Good Neighbor Tips from Erin Doan, State Farm Insurance, Scottville,www.erindoan.com.
Improving your home’s curb appeal is important for you, your neighbors and potential buyers. The exterior of a house leaves a lasting first impression, whether good or bad. Even if you’re not selling, keeping up the lawn, landscaping and facade is an important part of being a good neighbor.
Consider these curb appeal ideas:
- Get the right greenery. Your landscaping choices should enhance the house, not hide it. Use landscaping to call out features like a home’s symmetry or to hide trouble spots. Consider choosing fire resistant plants to help prevent the spread of wildfire to your home. Bonus: These plants are often drought tolerant too. Be sure to keep all plants manicured and trimmed.
- Restore the front door. A new front door looks impressive, plus it can almost pay for itself in added resale value, according to the 2013-2014 “Cost vs. Value Report” from Remodeling magazine1.
- Update siding and windows. Though expensive, updating siding and windows is one of the best ways to add value to a home. Keep the windows clean. And if you’re selling your home, remove the screens for extra shine.
- Freshen the front porch. A front porch is a key selling point. Keep the porch floor and railings in good condition and add comfortable furniture to make the porch inviting.
- Capitalize on character. Maintain or bring your home’s exterior back to its original aesthetic to highlight its features. For example, freshen up siding with period-appropriate paint colors or add a fence.
- Consider outdoor lighting. An effective security feature, exterior lights can also give your home a dramatic and attractive look at night.
- Fix what’s broken. Repair cracks in sidewalks, the driveway and masonry. Patching is an affordable alternative to a complete resurfacing job.
