Looking for Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal?

Estelia has been active in St. Petersburg’s busy real estate market for over twenty years. Her experience is a great asset for clients, especially when it comes to knowing what potential buyers are looking for. She tells them to “focus on exterior home improvements because buyers are searching online for homes” and the exterior image of your home can make or break interest in it. Estelia notes, “Whether you are planning to sell your home or stay in it for years to come, it’s a fact that color and decorative pieces can improve its curb appeal and value”.

Tampa – St. Petersburg Ranks in the Top 12 Metro Areas Nationally in Curb Appeal

One of the first things you should do is spend some time looking at the homes in your neighborhood. Are there any head turners?

The neighborhoods of the Old Northeast, Historic Kenwood and Snell Isle are some of the best examples of homes with great curb appeal. Common elements they share are – attractive color schemes, accessories that complement the style of the home, the right roof, welcoming walkways and front doors, and landscaping with plants, shrubs and flowers that say the owners care.

Here are a few tips that can boost your home’s curb appeal without breaking your budget.

1. Clean Up: Sometimes the most obvious way to enhance curb appeal is simply dedicating a weekend to deep cleaning the exterior of your home. In addition to trimming bushes and mowing the lawn, you will want to clean your driveway, sidewalk, windows, and fence. You can rent pressure washers at Home Depot if dirt and crime is really caked on your home’s exterior.

2. Add Shutters: An easy way to accentuate the size of your windows is to add shutters. Not only does it make your windows look larger, but it adds visual interest by disrupting a bland exterior wall. Choose a color that contrasts with the color of your home to make it pop for maximum curb appeal.

3. Dress up Your Front Door: A well-chosen front-door color can make a strong first impression. Color experts say that a yellow door can be the ultimate statement – Estelia says a “bold yellow” tends to suit energetic young families or anyone with a zest for life and fashion.

4. Add Plants and Exterior Light Fixtures: It’s as easy as painting a terra-cotta planter with your house number and place it by your doorstep; highlighting pathways and trees with landscape lighting that will improve safety and add dramatic effects for your home’s nighttime appeal and varying plant and container sizes, and arranging them on multiple levels.

According to a report by the National Association of Realtors, of the top 10 remodeling projects excepted to recoup the most money at resale, eight are façade improvements costing owners less than $15,000.

Related:
www.hgtv.com/design/topics/curb-appeal
“Curb Appeal: Exciting Ways to Enhance the Appearance of Your Home” by the Editors of Sunset Books
“Quick & Easy Curb Appeal” (Better Homes and Gardens Home) by Better Homes and Gardens