by John Shaggy

Created on: June 22, 2010   Last Updated: August 08, 2010

We have all probably heard the expression, "Image is everything."  A home does not per say have an image, but it should have curb appeal.

If you do not have the curb appeal  to make people slow down or turn their heads, do not despair or get discouraged because there are several inexpensive ways to make your home pop and get people to take that second or third look.  If you think that curb appeal is not important, ask any Realtor about the importance of curb appeal when trying to sell a home. Now let us look at the four basic elements of curb appeal.

The first thing that people see when they travel past your home is the color.  Who wants to look at a drab unattractive home that has no eye appeal?  If you take the time to give your home a fresh coat of paint, the results can be stunning, and also make sure the exterior window and door trim get a fresh coat as well.  Behr Paints has a unique feature on their website  that may be helpful;  the feature allows you to superimpose any paint they carry on a model home to get ideas.  If you do your research before painting, you can guarantee yourself much better results after the job.  The color of your home is the first feature of curb appeal.

 The second thing that everyone sees is the condition of the lawn.  A shaggy, ragged, unkempt lawn is an automatic turnoff to any prospective buyer who will look  to a home with a well-kept lawn.  Several simple steps can remedy the situation.

First, fertilize your lawn in late fall and  in early spring and plant  grass seed at the appropriate time of the year for your climate.  Planting at the right time greatly increases your chances of success. 

Apply Weed N Feed when weeds become active to kill them before they become firmly established. 

 Use a shovel if you must to dig out firmly established clumps of dandelions, crabgrass and other nuisance weeds in the lawn and  spray as needed with Ortho Weed and Crabgrass killer  during spring and summer.  Be careful with the Ortho, it also kills new grass seedlings less than a month old.

The third element of curb appeal deals with the flowerbeds and trees in your yard.  Since you cannot uproot established trees, you need to make the most of what you have, so before you plant think about what you are trying to create and decide which trees, flowers and shrubs will achieve the desired effect.  In choosing trees, make sure the trees you pick will grow in your climate.  For example, let's not plant a palm tree in Minnesota.  Most greenhouses and nurseries have the growing season, hardiness of the plant and what type of light conditions it requires displayed on the plant tags.  The same holds true for flowers.  When planting flowers or a flower garden, think about whether you want perennials or annuals and what will appeal and conform to your yard. 

The final element of curb appeal is the placement of rock or stone in your yard, flowerbeds or gardens.  Blending in the right colors and shapes of stone can complete the well-groomed look you are trying to create.  The color of the stone you choose must complement the trees, shrubs and flowers in your yard.  There are several good sites on the Internet to get ideas on rock gardens and other decorative uses of stone in the yard and the public library is also a good source of information.

So there you have it.  Some simple ideas to keep in mind that will improve your curb appeal to a prospective buyer and give you enjoyment as a homeowner.  Choose carefully and well and the rewards will be yours.

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