What is the first thing you notice about a house? The outside. We often spend so much of our time working on the interior of our homes that sometimes the exterior of our home is forgotten. Having a beautiful home on the inside does not help if your exterior is screaming for some upgrades or curb appeal. A well-landscaped yard and an appealing exterior can up the value of your home by 7-15%. Buyers will definitely want to see the interior of your lovely, staged home when you have curbside appeal!
Our Anne Winch Ottawa Real Estate and Staging Team would like to offer a list of suggestions on what you can do to make sure you have the complete look.
Get the paint can out!
There are some simple touches you can do to just make your home sparkle and one of them is just touching up some areas around the exterior of your home. Here are some ideas you can do:
- Paint your siding (yes you can paint your siding a different colour with paint that can last up to 15 years. If you are too busy to complete this task hire a professional!)
- Change the colour of your door and paint the trim. Door colours could be putty, warm taupe or hues of blues or greys. Creams and blacks are also still in too. There are so many colours to consider! Just complement the colour of your door to your siding or brick.
- Paint the garage door! Hint: If your front door is front facing you need to match the colour of your front door to the garage. If your garage is not front-facing you can match the colour of the stonework or the trim colour to your garage door. Your front door can be a different colour. Whichever way you go make sure it has a cohesive look.
Accessorize the exterior
Add a punch of colour to accessorize the exterior of your home such as:
- Vibrant pots of flowers on either side of your front door.
- Add new hardware to coordinate with your door (think black, pewter, brushed bronze)
- Add a new mailbox that is either modern or country chic according to your home’s architecture.
- Add a seasonal wreath and a bench or chairs with pillows bursting with bright colours to welcome buyers to your door.
Clean and repair
Nothing takes away buyers from a home like loose fixtures, wobbly fences or broken screen doors. Take a walk around and make a note of all things that need a little care.
- Pressure wash all decks and siding and concrete. A lot of dust, grime and mildew can accumulate over the years. (pressure washing can peel off paint, so be careful)
- Clean out your gutters.
- Give your shrubs a haircut and remove any dead leaves from flowers and plants and add mulch. Make sure your lawn always looks well-manicured.
- If you have a deck or patio don’t forget to jazz up the accessories with an outdoor rug, new cushions for outdoor furniture and some comfy pillows.
We hope that these suggestions will help you get your exterior looking as lovely as the inside. If you have any questions on staging the interior or exterior of your home, give our Team a call and we would be pleased to help you stage or sell your home. All our clients benefit with our free home staging services as we want your home to look its best inside and out.