When I was a little girl, Friday nights were spent going out to dinner. We frequently went to Number 10 Downing Street in Dundee. I didn’t understand where its name originated, but I did thoroughly enjoy eating the free popcorn and watching them cook our food through the large glass windows that looked into the kitchen. Each Friday night, as my grandmother was helping me get ready, she would whisper, “You have to look nice. Grandpa owns a business now, and we need to look our best.” I appreciate her sentiment. We wanted to make Grandpa proud and represent the family well.
The landscaping on the outside of your home can represent what is in the inside of your home. You want the front of the home to look good because it gives an indication of what is behind the façade. A home’s curb appeal can be used as a barometer of a successful front landscaping area. Curb appeal is that indefinable something that draws you to a home at a glance. It is a combination of visual charm, visibly good upkeep, attention paid to landscaping, and especially, an inviting entry.
According to a 2013 National Association of Realtors survey, Curb appeal is important to 71 percent of homebuyers when choosing their new home. When selling your home, landscaping determines whether your home feels inviting from the outside.
If you are interested in improving the Curb Appeal of your home, please consider doing a few of the items listed below. Start by walking around your home with a critical eye, notebook, and pen! Make notes and a short action plan of a few things that seem reasonable to be accomplished. You may also want to drive by your home, slowly, from both directions. Try to look at it, as if you have never seen it before.
18 Questions to ask yourself about the appearance of the outside of your home
Is my sidewalk clean and free of major cracks?
Repair cracks and any uneven surfaces. Consider power washing the sidewalk.
Is our front door area welcoming? Is it visible from the street? Is it visible from the driveway?
Add a bright container of flowers. Help to guide people to your front door through flowers planted along the sidewalk or at the corners of the sidewalk.
Is my address visible from the street? Are the numbers readable?
Prune any shrubs that may be blocking your address numbers. Replace or repair any numbers that may have faded.
Is my siding clean?
Consider power washing your siding.
Does our lawn look healthy?
It should be carefully mowed, free of weeds, and watered regularly.
Are my shrubs overgrown? Do they look neat and well kept?
Keep the shrubs pruned underneath the windows and porch railings.
Are there any weeds growing in the front or sides of my home?
Remove all weeds.
What is the depth of the mulch?
If the mulch is less than 2” around shrubs and trees and less than 1” around perennial flowers consider putting down new mulch. If it is over that depth, then rake the existing mulch to make it appear fresher.
What flowers are blooming? How long will they be in bloom?
Consider planting flowers that will be blooming when your home will be on the market
Does the water from my gutters and downspouts flow freely onto the lawn?
Water can be very erosive. All water from your gutters should flow directly into your grass, not into mulch beds or onto sidewalks, patios or driveways.
Are there any plants that are touching my home?
Prune any trees, shrubs, perennial flowers or ornamental grasses that are touching your home.
Are there any plants that are hanging over the sidewalk?
Prune any plants that are hanging over sidewalks, porches and patios.
Is my patio clean and free of uneven surfaces?
Repair any cracks or uneven surfaces. Consider power washing.
Do I have any yard ornaments?
Consider removing all yard ornaments.
Does my doorbell work? Has the plastic cracked?
Repair or replace your doorbell
Do I need a new door mat?
Small investment, big difference.
Have birds started to nest in my front porch area?
Remove any remnants of bird’s nests and try to block them from rebuilding a nest.
How many containers of flowers/yard ornaments do I have on my sidewalk, porch and patio?
Limit the number of containers of flowers to several big impact, beautiful flowers.
If you are trying to sell your home and it lacks curb appeal, many prospective buyers will reject it without looking further. You also may be unable to price it as high as an equivalent home with great exterior appeal. In Zillow’s 2014 survey, real estate agents named curb appeal one of the five most important factors in selling a home.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
