
Sep

Creating Curb Appeal to Sell Your Home

Planning to sell your home in the Greater Philadelphia area? It’s time to start working on your curb appeal. We all tend to get used to looking at our own houses for so long that we stop noticing things like dirty or peeling paint, trash cans in front of the house, and cracks in the driveway. But other people notice. It’s time to take a fresh look at your house the way a buyer might and ask yourself, “Would I buy this house again, the way it looks now?” If the answer is no, you’ve got some work to do.

The basics

The first thing to do is to clean. Clean the exterior walls – mildew on siding, dingy stone or brick, dirty grout. Clean the windows inside and out. Clean the gutters. Power spray the walkways and driveway to make them look new. Hide trash cans, bicycles, and garden tools. 

You’ll also need to spruce up the lawn. Got any bare or dead spots on the lawn? Put down fresh grass seed. Overgrown bushes and trees should be trimmed or removed. Any landscaping too close to the house or partially hiding important home features should also be trimmed or removed. Cluttered gardens need to be straightened. 

Important repairs

Once your house is neat and tidy on the outside, it’s time to make some upgrades, either small or large. For instance, as you cleaned the windows, did you notice the caulk shrinking or the paint peeling? This could be from weathering and just needs new caulking and a paint job, but it could be a sign of leakage and a bigger issue. Be sure to get your windows checked for leaks. 

A simple and inexpensive but very important upgrade is new hardware on the front door (and any other door or window that needs it). This also includes new, attractive house numbers that fit the house’s style and can be easily read from the road. 

As you cleaned off your roof and your gutters, did you see any loose debris from deteriorating shingles? This is a sign it may be time to replace your roof. A new roof can significantly increase the selling price of your home. Repairing or replacing gutters or installing gutter guards is not very expensive but can have a very important impact on your home, directing water away from the walls of your house and preventing leaks. 

Does your siding need more than just a good scrubbing to look good again? New siding, like a new roof, dramatically improves the beauty of your home, and it keeps your heat and air conditioning inside your home and the cold, heat, wind, and rain out. The options for siding are so vast you are sure to find something you like within your price range.

Cracked or deteriorating walkways and driveways can be a real hazard. You don’t want potential buyers falling when they come to see the house. You may need to repair or replace your hardscaping.

Make your house pop

So far, we’ve talked about things that any homeowner would expect: a house that’s clean and in good repair. Now let’s talk aesthetics. 

There are many different tastes and your house is not going to appeal to everyone, but you don’t need it to. You just need it to appeal to the right person, who has tastes similar to yours. And the more people who love the way your house looks, the more potential buyers you have. Here are a few suggestions to think about. At M&K Renovations, our designer can work with you to find just the right options to match your personal style. 

  • Entryway – Add a bright front door, a gazebo, or a new portico
  • Walkways – Create a mood: winding, straight, or angular; brick, concrete, or stone
  • Lighting – New lighting around the porch, along the walkway and drive, highlighting a tree with attractive structure increases safety and beauty
  • Use of color – Color is a must: garden color that pops or soothes; roof, siding, or trim color that’s appealing and stands out
  • Walls and fences – Add boundaries and a guide for the eyes with a fence that coordinates with the style of the home: wrought iron, brick, natural or painted wood, picket fence, or a privacy fence for houses close together
  • Hiding in plain view – Consider decorative fencing around your air conditioning units; an outdoor shed for trash cans, garden tools, and kids’ toys; a coordinating paint job or a bush growing in front of your electric meter to camouflage it
  • Outdoor living – Create an outdoor room for relaxation and enjoyment of your property: gazebo, patio, deck, outdoor water feature
  • Inviting windows and garage doors – Consider adding shutters to dress up your windows, or installing a bay window that looks beautiful both inside and out; replace the garage door to coordinate with shutters or siding 

 

These are just a few of the many ideas we’ve helped people add to their homes to make them really stand out from others in the housing market. Contact us at M&K Renovations, (610) 353-2895, if you’re trying to create curb appeal for your home. Our designers and building experts will go over your needs and goals with you to develop a plan to improve your home’s curb appeal for a quick sale. We serve Philadelphia and surrounding areas from our headquarters on the Main Line.