Curb Appeal: Why Is It So Important?

The curb appeal of a property is an incredibly important aspect that can make or break a real estate deal.

Property managers use this term to sell or evaluate a piece of property and it can help determine the value of some property.

So, if you are a property manager or property owner, it is essential that you know the ins and outs of curb appeal.

In this guide, we will be discussing the definition of curb appeal, as well as how it affects the property value and some tips and tricks to increase it.

To begin, let's go over what the curb appeal actually means.

What Is The Curb Appeal?

A home's curb appeal is defined as the general attractiveness of the property from the sidewalk or from potential buyers. This means that the curb appeal focuses mainly on the home's exterior, like the front door, window boxes, etc.

When selling a property, a real estate agent may stress the importance of maximizing the curb appeal and doing everything possible to improve curb appeal. This is because many aspects of the curb appeal can be improved in a cost-effective manner.

Now, we know what curb appeal is and that it is important to maintain it, but, why?

In the next section, we will be going over some of the reasons why maintaining a good curb appeal is important to selling a property.

Why Does Curb Appeal Matter?

Although the curb appeal is mostly seen as the way that a property looks from the outside, it is actually much more than that.

Proper curb appeal can actually serve as an incredibly effective marketing tool to help sell your property. But, how?

The answer is that prospective buyers will set higher expectations depending on what they see on the outside. This means that they are more likely to walk inside and check out the property if they like what's on the outside.

But, the curb appeal does not begin being important when prospective buyers are on the front porch. The curb appeal is extremely important even on listings on the internet.

Curb Appeal Online

Since the majority of homebuyers start their purchasing journey online, it is important that the online presence of a property has a good curb appeal.

When posting online, any pictures of the property should have the goal of highlighting the home's curb appeal. This means including things like:

• Outdoor furniture
• Outdoor art
• Fresh mulch
• Clean garage doors

Further below in this article, we will discuss all the ways that a property owner or manager can boost curb appeal for their property.

Impact Of Bad Curb Appeal

Sometimes, when the property needs to be sold quickly or is being handled by someone without much experience, the curb appeal won't be as high as it really should be.

Although this may not have a significant impact on the price of the property, it will definitely cause some buyers to shy away from the property. The real impact is in the number of people that are going to be interested in the property.

As mentioned before, when someone drives by a property, they are more likely to check inside if the curb appeal is high. However, if the home does not seem to be taken care of, they may not be tempted to look inside.

This aspect is difficult to consider because, in some situations, the home can seem messy due to the owner's personal style, like having overhanging trees and lot's of plants.

Home Value

A home with a higher curb appeal tends to sell for around 7% more than similar homes. This may not seem like a lot, but 7% of a normal house value, like $500,000, is $35,000.

Also, having a good curb appeal can help with the appraisal process as well. This is because a bad curb appeal can negatively impact the perceived value of the home, lowering the appraisal.

So, now that we know all about the importance of curb appeal and how it can impact our property, one question remains:

How do we fix it?

Below, we will be outlining some of the many ways that a home's curb appeal can be increased.

Boosting Curb Appeal

We have already discussed the importance of boosting your curb appeal, but we have not yet discussed some of the ways that this can be achieved.

Below is a list of some of the important ways a property manager can boost a property's curb appeal.

Replacing old hardware

Replacing old hardware can be a good way to show prospective buyers that the home is taken care of and regularly maintained.

This means changing door hardware, light fixtures, the mailbox and any other piece of hardware that can be seen from the outside.

It is important to remember that all of these elements work better when they work together. This means getting hardware that has the same color, finish, or material.

Doing this will add consistency to the exterior of the property and boost the overall curb appeal.

Power Washing

Even though the front of the home may not seem dirty, it is still a good idea to power wash the entire exterior.

By using a pressure washer to wash the exterior, you are eliminating the walls of any dust or dirt that has been there for a long time. This can give the property a "renewed" look because of how clean it is.

Apart from power washing the exterior of the home, you should also power wash things like:

• The front door
• The house numbers
• The path to the house
• The driveway

…and any other solid surfaces that may accumulate dirt.

Painting

If you notice that power washing does does not effectively make the exterior walls of your home cleaner, it may be time to paint them.

Over time, the paint on these surfaces can deteriorate and change in color. When this happens, it is always a good idea to paint the entire exterior of the home with the same color.

It is typically recommended to paint all of the walls the same shade and color as well as during the same timeframe. This allows the house to look cleaner and well put together.

Fixing The Garden

If there are plants or tress in the front of the property, it is important that these are taken care of before listing the property.

This means doing things like:

• Organizing garden beds
• Pulling weeds
• Cutting the grass in the front yard
• Pruning shrubs

…and anything else depending on the plants that you have.

Revamping The Porch

Having a nice-looking porch can be a good selling point for a property.

If your property does have a porch, it may be a good idea to furnish it and add some seating or some art to it. Many people put rocking chairs on the front porch if it is more of a traditional home.

You can even include rugs, tables, throw pillows, or anything else that matches the home's style.

Making a Grand Entrance

Another aspect of the exterior of a property is the entrance. Since the entrance to a home serves as the focal point for homebuyers, it is important to make it as attractive as possible.

This can be done by doing a few things, like:

• Buying a new door
• Giving the entryway a thorough cleaning
• Making sure there is a clear path to the front door
• Ensuring perfect symmetry

All of these can quickly transform the way that a homebuyer sees the exterior of a home and can make or break a real estate transaction.

Bottom Line

The curb appeal of a property is an extremely important factor for potential homebuyers looking to purchase. By doing all (or only some) of the things listed here, a property owner or manager can completely transform the way their home looks to the outside.