Exteriors

Curb Appeal: A large percentage of home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house or take it seriously based on its curb appeal—the view they see when they drive by or arrive for a showing. You can help make sure they want to come inside your house by spending some time working on its exterior appearance. A huge percentage of real estate agents will say that the first thing you look at when preparing a home for resale is its curb appeal. If it looks like a dump from the outside, then chances are it’s the same on the inside.

Contact Fix It 2 Sell It to arrange your exterior makeover and landscaping today. Our team of specialists and designers will turn your home and front yard into the star of the neighbourhood!

• Start with the most obvious things.
  If you can only do a few things to spruce up the exterior of your home, start with the most glaringly obvious. For example, if your garden is overrun with weeds, the front lawn hasn’t been cut in so long that you need a machete to get to the door and remnants of last spring’s garage sale still adorn the front porch, mow the lawn, pull the weeds and get rid of the mess. A messy front yard will be the first thing a potential buyer sees and it might tell them not to look any further. You don’t have to have a prize-winning rose garden to attract potential buyers, just a yard that looks tidy and well cared for.
• Add planters.
  Adding planters (even store bought, ready-made ones) can go a long way toward creating the perception of a well loved home. They not only add colour to a porch or patio, they’re also eye-catching and give the impression you spend time improving your surroundings.
• Ensure consistent window treatments.
  Matched blinds and curtains can add a lot to the perception of quality and thought put into a home. Often people don’t realize how this interior element affects the look of the exterior. 
• Rejuvenate your driveway.
  Since the driveway is one of the first things prospective buyers will notice, it’s a good idea to freshen it up. Adding a sealer can refresh a tired driveway. This is an inexpensive makeover that can be accomplished in a short time by almost anyone, Darren says.
• Cover the beds with cedar mulch.
  Adding red cedar mulch goes a long way to freshening up flower beds even in early spring when plants are small or non-existent. The mulch can be any shade but we suggest red to add a nice punch of colour.
• Warm up that porch.
  An empty porch can look stark and cold. If you have a porch large enough to accommodate furniture, set up a welcoming grouping such as two exterior club chairs and a table or a bistro set for dining. It’s also a good idea to add some colour with plants in containers.
• Put down new sod.
  A lawn in poor condition does not create a good first impression and is something you should consider replacing if you’re trying to sell your home. It’s a lot faster to put down new sod instead of seeding and waiting.
• Add mature plants.
  When working on flower beds, adding larger mature plants is a lot easier (and in some cases, less expensive) than buying several flats of annuals, and more mature plants also tend to have a greater impact.>
• Accessorize that home.
  Adding a new mailbox, house light and house number is a cheap and cheerful way of updating your home’s exterior. Professionally-installed accents can go a log way to making your home look perfect to potential home buyers.
• Paint the exterior.
  Giving the exterior of your home a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for curb appeal. We suggest painting your home in the colour of homes in a more expensive neighbourhood as a great way to create the perception of quality while doing something you probably already need to do. Ask your realtor for assistance: they know which homes are selling better.
• Replace windows.
  Replacing windows has a definite impact on curb appeal. It can make your home look polished and give the impression you’ve upgraded more than just the windows. New windows have more energy-efficient designs, and are selling points for your realtor to promote.