10 Ways to Boost Curb Appeal

Do you have a home that desperately need help in the curb-appeal department? If so, Mike Aubrey of RE/MAX Metropolitan Realty in Gaithersburg, Md., has solutions that can spruce up any home exterior.


Here's an excerpt featuring Aubrey’s 10 tips on curb appeal:

Take a fresh look. After living in a house, it’s easy – and convenient -- to stop noticing what needs fixing. For sellers in denial, Aubrey, known for his tough-talking approach to real estate, shows the seller pictures of competing homes, and says: "Buddy, if I were a buyer picking which home to see, yours would come in last."


View your house as a portrait. Create a composition where everything – hardscape, softscape, entryway, exterior walls and roof -- works together. Have the big picture before you proceed.


1.Green up the grass. If it’s brown, or has bald spots, fix it. While you’re at it, prune, weed and clean up the rest of the yard.


2.Fill flowerbeds. Plant flowers and shrubs that will look good now and later. That is, after summer annuals go, have something in planters that will bloom or change color in fall. Tier planters so taller shrubs are in back, smaller ones in front.


3.Refresh paint. If you can’t afford to paint the whole house, at least repaint the trim. Make doors and windows pop. "If a buyer walks up to a door that’s beat, they think, ‘This is a project house.’" That can kill a deal.


4.Color it carefully. Pick a palette that conforms to the neighborhood yet sets your house apart -- a fine but critical line. "Neutral isn’t the same as boring," says Aubrey, adding, "Don’t be that house where people drive by and say, ‘What happened here?’"


5.Revisit your approach. Design a welcome path from street to door, which should be the focus. Punch up walkways and driveways. If replacing them with good-looking pavers is out of the budget, add a stone or brick border. Fix or replace uneven or boring walkways.


6.Add polish. If your outdoor light fixtures look weathered, or your door handle looks worn, repaint or replace them. Shiny, new metal makes people say, "Oooo."


7.Tend to the little small stuff. Simple details like new address numbers, a new doorbell, a handsome mailbox and a fresh doormat say you care.


8.Add an element. A pediment over the entry, an upgraded front door, a cover over the porch, or some columns can add major drama for less money than you’d think.