Top tips to improve your home exterior and increase kerb appeal

According to Zoopla, ‘first impressions really do count’ when it comes to the exterior of a house and selling a property. A recent survey revealed a staggering 69% of prospective buyers wouldn’t even consider a second viewing if your home made a bad first impression.  .

Making sure your home exterior is in tip-top shape will make your property more appealing to prospective buyers plain and simple.

Even a few quick fixes can dramatically improve the kerb appeal of your home, plus you don’t need to break the bank in the process, keeping ongoing maintenance costs down by preventing long-term problems arising.

A well-kept exterior can up the wow-factor to stand out over the competition and it gives potential buyers an insight into the properties condition on the inside. You don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure your home gives the right impression the first time round.

Here are our top 10 quick and easy to get your neighbours talking:

1. Fantastic front doors

An attractive front door can say a lot about the property and its condition. Flaky paint, broken door handles or a bell not working can all indicate that a property is not looked after.

If you have a wooden door, scrape off any old paint, followed by a light sand down, then rejuvenate with a decent paint following the guidelines on the tin for the best application. There are some amazing tones and colours to choose from, but don’t go too crazy, stick to pastels or more traditional colours to complement your exterior walls. If you fancy a treat, Farrow and Ball have a large selection of colours to suit every taste and style of property, and B&Q also do a great range of wood paint to suit all pockets.

For plastic or composite doors, you can buy specialist cleaning products to bring your door back to life. Or if you cannot get hold of anything specialist, washing up liquid, a sponge and some elbow grease can make a notable difference.

If the door is simply beyond repair, consider investing in a replacement as it could be a wise purchase.  

2. Excellent exteriors

If your exterior walls are marked, flaky or damaged, like an unloved front door, it can hint that a property is in poor condition on the inside.

Fresh paint on the exterior can really improve kerb appeal and make a property look ‘clean and fresh’. Choosing the right shade for your exterior house walls is important, so opt for neutral exterior house paint colours that aren’t overbearing or too strong.

If you have brick walls, look at the pointing and see if it needs attention as this can affect the aesthetics of a house exterior quite dramatically if left untreated.

If you need any inspiration for your house exterior décor look, take a look at sites such as Houzz and Pinterest as they are jam packed full of top tips and design ideas.

3. Wonderful windows

It sounds obvious, but clean windows really can make a big difference to the aesthetics of a property. Get a local company in to undertake a professional clean as they will also wipe down window sills, frames and potentially guttering.

4. Pretty Pots

A trip to the local garden centre to pick up some flowers will add a lovely touch to the front of your home and can also potentially detract from any flaws you’d rather not have potential buyers see… sssssh! Placing large, planted pots on either side can help frame a front door and create a real show-stopping entrance.

5. Lush lawns

Keeping grass regularly mowed will up the appeal of your house to buyers. Try to remove any moss, thatch and weeds with regular treatments. Water on a regular basis to keep grass short and re-seed any bald patches and remember to trim long grass from around edges and boundaries. The Royal Horticultural Society has some great advice on keeping your lawn looking in top shape through the summer and provides insights into when to feed, weed and water.

6. Delightful driveways

If your drive is looking shabby, use a jet-wash (spraying diagonally) to lift off grime, dirt and any moss. Pull up any weeds in and around the driveway or growing in-between your block paving - then apply a preventative to stop them coming back. If there are gaps in the joints of your block paving, re-sand or re-point to finish the job properly.

Brush up any leaves that fall on your drive and pathways, these not only look unsightly, but they can also be slimy under foot and potentially be a hazard for viewers.

Don’t forget to make sure any gates are in good shape. A rusty or broken gate hanging off its hinges will not make a good first impression, so make sure the garden gate/s are in good working order.

7. Beautiful boundaries

Giving a coat of wood treatment or paint to fencing will not only create a smart definitive boundary for your property, but also make a real statement in a garden adding character and colour.

Adding trellises, climbing plants or statement festoon lighting along any boundary can add depth and excitement to a garden. An attractive garden is one of the key factors buyers are looking for, especially those with children, so making the space appealing can really make the difference to your chances of a sale.

If you have a large front garden, use the space wisely. A front garden is not only for parking the car or housing the wheelie bins, but it can also be used as an extension of the back garden. If it’s gated, has privacy and it’s safe to do so, you could install a kid’s trampoline, relaxed seating area or even a pond – the opportunities are endless, so don’t under-utilise the space.

8. Banish the bins

We all know wheelie bins aren’t the most attractive, they can be smelly and rather unsightly – we can’t get rid of them, but we can hide them! If you don’t have room to house them down the side of your house, there are  numerous storage solutions available that will attractively make them disappear so you and your potential buyers aren’t greeted by a barrage of bins.

9. Luminous light

Simple exterior house lighting, either solar or mains powered, can make a home feel more welcoming and provide an additional level of security. Lights on either side of a front door naturally direct visitors to your entrance, plus they can also highlight any exterior design features around the front door that are architecturally attractive and a strong selling point for your home.

Potential buyers house hunt not only during the day, but also at night, so having a well illuminated house in the evening can potentially allow people to see your home more easily from the road.

10. Perfect paths

Getting safely into your property is key for any potential buyer. So, replace any broken or loose paving stones, as these can not only look unsightly, they can also be a trip hazard. Remember to check beyond your garden gate, if the pavement outside your home is uneven, cracked or damaged, this could present a risk to the safety of pedestrians as well as potential visitors to your home, be sure to contact your local council and report the defects.

We hope you have found our top 10 tips to increasing your kerb appeal helpful, let us know how you get on by sending us a photo of your kerb appeal projects to [email protected] and we may feature them on our Spring Facebook and Instagram pages.

Found a property that has made a great first impression on you?

Have you found your new home that was love at first sight? Did you know Spring can get you into your dream home sooner than you think in today’s competitive housing market?

We are all about simplicity here at Spring and we believe selling your home should be a quick, easy and stress-free process.

You don’t need to worry about home improvements or tackle renovations prior to selling, as we buy any house, in any condition. Our award-winning sell house fast service simply buys your home without having to sell on the open market avoiding the potential fall throughs and current conveyancing delays. Spring gets you ahead of the competition as a chain-free buyer and puts you in the strongest position possible to snap up your new dream home.

Spring’s ‘excellent’ rated Trustpilot service can get you moving in as little as seven days, so don’t let your dream home slip through your fingers, contact Spring today to make your next move.

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