Boost Your Kerb Appeal This Spring

Traditionally, Spring is the time when the housing market starts to ‘hot up’ and it’s also the perfect time to think about kerb appeal and the look of your front spaces. Your frontage sets the tone for the rest of your home, so it makes sense to create a great first impression on visitors and/or potential buyers and their surveyors! Every house can have kerb appeal; it’s about keeping it well-maintained and making the best of what you have, whether that’s a front door straight onto the street, a small forecourt, or a large garden with driveway.  Good kerb appeal creates great photographs on marketing websites, makes for a quicker sale (the old ‘8 second rule’) and can increase the value of your home.

Here are our 5 top tips for boosting your kerb appeal:

1. Get the Basics Right First

Tackle exterior maintenance jobs on the house first before considering the ‘pretty bits’. Keeping the exterior of your home in good order will save money in the long run and if you are thinking of selling, any defects will be picked up during your potential buyer’s home survey.  Common problems include cracked render, leaky guttering, slipped roof tiles and rotten windows or fascia boards.

2. Work with the Period and Style of your Home

Take a holistic view of the whole of your property because what might suit a Victorian terrace, may not suit a modern estate house. It is also important to take neighbouring properties into account.   Emphasising the continuity and connection with your immediate neighbours prevents your house from jarring and creates a feeling of community.  This does not necessarily mean that the whole street should be painted in the same colour (or worse, almost the same colour!) as sometimes carefully chosen clashing colours work wonders – think Llandeilo or Tenby.

3. Boundaries

Poorly maintained boundaries give the whole property a sense of neglect.  Repair or replace broken fences, trim and control unruly hedges and make sure that any garden walls are structurally sound and clean.  Also, consider planting a new evergreen hedge instead of, or as well as, a fence or wall.  Not only will this add interest and good looks, but it can add extra privacy and help with sound proofing. The birds will thank you too.  Privet, laurel and boxwood are all popular choices.

4. Front Doors

Never underestimate the importance of your front door when it comes to first impressions. A newly painted front door will instantly make your home look smarter.  Dark colours work well, but it is also an opportunity to add personality to your exterior and use colours that you perhaps wouldn’t use anywhere else.  Also consider your door furniture – maybe it needs a quick polish or replacing altogether.  Marking your house out with a bespoke house sign or number will also add style and give it a sense of pride.

5. Keep Planting Schemes Simple

Most people want to have a good looking, but low maintenance front garden. Pots and window boxes are popular, particularly if space is at a premium but they are not necessarily low maintenance, as they require regular replanting and watering.  If you do have space, a well-maintained lawn together with a modest planting scheme with evergreens, seasonal flowering shrubs and bulbs will create year-round interest and be easy to maintain.  Perhaps colour theme it to only one or two colours as well as green to keep the look cohesive and stylish.

Boosting your kerb appeal needn’t be an expensive process. So whatever your motivation, whether as ongoing maintenance, making the most of your home or getting ready to sell, now is the perfect time to tackle your front!

For information on RICS Home Surveys, Valuation and other professional property services, please contact us today on 01685 378894 (Aberdare) or 02920 625433 (Cardiff).