The importance of maintaining good curb appeal may be common knowledge, but that doesn’t mean that the United States is jam-packed with properties with visually appealing fronts. All too often, homeowners make mistakes that end up harming their property’s curb appeal — and that might just be costing them money. With first impressions crucial during the home-buying process, research shows that less-than-perfect curb appeal can reduce property value by as much as 12.7%. That’s a lot of money to be left on the table.
Even if you’re not thinking of selling up, there’s still value in working to avoid the mistakes that impact curb appeal. After all, it’s much nicer to arrive home to a visually appealing property!
So, what are these common curb appeal mistakes, and what can you do about them? Let’s take a look.
Letting Clutter Accumulate
You can understand how clutter accumulates in the front garden. Furniture becomes worn, bikes are abandoned during a sudden downpour, and it’s easier to leave tools and toys that you and your children use regularly outdoors than put them in their correct place.
Individually, those items do minimal damage. But put them all together, and you’ll have a disorganized, cluttered eyesore that impacts the visual appeal. Take a few minutes to clear up your front yard, and you’ll notice a difference.
Leaving Your Fence Exposed
It’s the property itself that’s the star of the show, but your fence plays a vital supporting role in the overall quality of your home’s curb appeal. For visitors, it’s their first point of contact with your property. So, what does your fence say about your home? Since fences are continually exposed to the elements, they often end up becoming discolored and damaged well before they should have. If you’re installing a beautiful new fence, then get in touch with a professional fence staining company. Staining not only enhances the visual appeal of the fence but also significantly extends its lifespan, keeping it in tip-top condition by preventing cracks, rot, and mold, and protecting it from the weather and sun damage.
Sleeping On Powerwashers
Like fences, driveways and house facades are also subject to damage from the elements. Over time, grime and dirt accumulate, dramatically impacting the visual appeal of your property. This, however, is one of the easier problems to overcome. While grime builds up over the course of many years, you can get rid of it in minutes with the help of a power washer. They’re easy — and fun — to use, and can help keep those usually hard-to-clean parts of your property looking their best.
Cracked Driveways and Missing Roof Tiles
It’s easy to overlook those minor imperfections, but the truth is, they do take a toll on the overall quality of your property. A driveway crack isn’t the end of the world, and neither is it usually a big deal if your roof is missing a tile. However, if you want to make your curb appeal as strong as possible, then it’s worth taking care of them.
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