Creating Curb Appeal

They say you can't judge a book by its cover. But when it comes to houses, the exterior can be just as important as the interior if selling or buying.

When selling, it is the outside, or the home's curb appeal that often determines whether the inside is ever seen. How a house 'shows' from the street can tell a potential buyer a lot about what it may be like inside. Even if the inside is the sparkling, charming, structurally sound dream home they've been searching for, a buyer is not going to forget a cracked driveway, fallen shutters, overgrown grass and flower beds.

That's why most REALTORS® recommend a house not be seen for the first time at night. If you have no choice but to view homes at night, always be sure to drive past them during the daytime before making any final decisions.

For sellers, there are many ways to enhance the exterior of a home to achieve the curb appeal necessary to attract prospective buyers. Start by taking a close, objective look at your home from the curb. Be sure to view it from different angles. Ask friends and neighbors for their unbiased opinions. What are the appealing features? What's not so appealing? What can you do to improve its appearance?

Are the shrubs untrimmed? Are there broken doors and windows, loose screens and railings? Does the exterior trim, or entire surface, need a paint job?

The interior may be clean, without a leaky faucet, cracked floor or loose door hinge in sight. But if the exterior roof, gutter, walls, driveway, garage and yard look dirty and untidy, chances are you're not going to get a lot of potential buyers knocking at the door.
Creating curb appeal is making your home inviting from the outside -- where first impressions begin. This doesn't mean spending a great deal of money remodeling and renovating. Adding a new front verandah might add a lot of curb appeal, but so will a couple of wicker chairs and potted flowers by the front door - at a lot less cost.

Here are some more tips for making the outside of your home attractive and inviting:
Clean up the yardMow the lawn, trim the hedges, weed the flower beds, get rid of dead trees and shrubs; get rid of any broken lawn furniture; shovel the walk and driveway in winter; rake the yard in the fall.

Repair any problemsIf the roof is damaged, repair it. Also repair any doors and windows that have loose hinges or other damage; fix storm doors and window screens; caulk window exteriors; clean and repair sidings and other structural flaws.

Eliminate clutterIf you have yard and construction debris piled up along the side of the house, or elsewhere, get rid of it. The exterior of your home should be as uncluttered in appearance as the interior. This includes cleaning out the garage - a major breeder of clutter. Be ruthless. If you haven't used something in a year, give it to charity or recycle it.

Give siding a fresh new lookCleaning the exterior surface is all your home may need for a fresh new face. Before rushing to paint siding, try washing it. For painted wood siding and aluminum siding, use a solution of one cup strong detergent and one quart chlorine bleach in three gallons of water. Be sure to wear rubber gloves, goggles and other protective garments. Work from the bottom up and rinse thoroughly.

To spruce up vinyl siding, hose it down, sponge it with a mild liquid detergent and rinse.
Use paint to brighten, re-proportion exteriorA paint job can do wonders for the exterior of a home. A low house can look more graceful and tall from the curb by emphasizing its vertical features. Paint elements such as doors, shutters and corner trim in a color that contrasts with the siding material or color. On a high home, emphasize horizontal by using a contrasting paint color on window sills and fascia boards. You can also make a tall house look lower by painting it a dark color, provided that the roof is dark too. Conversely, a light color will make a home look larger.

Co-ordinate the exterior 'look'The more co-ordinated your house looks from the outside, the more appealing it will be. Co-ordinate the 'look' of your home by painting the garage, tool shed, playhouse and other outdoor structures with the same color schemes as the house. If your house is a mixture of conflicting textures - vertical siding, shingles and brick, for instance - try painting them all the same color, or in two related shades of the same color, to create a harmonious look. Dark tones work best when working with conflicting textures.

Use flower powerWell-placed flowers, trees and shrubs can really make the outside of a home look inviting. Not only does attractive landscaping invite buyers, it can increase the value of a home. Even without major landscaping, flowers can make a yard look colorful and pleasant. Plant them in garden beds, hang them from railings and porch ceilings, add flower boxes to window sills. There is no limit to the power of flowers.

At night, highlight garden features with spotlights and floodlights. Well-lit paths and entrances promote safety, discourage burglars and are an added feature to any home. A pretty wreath on the door and a welcome mat will finish things off.

Spring out of Hibernation

Spring brings a sense of excitement and anticipation to those tired of being cooped up indoors for the long winter months. This is especially true for gardeners - spring means it's time to get growing again.

For many people, just the act of digging in the soil can be very uplifting. But equally satisfying is the beauty a well-kept garden can add to your home. If you are thinking of selling your home, landscaping can actually increase your home's "curb appeal" and "saleability."

Even if you don't consider yourself a green thumb, you can enjoy the art of adding colour and life to your garden. And, there are plenty of places to turn for tips and advice. Your local library or bookstore will have a variety of books and magazines to help you and the Internet has an abundance of gardening information as well.

Where to begin
You may be looking out the window at a lot of dead plants, leaves and debris leftover from the winter. The first job for most people will be a thorough clean up of your yard, planters and flowerbeds.

Create a plan
Take care to plan your garden before you start buying flowers and shrubs. Because garden centers are so busy at this time of year, it's a good idea to bring along a sketch of what you want your garden to look like. Consider sunny and shady areas of your yard and decide where you want flowers, shrubs and vegetables to grow. Also be sure to think about a colour scheme, varying heights and widths of plants as well as blooming schedules. You don't want the whole show to take place in early spring or summer.

Your local garden center can help you choose a combination of perennials, shrubs and annuals that will provide continuous colour throughout the entire growing season and into the fall. Many will even provide landscape design services free of charge provided you purchase the plants from them.

When to start
Once you start seeing tulips and other spring bulbs come into bloom, the soil is usually warm enough to start digging. The ground should also be thawed enough to divide and move perennial flowers and herbs, plant shrubs and trees and to start rejuvenating your lawn. It's also a good time to prune bushes.

Spring gardening tips
Here's a few more tips to get your garden growing this spring - check with your local garden center for more advice:

Prepare your flower beds by deeply digging the soil and adding composted manure. Loosen heavy clay soil by adding peat moss.
Plant perennials now and enjoy them for years to come. Pay attention to different blooming times and plan for a sequence of color all season long.
Tidy up your spring bulbs by removing faded flowers. Don't cut down the leaves of your spring bulbs until the foliage turns brown. Bulbs need their leaves to replenish food reserves for next year's flowers.
Plant summer flowering bulbs such as Freesia, Gladiolus, Dahlias, Lilies and Anemonies.
Plant annuals and vegetables once all risk of frost has passed.
Your garden can actually become an extension of your living space - outdoors. A well-planned and maintained landscape will beautify your home and provide an oasis for the senses.

OREA