Usually, people tend to focus their efforts more on making the interiors of their homes beautiful, presentable and inviting. But what about the exteriors? Why are they so seemingly pushed aside? The thing that most people, unfortunately, fail to realize is that their homes’ exteriors play a very important role. Just like we tend to form our first impression and base our opinions about someone solely relying on the way they look, the exterior of your home plays a similar role. This is particularly important to keep in mind if you’re planning on trying to sell your home.
Nothing will discourage potential buyers as quickly as an unkempt home exterior will. That’s why you need to roll up your sleeves and show your home’s exterior some TLC if you are planning on selling it.
Touch up your façade
Think of your home’s façade as your skin, because it actually works as the skin of your home. This means that unless it’s in mint condition, chances are that your home will neither look attractive nor will it be protected adequately from the elements. That’s why you should first inspect your façade and see if there’s room for improvement. The process of touching up your façade can be as simple as applying a fresh coat of paint or as elaborate as having to redo the entire thing, depending on how detailed and regular you were with your maintenance efforts. Additionally, when choosing a new color avoid going for anything crazy. Instead choose neutral shades that will make your home look clean, sophisticated and, most importantly, attractive.
Take care of your porch
If you have a porch, do know that it is another important aspect of your home’s exterior, as well as your curb appeal in general. Porches that look like they have seen better days usually tend to discourage potential buyers as people think that fixing up a porch is both an expensive and time-consuming endeavor. And, truth be told, prospective buyers are usually not looking to buy a property they will have to heavily invest in right after the purchase. That being said, and again depending on the level of previous maintenance, fixing your porch is neither too difficult nor too expensive. If you were being regular with your maintenance efforts, chances are that a good and thorough scrub and just a coat or two of fresh lacquer will be more than enough to give your porch its old shine back.
Fix up your roof
The roof is arguably the most important part of your home’s exterior that you need to pay special attention to. The first thing you need to do is inspect your roof from the outside and see if there is any visible physical damage you can take care of. Furthermore, you should also inspect your roof from the inside and check to see if there are any potential water leaks and buildups forming. Of course, if you notice anything wrong, make sure you take care of it as soon as possible. In order to be able to do all of this, make sure you obtain the proper equipment. Find companies that offer scaffolding and crane hire services so that you can approach the matter of fixing your roof in the safest way possible. While you’re up there, make sure you check your drains and gutters as well and give them a good clean if necessary.
Refresh your driveway
The state of your driveway is another thing that will require your attention. If your driveway is looking shabby and cracked, make sure you repair it before you put your house up for sale. Fixing up a driveway is relatively easy but it does require some time to complete. Therefore, make sure you do some research and see how you can take care of this on your own. Alternatively, if you think that you can’t do this part on your own, do know that there are professionals you can contact that will take care of this job for you.
Maintain your yard
The final step in making your home more appealing to prospective buyers and increasing its value is definitely your yard. Front or back, a yard can easily function as an extension of your living space, so you need to make sure you keep it nice and tidy. What this means is that you need to make sure that all of your grass is well irrigated and nicely trimmed at all times and that there’s no dead foliage anywhere. Additionally, if you don’t have anything besides grass planted in your yard, consider filling it with domestic and native plants. This way, you will minimize the necessary upkeep while making your yard look luscious and beautiful year-round.
When having to touch up your house exterior in hopes of increasing your home’s resale value, approach the task with this mindset: see what you can do to your home that will make it appear more beautiful but also consider the upgrades that will make it more functional. Basically, try to look at your home from a prospective buyer’s eyes. Who knows? Eventually, when you’re finished with all the work you might end up falling in love with your house once more and change your mind about selling it altogether.
