Curb Appeal 101

This idea got me thinking about Brad Pitt. If he were a house, he would have some pretty good curb appeal. Ooh, lah, lah!

Well, everyone has their off days…even Brad Pitt.

Curb appeal and apparently sex appeal is in the eye of the beholder. Will the real Brad Pitt please stand up? Which one of these guys does your house resemble? Does your house need a bath, a shave and haircut or a new suit? Just maybe some cosmetic surgery is in order.

Can you say multiple offers? This home’s exterior was transformed with under $2,000.

We leveled the front yard and created a raised bed near the house, added some grass, a bit of landscaping, matching fresh paint on the steps and handrails. We removed the screen door and added a shiny kick plate to the front door. Voila!

This home took a bit more work. The house was painted, sidewalks pressure washed and a new roof was installed. The total budget here was $8,000 for the exterior.

There were some pretty major changes made here including a new roof and paint but look what a difference the removal of the tree made. It was cute when it was first planted I’m sure but it was planted too close to the house. The tree removal not only improved the curb appeal but now the roof and siding is protected.

A new garage door and general clean-up made the difference.

Don’t forget the “obvious” things that help including:

• washing your windows inside and out
• replacing dated and tarnished light fixtures
• stow away trash bins
• edge & fertilize your lawn
• pressure wash the pavement (be careful)
• place fresh potted plants in key areas
• buy a new welcome mat
• refresh barked areas with fresh mulch
• add some landscape lighting
• paint your front door

For the DIY, take a picture of the front of your house. Print it out and ask random people for ideas about improving the look. You might be surprised what you will hear. If that’s not your style, just sit with the picture for a while and see what you can come up with. Get creative with your photograph using colored pens, white out or any other office implement that sparks your imagination. While you’re at it, drive around your neighborhood and see what looks good to you. Take your camera with you and take shots of good and bad curb appeal. Use your zoom if you have one to take the picture from your car window and no one will be the wiser.