You’ve heard the expression, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, but it’s hard NOT to judge a home from the exterior. How many times have you been online shopping for homes and not even scrolled through the pics on a house because you didn’t like how it looked in the cover photo?
We pull into our own driveways every evening, quite possibly in the dark, grabbing everything out of the car, making our way to the door while searching for our keys or checking our phones or chasing our kids. Do we ever stop and look at our homes from the outside?
Take a walk outside and stand on your curb to LOOK at your home. Use your most scrutinizing eye and decide if you would want to look at the inside, based on the outside.
Here are a few tips to give your home more curb appeal to make it stand out among the other listings:
- How does your landscaping look? It should be fresh and simple. Consider some fresh mulch and seasonal flowers around the front of your home for an additional pop of warmth and color. Your yard should be free of leaves and debris and full of inviting flowers wherever appropriate.
- Is there a clear pathway to your front door? It makes a great impression when the front walk flows right to the front steps, making your home approachable and welcoming. Anything that impedes that effortless flow needs to be repaired or removed. Cracks that can cause a misstep should be repaired. Weeds along the pathway need to be removed. Plants lining the walkway are lovely.
- Look at your front door. Giving it a fresh coat of paint will make it look crisp and finished. Depending on the style of your home, you may find that a splash of color may brighten up the appeal of your home.
- Do your outside lights work and are they in good shape? Consider replacing fixtures that the weather has not smiled upon. Make sure all of the bulbs are working.
- Is your driveway clear and clean? Make it easy for people to visualize their own cars in your driveway by keeping it neat and spacious. Remove anything that isn’t a vehicle.
- How does your mailbox look? Does it need to be painted or replaced? And the post?
As potential buyers are walking up to your lovely home, they’ll notice all these little things on the outside which will give them a great first impression as they step into the inside of your home.
Judith Isbell Amico. Realtor 
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