How to maximise your property\u0027s curb appeal

How to maximise your property's curb appeal

First impressions count – and that's true for your property too! When it comes to selling your home, it's equally important to ensure that the outside of your property looks good as it is to make sure the inside will wow viewers. 

Potential buyers will assess your house from the first time they see it and could even discount your property if they don't like the look of it from the outside. In fact, according to research, 93% of people are more likely to view a house if its exterior is well maintained. 

Read on to discover practical ways to maximise your property's curb appeal and attract more viewers through the door. 

Focus on your front door

It's the main entrance to your property, so the eye is naturally drawn towards the front door. It's worthwhile giving some attention to your front door to ensure it's clean, tidy and attractive. 

If you have a painted front door, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Eye-catching colours for front doors include Racing Green, Red and Blue. If you have a uVPC door, give it a good clean. Don't forget to turn your attention to fittings and fixtures such as the letterbox, keyhole, lock, doorbell, knocker or number and give them a polish to bring up their shine. 

If your front door has seen better days, you could even consider replacing it with a brand new door. 

Wash the path or driveway

Make a good impression with the path or driveway leading up to your house by having it power washed. This will effectively remove dirt and stains and rejuvenate the look of paving, concrete or decking. You can hire a power hose to do it yourself - its pressure washing ability is very effective. 

Tidy the front garden or entranceway

Once you've got your path or driveway washed and cleaned, don't forget to give your front garden or entranceway a good tidy up too. Trim hedges, cut grass, sweep up leaves, remove any rubbish, replace cracked paving stones and generally tidy up the exterior to make it look presentable.  

If your property has boundary fences or railings, give them a paint and make sure they're all in good order and if you have a gate, make sure it opens and shuts neatly. It all helps to boost the exterior look of your property and make your house more appealing to buyers.  

Green it up with plants

A few plants and greenery can pep up the look of a front door or entranceway – and you needn't have a garden to include them. Flowering bulbs in pots can add a burst of colour in spring, hanging baskets or window boxes look pretty in the summer and mini evergreen trees in pots work perfectly all year round. 

If you're really not green-fingered and don't want plants to wilt, opt for artificial plants instead. There are many options available today that look very realistic and won't require any maintenance or care on your part. 

Hide rubbish bins

Everyone has them, but there's still a sense that they don't look that attractive when they're positioned outside your house. If you aren't blessed with anywhere that you can move your bins to, try and do your best to hide or disguise them so that they're not the first thing people see. For example, a panel of fencing can help screen the bins out of sight, but still ensure they're within easy reach.  

Install outside lighting

If you don't currently have any outside lighting, consider adding some. A simple wall light added by the front door can provide vital lighting at night. Or you could solar-style lights along a path or under trees. 

Even if viewers see your house during the day, the chances are they might drive past for another look in the evening and good lighting could put your house in a better perspective. 

Maintain windows and guttering

Dirty windows won't help sell your house and neither will guttering that's full of leaves or has other plant-life growing out of it. Take time to clean your windows or get a professional in to do it for you. Some window cleaners also have the capacity to clean out guttering too, solving two issues in one. 

If your window frames have seen better days, or wooden frames are rotting, it could be worth having them replaced. It will smarten up the windows no end and give a good first impression.