Curb appeal value is the attractiveness of your home & grounds as perceived by passersby. Why is curb appeal value important? If you are planning on moving you want the exterior to reflect the interior beauty of your home. You can never ask more for your home than what it looks like from the curb. In other words, if you’ve remodeled inside and have a wonderful entertaining backyard you must entice buyers to look inside by drawing them in from the front.

Your To-Do List:

Clear the roof of leaves & debris.
Repair and or replace any missing shingles.
Clean the gutters.
Use a high-pressure washer to wash the exterior of the home, including porches, decks, sidewalks & driveways.
If your exterior paint stills looks dingy consider repainting your home or at least add a fresh coat to the trim. 1
Clean windows inside & out, replace broken or “cloudy” glass.
Repair or replace any torn window screens.
Have your trees & shrubs pruned.
Clean the garden areas of leaves & old bark or gravel.
Mow, edge and fertilize the lawn.
If you have overgrown shrubs (especially if they are covering key windows or touching the siding of the house) consider removing them and replacing them with smaller versions.
Add color to your flower beds…check with your local nursery professional to find out what varieties will grow best in your location i.e. sun vs. shade & moist vs. arid soils. 2
Set your flower beds apart from the lawn by adding bark (the “walk on” bark is a nice option as it mulches in slowly and doesn’t need to be removed to add fresh bark. Not only is bark attractive in its color contrast, but it smells really great and helps hold the moisture for your newly planted gardens. 3
Fences: make sure they are solid, replace or repair older fencing.
Give fencing a fresh coat of paint if needed.

Corner lot? Take this opportunity to ensure that the side yard ties in with the front and looks equally as important. Clean exterior light fixtures & make sure the bulbs work.
Make sure the front door and door trim are clean, freshly painted or varnished (if wood). Clean the threshold as well.
Stage the entry with a garden bench or wicker chair or bistro table & chairs depending on your space.
Top your entry off with flower bowls. Keep the scale in mind…if you have a small entry…keep it simple and if you have a large one make sure the pots & plants are big enough to make a statement. Get a new “welcome” mat or outdoor rug if the porch is big enough.
Water, water, water! You spent all this time and effort making your lawn & garden look nice, now water it. 4

Footnotes:

If there is obvious dry rot on doors, door jambs, thresholds, porch posts, eves or the bottom edge of siding, fix these & repaint before the pest inspector arrives.
Annuals work well for instant color, but will need replanting each year. Use perennials if you don’t want to plant as much next year.
Make sure that your soil and bark levels do not touch the underneath edge of your wood siding or stucco…as this causes moisture and may become a breeding ground for termites.
Better to water for a longer period of time i.e. 25–30 minutes every other day vs. 10–15 minutes every day. As it gets hotter or if it is windy, water every day especially if the plantings are new.

Wendy DeWitt is a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty Chico Area and can be reached by e-mailing wendy@chicohomesforsale.com or by phone at (530) 809-3712.