How To Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal

Before selling your home, you might be looking into some ways to improve its chances of selling fast, and for more. A good real estate agent will be able to price your home competitively, and recommend the most valuable changes you could make to your home. But if you’re thinking of selling and have some extra time on your hands, we’ve put together some of the best ways to improve the curb appeal of your home in Ottawa to improve the impression it makes on potential buyers. 

First and foremost, a fresh coat of paint will be extremely valuable to the curb appeal of your house. Fresh paint will make your house look newer, cleaner, and potentially more well cared for. If you can’t paint the whole house, touching up shutters, windows, your front door, or other small details can also make a huge difference. 

Second, replacing the hardware on the outside of your home. Details like the door handle, lights outside your home, house number, mailbox and more are all an indication of the ‘quality’ of your home to clients as they drive or walk past. If they are clean, modern, and new, they’re more likely to make an impact on buyers than if they are rusted, old, or dirty. At a minimum, they should be wiped down and cleaned however possible. At a maximum, they can be fully replaced with newer, fancier items that will wow potential buyers. 

Next, you can update your garden! Make sure there aren’t any weeds, overgrown plants, or other things in your garden that make it look like it isn’t cared for. If you have the opportunity, planting new plants that will impress buyers like colourful flowers or well cared for bushes will make an impact on their perception of your home. If you are selling in the winter, it is still important to keep an eye on how your garden presents itself! Make sure dead plants are well covered, bushes are cut to an even length, and that the garden’s outline is visible so that buyers are aware that it is there. If you are currently in summer, planning to sell in winter, it may also be valuable to snap some pictures of your garden so that potential buyers can see it’s full potential. 

In general, the more green you have, the better. Adding extra plants and making sure that your garden looks fresh and happy brings a better look to your home and makes it stand out. This means you can also put work into your lawn by planting more seed, watering and cutting it regularly, or hiring a professional to help you with any bare spots or dead grass. 

Adding more light to your home is another way to make it stand out! Make sure your front porch light is bright and in working order, and if possible, update it to be more of a statement that matches with the aesthetic of your home. You may also look into spotlights for parts of your home or additional lighting along the front to make it stand out and easy to navigate. 

If you don’t regularly, or even if you do, you may be interested in getting your gutters and roof cleaned to ensure that your entire home appears well cared for and regularly updated. 

If your house has visible electrical features, it may be valuable to find a way to hide them. Whether you paint them to match the colour of your home or build a structure to disguise them, be sure to talk to a professional before you make any major alterations to ensure that you are safe! 

Power washing your house is another great way to ensure that it looks as clean and new as possible. 

If you have a garage, you can also stain your garage door to give it the look and feel of a new door without spending as much money. If you have the disposable funds, a new garage door, especially one with an automatic opener, would be a great asset to a lot of buyers and a highly marketable feature. 

Landscaping is another important part of the way your property is represented to potential buyers. If you have a paved driveway, you may want to explore getting it painted and having cracks updated. If you have interlock of any type, ensure that the stones are still sitting properly, and potentially call a company to come in and fix any breaks or loose stones. You’ll want to sweep the driveway and front entrance, stain any wood if you have a porch or fence, and overall just ensure all of the work put into the front of your home looks like it did when it was first installed. 

Finally, you can add some extras to your front entrance to really make it stand out. Potted plants, new lights, a chair and table, a new door mat, and other small details can all make the place feel like home and impress buyers. 

Once you’ve taken all these steps, it is a good idea to walk all the way around your property and pretend that you are interested in buying this home. Perhaps it will be helpful to remember what stood out to you when you were touring homes when you bought this one! Keep an eye out for minor things that potential buyers might notice. If there is anything else that can be fixed or improved, add that to your list of things to do before you put your home on the market.