When you’re ready to sell your home, you’ll probably start hearing the phrase “curb appeal” over and over again. First impressions matter in real estate, whether it’s a potential buyer arriving at your home or a picture of your home online.
In today’s real estate market, it’s important to ensure your home is ready to be listed. Before getting your listing pictures done or putting your home up for sale, you want to make sure your house will make an amazing first impression.
Curb appeal is important. When you increase curb appeal, you increase the first impression your home will make with potential buyers. Also, you’re listing pictures will look much better.
Before we look at a few ways you can increase the curb appeal of your home, it’s important to understand how curb appeal will help you sell your home.

Does curb appeal sell a house?

While curb appeal may not directly sell a house, it certainly helps attract potential buyers. In fact, an article from the Washington Post showed 87% of home buyers rely on photos when searching for a new home.
Curb appeal helps to ensure your listing pictures look incredible. When you’re listing stands out online, you’ll attract more potential buyers, which will lead to more opportunities to sell your house.

Does curb appeal add value?

Increasing the curb appeal of your home offers an easy and affordable way to increase the resale value of your home. When your home makes an incredible first impression through exterior improvements and landscaping, it will drive up the appraisal value and the sale’s price.
In addition, attracting more potential buyers opens up the opportunity for a bidding war. Receiving multiple offers means you might be able to sell your home above the listed price.

10 Quick Curb Appeal Tips to Sell Your Home

@TonyTheTigersSon via Twenty20

Before you list your home or even consider having listing pictures taken, make sure you’ll make an incredible first impression. Use these 10 curb appeal tips to make your home even more appealing.

1. Paint Your House
While painting your entire home can get expensive, in some situations, it’s justified. If the current paint is chipping, faded, or the color is outdated, painting your home’s exterior is necessary.
In some cases, you may just need to paint the trim to freshen up your curb appeal. Whether you paint the entire home or just the trim, make sure you choose the right color.
2. Power Wash Your Home
Maybe your home doesn’t need to be painted, but it could use a bath. Hiring a professional to power wash your home will help freshen up the exterior.
3. Trim the Trees & Bushes
You don’t want to hide your home behind trees and bushes. These plants should act as an accent to your home.
Trimming the trees and bushes will help to make your home look clean and inviting. With the right tools, you can do it yourself or you can hire a professional to ensure the trees and bushes look amazing before listing your home for sale.
4. Stage Outdoor Areas
Maybe you’ve already decided to hire a staging company for the interior of your home. While staging the interior certainly helps, you don’t want to forget about exterior areas.
If you have a deck, patio, or porch, make sure it’s properly staged. With the right staging, you can really make your back yard and front yard look more appealing.
5. Replace Your Mailbox
It may seem like a small thing, but the mailbox is one of the first things potential buyers may notice, especially if it features your address. If you have a novelty mailbox or it’s just old, replace it with a new mailbox.
In addition to the actual mailbox, make sure the post holding the box looks great. A fresh coat of stain or paint on the mailbox post goes a long way to adding curb appeal.
6. Add Colorful Flowers
Planting flowers is quick, easy, and inexpensive. Adding a pop of color to the entryway helps make your home look inviting and fresh.
7. Paint the Front Door
If you want a quick and inexpensive way to add instant curb appeal, paint your front door. A new coat of paint goes a long way to make your entryway look fresh, clean, and inviting.
It’s also important to update the hardware if it has become worn or dated.
8. Mow the Lawn
It may seem like common sense, but many homeowners forget to mow the lawn before the photographer arrives. Make sure your lawn is looking its’ best for the listing picture and all showings.
9. Clean the Gutters
Buyers will look at every inch of your home. If your gutters are packed with leaves and debris, they will notice. Make sure you take the time to clean your gutters and your roof before listing your home for sale.
10. Tidy Up
All outside areas of your property should be clean and tidy before the listing pictures are taken. You want to make sure all gardening supplies, toys, and other items are put away. Attend to any weeds growing around your flower beds and check for dirt and grime on your siding.
When you nail the curb appeal, your home will attract more potential buyers. Improving curb appeal doesn’t have to cost a fortune and the return on investment will likely make it worth every penny spent.