How can I improve my kerb appeal?

[edit] Introduction

If you are interested in selling your house, you will probably need to assess your kerb appeal. A lot of homeowners do not realise just how important their properties' kerb appeal is, but potential buyers could lose interest before they step through the door if they do not like the look of the exterior. Here are a few things that may help sellers avoid those issues.

[edit] Look at the front door

Your homes' front door can either welcome potential buyers into the property or have them wanting to leave straight away. The door is one of the first things that viewers will see, and there are a couple of things that you can do to make it stand out.

If your front door looks old, worn and scuffed, you might think about replacing it. Some homeowners don't want to do this for a house that they're about to move out of, so there is an excellent backup option – painting it. By changing the colour of your door, it makes it look brand new, and you can choose from plenty of colours to make it really stand out and catch the attention of passers-by. Grey, royal blue, purple, yellow and green are all extremely popular choices and will help you refresh the front of your home.

When you do this, you need to keep in mind the style of your property and the neighbourhood houses that surround it. A modern, brightly coloured door on an old-fashioned Victorian house will probably look a bit out of place, so take this into account when you pick your door colour.

[edit] Move your dustbins

Some homeowners will have space at the back of their house to store bins to keep them out of view, but a lot of people have to have their bins at the front of their property, especially in terraced homes. Bins will often be unsightly and, especially in the summer, can smell. This can put a lot of potential buyers off if they have to walk past them when they come in and out of your house.

To resolve this problem, homeowners can clean the bins out after they've been emptied – or if you don't want to do it, there are a lot of services that will do it for you. Cleaning your bins will dramatically reduce any smell, which will make the bins much less noticeable.

You can also move bins further away from your front door so they line up against a hedge or property border where possible. This can make the front area of your home look larger while putting the bins out of direct eyesight. Potential buyers can be fickle and may be put off by things that seem insignificant, so it's worth doing what you can to reduce the risk of this.

[edit] Maintain your greenery

While this one seems like a pretty obvious suggestion, it can be overlooked by homeowners. Trimming hedges or grass that you have at the front of your house is vital to keep the place looking good.

Potential viewers will often see an uncared for exterior and assume that the inside is in the same condition. In the warmer months, try to cut your grass at least once every two weeks or so.

If you have any paving slabs, don't forget to weed around them. You can find all sorts of weed killer sprays in garden centres, but the best solution is usually to pull the weeds up by hand. When you spray the weeds, they will wither and die and can look even more unsightly than they did until they rot away fully.

[edit] Clean your driveway/patio areas

Giving your driveway a good sweep can make all the difference to the front of your house, especially if you live under trees and can get a lot of fallen leaves covering the ground throughout the autumn. Sweeping the leaves away makes the property look much tidier and better maintained and will also reduce the risk of slips and falls that can occur when it gets wet.

Another helpful option (if sweeping isn't giving you the result that you want) is to power wash the ground instead. If you have slabs outside which are prone to becoming slippery as residue builds up on them, power washing them will help to reduce this. It will also help to brighten your slabs and make them look newer.

[edit] Add in some colour

If you've tried all of the above, but the front of your property is still missing something, you can add some extra items to make it more appealing and exciting. Colourful hanging baskets by the front door are a popular addition, with bold blooming flowers that will catch the eye of your viewers as they enter your property. Plant pots on the floor are very effective, or climbing plants like honeysuckle or ivy can decorate the front of your home.

These are a really popular choice for cottages, but it will give most houses a welcoming vibe, providing you keep up the maintenance and don't let it get out of control. These plants and flowers will also help to reassure your viewers that you put plenty of time and care into your house, encouraging them that the inside of the property is also looked after well.

Kerb appeal is a key part of selling a house, not only for when your potential viewers come but for anyone else going past who might be interested. Often, anyone who wants to see your house will drive past it to check the area out before they arrange their viewing to get a better idea of the surroundings. By making sure that your house looks as good as it can on the outside, you will be able to encourage more potential buyers in and increase the chances of achieving your sale. More than two-thirds of viewers say that they lost interest in a property because of the outside; this shows just how important your kerb appeal is when you're trying to sell your home.

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Homeowner.
• Home ownership.
• Property chain.
• Right to buy.
• Shared ownership.
• What is a mortgage?