Spring is fast approaching and now is the time to focus on cleaning up your yard and outdoor spaces and popping up your curb appeal!
If your house is on the market now or you are thinking about selling,
curb appeal is especially important because it is the first thing potential buyers see. Whether driving by your house or viewing photos on-line - within a few seconds, buyers form a first impression of your property. If their opinion is negative, they may even decide not to go inside your house. Curb appeal matters!

Ideally, your yard and the area leading up to your front door need to communicate the message of “Welcome home!” to you as well as potential buyers. When overgrown, poorly maintained, cluttered or unpleasant, it says the opposite. It may even send the message that your house has not been well cared for and may need repairs.

To help you get started, here are some guidelines and considerations for refreshing your yard and energizing your curb appeal:

1 - De-clutter and organize your space.

Identify the areas of your yard that need to be cleaned up, cleared out, and de-cluttered. Get rid of plants that are past their prime and objects that you do not use, need or love - and re-cycle them or give them to others who can benefit from your “stuff.”

2 - Address safety and comfort issues.

Give your yard, garden and other outdoor spaces a safety and comfort test. Look for overgrown shrubs or trees, prickly or thorny plants, broken pavement or uneven bricks in walkways, inadequate lighting, and other outdoor hazards. Then make the necessary repairs and adjustments needed for making your yard safe and comfortable for people and pets of all ages.

3 - Create a welcoming entrance.

The walkway to your front entryway should be a clear path that curves gently to the door - ideally with enough room for 2 people walking side by side. No overgrown shrubs or tree branches should block the way or the view of your doorway. An open and welcoming touch is to add some type of outdoor seating - such as a bench, small table and chairs, or porch swing - to your yard or front porch.

4 - Include color and interesting features in your yard.

Flower beds, pots of flowers, and hanging baskets are great for adding interest and color to your yard, walkways, and porches.
Yellow and white flowers are especially showy - and be sure to color coordinate with your house colors (brick, siding, shutters, front door).
Fences, gates, natural areas, pathways, and perhaps a water feature with rocks and plantings all add interest and texture that enhance your curb appeal.

5 - Take photos to help you see things that may have become “invisible.”

When you think you are done, take photos of your house and yard - to help you identify things such as:

• Ugly roof stains that need to be professionally removed, gutters to clean out, and windows and storm doors to wash. Also sidewalks, driveways, siding, and decks to pressure wash.
• Outdoor painting to take care of: siding, shutters, trim work, porch rails, mail box, outdoor furniture - and it is always a good idea to give your front door a fresh coat of paint. One of my favorite front door colors is “Sun Dried Tomato” by Sherwin Williams.
• Garden supplies / hoses and tools to put away - and storage areas for trash containers that need to be created or spruced up.
• Welcome mats, light bulbs, outdoor light fixtures, and house address numbers - to add, repair or replace.

So there you have it - a good check list for enhancing and energizing your curb appeal - for you and your family as well as potential buyers - if you are wanting to sell your home! Besides, after being mostly indoors for the winter season, it will be a welcomed opportunity to be able to get outdoors - as the temperatures continue to warm up!

-Vicki Honeycutt
Realtor, Home Staging and Feng Shui Expert, Trend Funnel Blogger
vickihoneycutt@remax.net
www.VickiHoneycuttRealty.com

Please feel free to ask questions or leave comments about this post below. Vicki would love to hear from you!

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Tags: de-cluttering your home, Decorating Tips, Designed to Sell, Greensboro NC Realtor, how to increase curb appeal, outdoor decor, Realtor Tips for Balanced Living

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 12:23 am and is filed under Realtor Tips for Balanced Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response below.