How to Improve the Kerb Appeal of a House

In this week’s home moving blog you can expect to discover:

• What is Kerb Appeal?
• Is Good Kerb Appeal Important?
• Does Kerb Appeal Add Value?
• How Can I Make the Front of My House More Attractive?

In a hot property market, you need to stand out from the crowd. That is especially true nowadays as everybody surfs the estate agent portals and makes the choice of which homes to view predominately from the pictures.

If your home has great kerb appeal and looks well maintained then you are one step closer to getting a buyer.

According to research by www.evolutionmoney.co.uk, 93% of potential buyers judge a property purely on its external appearance.   

Or perhaps you have just moved into a new home and want to put your own stamp on the property. Making the front of your home more attractive will certainly help in making the house feel like your home.

So, in this week’s home moving blog, we look into every aspect of kerb appeal and offer some great suggestions to make your home stand out from the crowd.

You may also like to read: How to Fall in Love With a House You Hate. Every home has the potential to turn from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, sometimes it just needs some imagination. In this guide, we look at how you can learn to love a home you hate.

What is Kerb Appeal?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines kerb appeal as “The qualities of a building that make it attractive, for example to a buyer, when seen from the street”.

Is Good Kerb Appeal Important?

Good kerb appeal is not only important for marketing your property and will help you get a better price for it, but also to make your house feel more like a home.

It shows that you care and it is often the case that others in the street will follow suit, not only improving the overall appeal of the street but helping to drive prices even higher.

Many of the things that you can do to make the front of your house more attractive will also prevent major maintenance issues in the future, so it is a good investment.

So, yes, kerb appeal matters whether you are selling or not, a house given love is a home.

You may also like to read: How to Make a New Place Feel Like Home. Sometimes it can be hard to settle into a new home when nothing feels familiar. Here we offer some tips to make your new home feel like your home.

Does Kerb Appeal Add Value?

www.pettyson.co.uk state that a home that has had love and attention paid to the exterior can add as much as 20% to the asking price.

But it is the value to you that is also important. Coming back to a home you love each day adds to your quality of life, it gives you a sense of pride, satisfaction, and contentment, which you cannot put a price on.

How Can I Make the Front of My House More Attractive?

A great-looking house and garden are important, but it also has to be easy to maintain. Anything too ornate and garish may put off potential buyers, whilst also creating a lot of work for you to maintain.

So what are the key things to attend to when looking to add kerb appeal?

#1 Landscaping

Just having a tidy front garden can make a huge difference.

Keep the lawn cut and edged, the flowerbeds free from weeds, bushes and hedges trimmed, and trees pruned, whilst planting a few flowers will add a splash of colour.

Your front garden should complement the design of the house, so a country cottage should have a country cottage-type garden, whilst a more modern home would benefit from a more minimalistic garden design.

Small flower beds will have little impact on a large fronted house, so think about the proportions of the house. The larger the house the deeper your flower beds can be whilst some good-sized specimen plants will add impact, as will grouping similar plants together.

The colour of your flowers is also important, so consider the colour of your home and the colours of flowers that will complement rather than clash.

Ensure that trees or large shrubs are not blocking any light from entering your home and avoid large plants around the windows or doors which could pose a security hazard.

Also, consider the time of year that you intend to sell your home.

In winter most gardens look drab and uninteresting. If you know you are going to be marketing in the winter then add some evergreens or plants that still have some structure or colour.

If selling in the spring makes sure there are lots of bulbs or early flowering plants. It could make all the difference.

It is important that the front garden is low maintenance as a garden that requires a lot of work may put off potential buyers whilst an unloved front garden will certainly put off a lot of buyers.

#2 Paths

The width of your front path will also be determined by the width of the house front.

A wide house would benefit from a path with deep borders and large swaths of repetitive planting, whilst a thinner home could have lower plants in a shallower border leading to the front door.

Cut back any shrubs that overhang the path so that the pathway is clearly defined.

Something as simple as ensuring the path is free from cracks is in good repair, and is weed free can make a huge improvement.

Whilst a good sweep and a jet wash can make all the difference to the appearance of a pathway.

#2 Driveways

Give the driveway a jet clean, or a good sweep. Ensure it is weed free and in a good state of repair.

#3 Front Door

The colour and design of your front door are very important, it has the power to have a major impact on kerb appeal and is one of the first things people notice.

But there are a few things to take into consideration when deciding which colour to choose.

• The period of your home could make you lean towards colours reminiscent of that time.
• Look at the other homes in the street. Are they all a similar colour? Do you want to blend in or stand out?
• Do you want a classic, classy, or modern colour?
• If you have brickwork do you want to pick a tone from the bricks?
• If your home is rendered do you want a contrasting colour?
• Usually, light-coloured homes benefit from a darker-coloured door whilst darker-fronted homes have a lighter-coloured front door.
• Consider the colours of your windows and roof trim and choose a colour that coordinates or contrasts with them.
• Bear in mind that buyers prefer neutral and classic colours such as white and black.

