What is curb appeal and why is it important?

The external appeal of a home refers to the value of its exterior. If a house has an attractive exterior, it means that it is attractive to the eye and inspires confidence. Great curb appeal helps you sell a home faster and for more money because of the positive effect it has on buyers. What is curb appeal and why is it important? Curb appeal is what gives homebuyers their first impression of a property before they even enter.

The aesthetic appearance of a home's exterior can indicate what someone can expect to find on the other side of the front door. At a minimum, the exterior will determine if buyers want to take a look inside. Therefore, if you want to maximize the value of your property, it is advisable to focus on improving its curb appeal. Only once buyers are convinced that the interior is worth seeing, will they consult further.

Exterior appeal is a term used to describe the overall appeal of a house or other property from the sidewalk to a prospective buyer. This term is often used by real estate agents trying to sell or evaluate a property. The exterior appearance of a property affects the degree to which it attracts a prospective buyer. Painting the exterior, painting or replacing doors and landscaping gardens are essential to improving the external appeal of a property.

These photos show a property before and after improvements were made to improve the exterior appearance of the property. What counts is what's inside, right? That's true, but when it comes to your home, the outside also matters more than you think. Not only does a home's curb appeal make a first impression on potential buyers, it also plays an important role in determining its value. Whether selling your home is on the horizon or you're planning to stay there for many years, we explain why maintaining its curb appeal is in your best interest, along with some tips on how to improve it.

Many real estate agents, when advertising a house or property, can offer suggestions to sellers to increase external appeal, based on their own experience of what attracts buyers in that market. We spoke with the award-winning agent from Columbus, Ohio, Amy Clark about what makes curb appeal so essential, the little things that some homeowners overlook when preparing their properties for the market, and how you can make a big impression on a tight budget. Exterior appeal describes how a potential buyer feels about a home when they approach it, depending on how it looks from the outside. And while it's still called “outer attractiveness”, today that first glimpse often occurs on the screen of a computer, tablet or smartphone, and that makes it all the more important.

When trying to sell a house or property, many real estate agents emphasize the importance of maximizing external attractiveness, especially since many aspects of curb appeal can be improved cost-effectively. The best thing about curb appeal is that it's easy to achieve with a few relatively minor settings. If a property looks the worst in a neighborhood, buyers may hesitate compared to other, more attractive listings. Robert Johnson, founder of Sawinery, says that “external appeal is an essential part of creating value in a home.

To get a complete picture of the attractive exterior of the house, drive down the street and take note of the first thing that stands out when you arrive. In some cases, even outsourcing aspects to improve curb appeal, such as hiring a landscaping company or hiring a contractor to replace a house's siding, may be financially wise if the final sale price of the property increases at closing. .

Suzanne Richards
Suzanne Richards

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