Patty Manzi's Tri-Valley Real Estate Blog

People often focus on how to decorate and improve the inside of their homes, but they overlook the improvements to the outside of the home! 

By making simple changes to the overall visual appearance of your home’s exterior and landscaping, you can not only increase your enjoyment and satisfaction while living there, you will also increase your ‘curb appeal’ when you are selling your home.

Too often people put off these simple, relatively inexpensive improvements until they are ready to sell and by doing this they miss out on the opportunity to fully experience living in a home that is an expression of themselves (not the previous owner).  They only see the house at its best when they are ready to pass it on to the buyer.

For those of you who are planning on selling your home soon, making these changes will create a ‘come on in’ look for any prospective buyers. 

Here are some tips for increasing your home’s curb appeal:

• Patch cracks on the driveway.  This can be done professionally, or with a do-it-yourself kit from your local hardware store.
• Power-wash your cement driveway and walkways.  This will remove oil, rust, dirt, and other stains that may be present, and give it that fresh clean look.
• Consider adding inexpensive vinyl shutters on the exterior next to windows.  This give more dimension to the home.
• Add window boxes with seasonal flowers, or add planters with flowers on a porch or wide entry to add beauty and richness.
• Prune & trim your plants and shrubs for a well cared for look.  Well-manicured, clutter-free yards are always appealing.
• Plant an assortment of flowers around the base of a tree in the front lawn.  Consider using mature plants rather than seedlings or young plants.
• Take a realistic look at your house and compare it to other homes in the neighborhood.  It it appears faded, consider a fresh coat of paint.
• Last, but not least, CLEAN YOUR WINDOWS~!  This is a very strong indicator that the house is well cared for.

Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression!