Does Your Home Have It?
Writer / Claire-Anne Aikman
Curb appeal is when your home looks so good from the street that people want to pull over to the curb to admire it (and, admire your home as well). Maybe the lawn is perfectly 
manicured, the perennials are in full bloom or the porch just pops with plants and a porch swing. Whatever it is, it makes people pause to admire and leaves them with a good feeling about your home.
If you look at your home from the street and smile at what you see, chances are great your home has curb appeal. If, however, you sigh and feel overwhelmed at the sight, chances are you are lacking in curb appeal. If this is you, do not despair — creating curb appeal is easy and generally inexpensive to do! Just by simply clicking here you will get a few more tips on how you can make it.
Walk around the outside of your home and honestly assess what you see. Are the sides covered in a mystery green grunge? If yes, power-wash them. Look at your gutters for any that are hanging low and repair as needed. Wash your windows and shutters. Assess your landscaping and determine what plants need to be trimmed. Consider placing mulch around the plants to complete the look.
Now, look at your porch. Sweep it, clear off the spider webs, paint the front door (if you have an HOA make sure they will allow you to do so.) Colors that do not blend well with your home are not advised, think warm and inviting, not bold and shocking. If you are not permitted to paint the front door, consider adding hanging baskets of plants or plant some flowers in a flower bed alongside the porch. Finally, easily spruce up the mailbox area by freshening the paint on the mailbox post, cleaning the mailbox, changing the style of the numbers on the box (not the numbers themselves, that wouldn’t be a good idea) and plant a few flowers or ornamental grass near it. Use vertical house numbers plaque to add a distinctive finishing touch and increase curb appeal.
Do you really need curb appeal? The short answer is yes. Even if you are not planning on selling your home, keeping up on the maintenance of your investment is a smart idea. Neglecting this and trying to catch up later can be overwhelming.
If you take care of your home, your neighbors might follow suit. If they follow suit, your neighborhood looks more appealing to anyone that is looking to buy, which motivates buyers to want to get into the area and that leads to increased prices and value, which is always a good thing.