What colour front door has the best kerb appeal?

www.countrylife.co.uk has collated a list of the colours that potentially add the most value to a home according to estate agents.

• Blue – Duck-egg for coastal properties, lighter blues for modern homes, and deep blues for larger homes
• Green – Especially the softer shades which are popular on country properties
• Black – Timeless and elegant, especially on town properties
• Red – A classic welcoming colour, especially popular with Feng Shui practitioners

Of course, if you are just improving the kerb appeal of your home for your own pleasure then you can choose a colour that reflects your personality or the interior design of your home.

#4 Exterior Painting

Ensure that all your soffit boards and exterior woodwork are clean and not flaking. A coat of paint or varnish will ensure it looks fresh and if it is PVC then a jet wash will make it look new again.

Your garage door has a big impact on how your home front looks so ensure that it is clean, well-maintained, and freshly painted.

#5 Windows

The windows are the eyes of your home, it is where light enters each room and clean panes of glass can make all the difference to how a room feels.

If you have white PVC windows, giving the outside sills and frames a good clean will reflect a surprising amount of light into the house.

Wooden windows should be painted to compliment the façade of your home and your front door.

Pay attention to your curtains or blinds, are they hung well and look neat and tidy from the outside?

#6 Porch

Feng Shui states that a cluttered porch prevents good luck and harmony from entering the home so your porch should be inviting and uncluttered.

A few coat hooks are fine but avoid having an overflowing coat or shoe rack.

You want to create the illusion of space so that the home is inviting and well-organised. Good light and light-coloured paint will help in this regard.

Key hooks will keep your keys tidy and a small box for all those nik-naks that get dumped in the porch will keep them tidy.

Externally, a plant pot or hanging basket on each side of the porch will make your home more inviting and will add a splash of colour.

You may also like to read: How to Make Your Home More Relaxing: In this guide, we explore different ways to make your home far more relaxing as well as some feng shui ideas to ensure your home is full of good energy.

#7 Door Furniture

The door handles and letterbox should complement the colour of your front door, for example, brass looks stunning on navy blue doors.

#8 House Names

One surefire way to add value and individuality to your home is to give it a name.

In fact, this is so important that we have dedicated a whole article to this subject: What to Name a House in which we offer suggestions for names, how to create a unique name for your home and discover the names that add most value to a home.

A well-chosen house name, beautifully displayed, and well-lit is essential.

#9 Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting is particularly important if you are marketing your home in the autumn or winter when it gets darker earlier.

Many people do a drive-by at different times of the day so if your home looks inviting at night it is another step closer to getting a buyer.

Downlighters can look really effective on newer homes whilst old-style carriage lanterns may suit an older home.

As with any decoration or home adornment, it should be in keeping with the style and period of the home.

At the very least ensure that any outside lights you have work.

#10 Fencing

Damaged or uncared-for fencing can ruin the look of your home and may signal to buyers that there are other maintenance issues with the house as well.

A lick of paint or wood stain can make a world of difference.

#11 Roof

Roof repairs are notoriously expensive and buyers will take a good look at the roof of your home.

Ensure that there are no missing or damaged roof tiles which are obvious signs that repairs are needed.

#12 Guttering

Any gutters that are full of leaves or are leaking will cause obvious water damage.

Have any broken brackets replaced and leaks repaired. Sometimes a good clean is all it takes to make your gutters look like new again.

#13 Planters

Even if you have no front garden as such, a couple of well-placed plant pots can really brighten up the front of a house and make it far more appealing for very little outlay.

Hanging baskets are another way to add some colour and interest.

#13 Garage Door

A garage door is a large surface area and can make a big difference to how your home looks.

You may wish to colour co-ordinate it with the front door or with the eaves or windows for example.

Having a garage door that looks well maintained with no cracked windows or flaking or dirty paint will make the front of your home far more attractive.

#14 Recycling Bins

Avoid having your recycling bins at the front of your home, just because they can look really untidy, especially if they are full.

If you must have them out the front then ensure the bins are clean and the lids shut. 

#15 Street

Finally, just look at the street outside your property. Give the pavement a good sweep, remove any weeds that are growing through your fences or walls, if there is a grass verge give it a cut, and generally just make sure it looks cared for.

You may also like to read: How to Stage a House to Sell. Making your home attractive is just one element of staging your home when selling it. You also need to create the illusion of space and set the scene so that potential buyers can see themselves living in your home. Here we show you how.

Final Thoughts on Adding Kerb Appeal

Taking pride in how the front of your home looks ensures that you and your visitors will feel welcome every time the home is seen.

It is a snapshot of how well-loved and maintained your home is, and is like the summary on the back cover of a book, it should make you want to discover more about what’s inside.

Any love you give your house is a step closer to making it a real home rather than just a building where people live.

A clean and tidy-up, with a few plants, and even a splash of new paint can make a world of difference.

Good luck in making your home look fabulous!