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Putting Zeal In Your Curb Appeal
Curb appeal, the first impression your home conveys to prospective
buyers, should create an emotional desire to own the home and enjoy the
lifestyle and status it represents.
Putting the best face on your
home also should give a lasting impression that motivates buyers to
cross the threshold and take that first step toward closing the deal.
Experts advise, more like a home
improvement or exterior staging job than a cosmetic makeover, curb
appeal that sings is particularly crucial now that more and more buyers
are calling the shots.
Give your house model home level
curb appeal for that "new" look and feel and buyers will beat a path to
your door. That's because there's nothing like moving into a home
that's ready to go, free of the need for initial touch ups and free of
the ghosts of owners past.
So how do you put a new face on
your old home? With lots of attention to detail, in not one, but all
the components that make your home stand out on the block.
New paint. There's
nothing like a fresh coat of paint to begin to give your home that
"newly built" look, provided you don't rush the job. Choose a
contemporary color scheme that doesn't clash with the neighborhood, but
sets your home apart. Don't just slather on a new coat over the old.
Remove built up layers of paint before applying a new one. If you don't
need to remove existing paint, you do need to prepare the surface.
Exterior surfaces attract dirt
and grime from dust and pollutants in the air and that will prevent new
layers from adhering properly and cause peeling.
New landscaping.
Well-manicured landscaping is the frame for your home's curb appeal.
The approach should be tidy, simple, healthy landscaping that's
proportional to your home. Know how your landscaping will appear once
it's matured.
From a practical sense, the
plants and trees provide shade and passive cooling as they control
erosion and pollution. They also provide privacy, especially if it's a
single-level home adjacent to two-story houses.
New roof. Some real
estate agents advise against adding a new roof when sales are brisk,
but topping off a complete curb appeal remodeling job, mandates a new
roof, gutters and downspouts.
Today's roofs can add
contrasting color and textures to your home's look. Affordability comes
with multi-dimensional composition asphalt shingles in decorator
colors. For something cheaper than the real thing, but just as unique,
try simulated slate shingles to turn a bland tract home into a more
appealing abode.
New paving. New
sidewalks, driveways and other non-landscaped surfaces help pave the
way to curb appeal. The choices are endless and inexpensive -- concrete
stamped with the impressions of cobblestones, interlocking concrete
paving bricks, and more.
New doors, windows.
Purposeful portals should make visitors feel welcome. New double doors,
new energy-efficient windows framed with shutters, sectional garage
doors with half moon or other interesting windows, all add the final
curb appeal touches.
Written by Broderick Perkins
Wondering What Your Home Is Worth? -- Let me show you.
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