Curb appeal:
Whether your showing your home to a potential buyer, or you'd just like to make an impression on your guests this season, you'll never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Touch up or repaint your house numbers: On your curb, or next to your front door, if your house numbers look old, or faded they can give a potential buyer the wrong impression of your home.
On the house: Check for any guidelines your HMA may have outlined before doing anything drastic. You can get a lot of great ideas at your local hardware store. A good rule of thumb to keep in mind is to have them stand out, without sticking out. I like to go with the color of the house trim, keeping them in plain view of the street.
Let a professional handle the numbers on the curb, some HMA's can be very touchy in this area. Potential cost: Somewhere in the neighborhood(no pun intended)of $15 to $35. Helping the fire department to find your home quickly: priceless.
Paint is worth it's weight in gold: Literally, a good paint job will not only improve your chances of selling quickly, but it may increase of overall value of your home. It's the same concept as giving that old trade-in a good cleaning, and the second coat of wax. This trick has been adding thousands of dollars to the deal since Buick first rolled off the assembly lines.
Make sure your dealing with a reputable contractor. A good company, or independent contractor will have no trouble giving you references, and a copy of their contractors license. These are essential when the jobs not up to standards, and fly by night painters can disappear without a trace.
Get rid of that clutter: Anything that doesn't add to the overall aesthetic value of your home should be removed immediately.
You've been driving up to your home for a while now, and while everything may seem necessary to your point of view, that old garden hose stands out like a sore thumb to a potential buyer.
Never park in front of your home: Vehicles in front of your home obstruct your buyers view, and give your home a feel of being too small to handle their needs.
If your garage is still full of last years "Build a better coffee table" project, there's no better time to clean it out. If you don't have a garage, park neatly in the driveway, or ask a sympathetic neighbor to allow you to park in front of their place while showing your home.
Landscaping: This falls under the same concept of cleaning the car before you trade it in. Your lawn can make or break a buyers impulse to make a deal.
Don't have the budget to hire a professional? Use this trick to get some pointers, before you visit the local plant nursery. Call two or three landscapers and ask for an on-sight estimate, most companies will do this at no charge. Careful, the guy they send is probably their best salesman.
Schedule their reps. for non-conflicting appointments this weekend, and ask for pointers to increase the aesthetics of your landscape. Then tell them your comparing prices with some other companies before you make your decision. Who knows, it may be more affordable than you anticipated once they hear that your comparison shopping. Once again, if your having a professional do the work, check their references and ask for a copy of the contractors license. If you still decide you'd rather do the work on you own, you've got some professional opinions to help you decide what to do.
Increasing your curb appeal can bring your home value, and new life. It may take some time, and effort on your part, but in the long run it can turn out to be the most rewarding project you ever invested in your home.