By Erin McFeeters
Curb appeal is a significant aspect of potential buyer’s first impressions of a home. According to the National Association of Realtors® Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features, 94 percent of Realtors® have suggested sellers improve their curb appeal before listing a home for sale. Improve your winter curb appeal with these tips.
- Seasonal Clean Up
Gutters overflowing with leaves during winter months give potential buyers the wrong impression. Ensure a home looks taken care of by raking and bagging leaves. During the winter months when it snows, it’s a good practice to shovel sidewalks and driveways. By doing this, buyers will see the home is easy to maintain in the wintertime, and clear walkways provide easy access to the home during an open house.
- Make Driveway Repairs
Without crisp green grass and colorful flowers, the driveway will be noticed by potential buyers right off the bat. By repairing any cracks or replacing the driveway entirely, it will boost curb appeal, and the home will have a much cleaner look.
- Clean Up the Façade
The front of a home is the first element noticed by potential buyers. Replace siding that is missing or broken. A proper power washing can make a world of difference when it comes to the appearance of the home. Put the home’s best foot forward and power wash walkways, decks, patios, and driveways as well.
Bonus tip: pack up the pool noodles, outdoor games, and empty flower pots to make your home appear clutter free.
- Prune Plants
Bushes with branches sticking out will not add to a home. Trimming back anything brown and lifeless in the landscaping can immediately improve a home’s appearance. Landscape.org recommends removing dead branches and pruning overgrown trees and shrubs to create open views of a home before putting it on the market.
- Winter Plants
Hearty winter plants can add color and life to a home even when there is snow on the ground. Try blue spruce, wintergreen boxwood, or coral bells for a plant that will survive the winter.
- Landscape Lighting
During the winter months, it’s dark much earlier than any other season. Outdoor lighting can transform a home’s look and increases livability after sunset. Landscape lighting also allows open houses to run later.
Bonus tip: recommend solar landscape lighting to keep energy costs down.
- Front Porch Clean Up
If you have a front porch, it’s imperative to make the most out of it. Make sure the mailbox is freshly polished or new, the house number is secure, and there is a mat to wipe slushy winter shoes. If there’s room, a small side table and outdoor chairs can create an additional outdoor area.
