4 Essential Steps to a Fresh Exterior
Posted by | 307 Real EstateBack in March, we gave you a few tips on spring cleaning the inside of your home. Now that the weather is warming up, we’re bringing you our best tips on sprucing up the outside of your home for a fresh start to the season.
If you are planning to put your house on the market, 307 Real Estate recommends you give the outside of your home a little love. Why? Because when potential buyers come to look, the outside of the house is their first impression. The inside may be stunning and clean, their dream home even. But if their first sight of the home is dead grass, chipped paint, and debris, they won’t give it a second look.
Not to worry though! Outside housework does not have to cost you a lot of time and money. Keep it simple and take it a step at a time.
Debris and Grime
Just like you would mop your floors and scrub your tubs, the front door and siding of your house deserve a good scrubbing as well. Break out the power washer or spray attachment for your hose and wash away the layer of yuck that has accumulated on your house. For extra dirty spots, scrub with a sponge and safe detergent. If you wash your house well enough it might even look like it got a fresh coat of paint!
Now it’s time to look to the ground. Over the winter, Mother Nature gave us peaceful snow falls but left in her path the dead leaves and dust of the winter winds. Around plants, the edges of your home, gutters, and any smaller structures in your yard, you will want to remove that buildup from the ground. Sweep away any sediment that can lead to critters making a home, rot, and unsightly messes.
Landscaping
Typically this is the first thing people begin to do to the outside of their homes in the springtime. Plant flowers and turn on the sprinklers to revive the lawn. These are important steps for boosting curb appeal. Just make sure you do it right! Reseed any bald spots in the grass and fertilize.
Potted plants are a nice touch to any home, but don’t go overboard. Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves living in your home. If the front porch, their first stop on your home tour, is covered in your pots, your decorations, and your clutter, it gets a bit harder to picture themselves settling in. A few blooms are the perfect small touch to let them know this is much more than a house, it’s a home!
Paint and Repair
Painting the outside of your home can be an expensive and daunting task. However, it is very necessary to keep up the value of your home and keep away rot. If your house is not in need of an entire repainting, inspect the siding, exterior doors, and shutters for chipped paint. Do a little touch up where it’s needed.
Leaky gutters, broken siding, cracked windows, these are all great things to repair and replace in the spring. You don’t want another season of harsh weather sneaking up on you before these items are fixed. Certainly, no new homeowner wants to be welcomed by having to make these surprise repairs themselves.
Windows
Let. In. The. Light. A sunny home is a happy home. Even if you think your windows are clean enough, there’s always a decent layer of dust and pollen clinging to them. Washing the outside (and inside) of your windows can do wonders. You’ll be amazed at how much more light gets into your home when that dirt is gone.
Screens also collect filth. We recommend using water and dish soap or a mild all-purpose cleaner. Just be sure to protect the floor inside your home so the water that may seep in doesn’t cause yet another mess to clean!
Owning a home is truly something to take pride in. Spring cleaning, inside and out, can be tedious, but it doesn’t need to be terrible. Get the whole family involved in the upkeep of your home and have fun with it! Don’t forget to hose down the patio furniture too, because when you’re done cleaning up, you’ll want a nice clean spot to kick back in and enjoy the beauty of your home!
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