Curb
appeal, the
first
impression
your home
conveys to
prospective
buyers,
should
create an
emotional
desire to
own the home
and enjoy
the
lifestyle
and status
it
represents.
Putting the
best face on
your home
also should
give a
lasting
impression
that
motivates
buyers to
cross the
threshold
and take
that first
step toward
closing the
deal.
Experts
advise, more
like a home
improvement
or exterior
staging job
than a
cosmetic
makeover,
curb appeal
that sings
is
particularly
crucial now
that more
and more
buyers are
calling the
shots.
Give
your house
model home
level curb
appeal for
that "new"
look and
feel and
buyers will
beat a path
to your
door. That's
because
there's
nothing like
moving into
a home
that's ready
to go, free
of the need
for initial
touch ups
and free of
the ghosts
of owners
past.
So how
do you put a
new face on
your old
home? With
lots of
attention to
detail, in
not one, but
all the
components
that make
your home
stand out on
the
block.
New
paint.
There's
nothing like
a fresh coat
of paint to
begin to
give your
home that
"newly
built" look,
provided you
don't rush
the job.
Choose a
contemporary
color scheme
that doesn't
clash with
the
neighborhood,
but sets
your home
apart. Don't
just slather
on a new
coat over
the old.
Remove built
up layers of
paint before
applying a
new one. If
you don't
need to
remove
existing
paint, you
do need to
prepare the
surface.
Exterior
surfaces
attract dirt
and grime
from dust
and
pollutants
in the air
and that
will prevent
new layers
from
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adhering
properly and
cause
peeling.
New
landscaping.
Well-manicured
landscaping
is the frame
for your
home's curb
appeal. The
approach
should be
tidy,
simple,
healthy
landscaping
that's
proportional
to your
home. Know
how your
landscaping
will appear
once it's
matured.
From a
practical
sense, the
plants and
trees
provide
shade and
passive
cooling as
they control
erosion and
pollution.
They also
provide
privacy,
especially
if it's a
single-level
home
adjacent to
two-story
houses.
New
roof.
Some real
estate
agents
advise
against
adding a new
roof when
sales are
brisk, but
topping off
a complete
curb appeal
remodeling
job,
mandates a
new roof,
gutters and
downspouts.
Today's
roofs can
add
contrasting
color and
textures to
your home's
look.
Affordability
comes with
multi-dimensional
composition
asphalt
shingles in
decorator
colors. For
something
cheaper than
the real
thing, but
just as
unique, try
simulated
slate
shingles to
turn a bland
tract home
into a more
appealing
abode.
New
paving.
New
sidewalks,
driveways
and other
non-landscaped
surfaces
help pave
the way to
curb appeal.
The choices
are endless
and
inexpensive
-- concrete
stamped with
the
impressions
of
cobblestones,
interlocking
concrete
paving
bricks, and
more.
New
doors,
windows.
Purposeful
portals
should make
visitors
feel
welcome. New
double
doors, new
energy-efficient
windows
framed with
shutters,
sectional
garage doors
with half
moon or
other
interesting
windows, all
add the
final curb
appeal
touches.
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