When you are hosting house viewings, first impressions count.
For most, the first impression comes from outside the property’s boundaries.
In other words, from the kerb appeal of your home.
So, how can you improve the kerb appeal of your home?
Below, we’ve given our 15 top tips.
What is kerb appeal?
Kerb appeal refers to your property’s aesthetic attractiveness from the street, i.e., outside its boundaries.
It’s the first thing anyone sees when approaching or passing your property.
How important is kerb appeal?
Kerb appeal can be the first enticement or obstacle to a property sale.
It’s the seller’s first opportunity to help potential buyers envisage themselves living there.
It can play a role in the interest a house receives during its marketing. Viewings will see it photographs on online portals or in real life (if they notice a for sale sign outside a property).
High kerb appeal can lead to more viewings, which could result in a much higher chance of a high price offer. Low kerb appeal could lead to the opposite…
Even if a home is staged well inside, buyers can often only picture themselves living there if the kerb appeal is high.
11 tips for improving your home’s kerb appeal
Improving your house’s kerb appeal can be done on a minimal budget in many circumstances.
Many small changes can make one big difference!
So, you can make inexpensive and non-disruptive changes with a high return on investment (ROI).
1. Repaint your door
Front doors are one of the main aspects of a house’s appearance.
If it looks old, broken or discoloured, it can make your house appear uninviting.
You don’t need to replace your door completely – repainting it often does the trick.
This doesn’t need to take much time or break the bank. If you are unsure, find a local handyman for help.
2. Fix and repaint up your fences
Collapsing and washed-looking fences with poor foundations are unattractive.
They can also create complications over property boundaries.
Repairing and painting your fences will fix this. You may need to coordinate with your neighbours to do it.
3. Clean the path and driveway
Getting new drives can be expensive. Simply cleaning them is usually enough.
This can include sweeping them and removing weeds, oil spills, etc. Using a powerwasher tool could also be worthwhile. There can be bought or even rented.
If there are obvious cracks or holes, it might be worth getting them repaired by a professional.
Driveway powerwashing costs
You can even pay someone to powerwash it. Checkatrade currently lists the average price for this as £250.
Drive repair costs
MyBuilder lists the average cost of driveway repair as between £1000 – £4000, depending on the material and size of the drive.
4. Move or wash your cars
Cars are often one of the very first things visitors see at the front of your property. In many cases, they even partially block the view of a house.
Parking your cars elsewhere to free up your driveway is ideal. If you can’t, washing your car and parking it well is a simple alternative fix.
For luxury properties in particular , home staging companies often recommend renting luxury vehicles to place on drives.
Carwash costs
According to NimbleFins, the average carwash cost in the UK is currently £6.30.
5. Window care
Cleaning your windows before viewing periods is a simple yet effective part of improving kerb appeal.
A broken window is a major problem for buyers. It will affect your house’s EPC rating and safety.
And faded or peeling paint on window frames can dramatically reduce a property’s appeal.
Window cleaning costs
You may need to hire a window cleaner to do this. Their cost will vary depending on your area and number of windows.
On average, the cost is £20 – £50 per hour, according to Checkatrade.
Window repair and replacement costs
According to MyBuilder, the average cost for repairing a window is £50 – £150 per window pane.
And the average cost of replacing a window is £150 to £1000 per pane.
6. Make sure your roof looks good
Another important detail about the front of your property is your roof.
Issues with roofs are a common house survey problem.
Most buyers will back out of the deal because of damaged roofs, but other minor details also matter.
Unwanted foliage can often grow around the outside of the chimney, and deteriorated slabs look unsightly.
Likewise, blocked or broken guttering will be apparent, especially if your viewings happen when it’s raining.
It might be unsafe to fix these yourself, so ask an expert to do so if possible.
Roof repair costs
There is a wide range of roof repair costs, depending on the nature of the repairs and the materials used.
Checkatrade lists the average cost for pitched clay roof (a common type of roof) repair as £106 – £152 per square metre.
Gutter repairs and cleaning costs
According to Checkatrade, the average gutter repair cost is £30 – £70 per metre.
uPVC guttering is cheaper (£30 per metre), and iron guttering is more expensive (£60 – 70 per metre).
7. Hide unsightly objects
You should hide anything that looks unattractive at the front of your house.
This could include the following:
- Bins
- (Unattractive) garden furniture
- Decorations
- Building materials.
And more.
8. Gardening
Tidy and beautiful gardens are a significant feature at the front of a house, while untidy and unkempt ones are not.
If you have the time, gardening yourself is cheap and—for some people—enjoyable. If you don’t, hiring a gardener is a better option.
If applicable, one of the areas of gardening you should prioritise is trimming your hedges.
Cut the grass and remove weeds just before house viewing periods. Adding flowers can bring much-needed colour to the front of your house.
Average gardener costs
There are many estimates for average gardener costs, ranging from £12 – £50 per hour. These costs are usually lower when you hire gardeners over
9. Update your house number
If your house number is faded or falling down, update it. Give it some fresh paint or buy a new version.
If you live in a house big enough to have a name sign, update this if needed.
House number signs cost
House number signs or plaques can cost as little as £10 to over £100. The final figure depends on the material chosen.
10. Refresh your porch furniture
A porch is an attractive feature at the front of most houses. So, you should furnish it with the best possible furniture.
You don’t need to spend hundreds, or thousands, on new furniture for this.
You could rent new furniture for a couple of days or simply freshen up the items you already have.
11. Repaint the garage door
A garage door at the front of your house is a prominent feature that takes up a lot of space.
If it is visibly broken, fix it. And if the paint is faded or unattractive, repaint it.
Garage door painting & repair costs
Checkatrade lists the average garage door painting as £15 – £20 per hour. It lists the average garage door repair cost as £80.
Want to avoid staging and sell your house quick?
If you don’t have the time, energy or money to improve your home’s kerb appeal, We Buy Any Home can help you sell your house quick.
Wer are a cash buying company that will buy your house in any condition – up-front and quickly, without hassle or stress.
Some of our clients sell their house with us within just 7 days.
Fill in our enquiry form below if you want a cash offer for your house.
