First Impressions Matter: Maximizing your Flip’s Curb Appeal
To celebrate the start of Spring in Indy, CPL style, we’ve decided to share our top tips for low resource but high impact curb appeal changes for your real estate flip!
While it might be tempting to spend little time and attention on the curb appeal of your flip, it’s important to remember that first impressions are so important. Especially since in the real estate investment game, selling quickly is key. So checkout some of our top tips for how to maximize your curb appeal without spending a fortune.
Greenery
The greenery of a house is one of the most important things to consider for curb appeal. Is your lawn dead and is the foliage overgrown? Or is the greenery trimmed and kept up and the lawn green and healthy? While lawn maintenance can definitely get expensive, there are a few simple things you can do to add that extra ‘touch’.
Make sure to address the grass immediately, as it will take some time if new grass seed is needed. Give a little love and attention to the grass with consistent watering and mowing to avoid having to re-sod the entire property which can get pricey. The added touch of edging your lawn can also add to the ‘clean and cared for’ look that often makes properties more attractive to buyers.
Then take some time to address the landscaping. Go ahead and trim overgrown greenery and remove any dead or dying plants. From here, you can start fresh with some shrubs, flowers, and even small trees. Remember to utilize greenery that is low maintenance as this is an attractive feature to homebuyers. Also, adding color through flora can be an easy way to make the house pop! Another important consideration is to get a variety of plants with different seasonal cycles. This way, you have plants blooming year-round. If gardening feels like a big undertaking, adding some potted plants to a front porch or landing area could do the trick to add that touch of greenery buyers are looking for.
Entrance
After addressing your landscaping, take a look at the entrance to your home. Creating a beautiful and welcoming entrance that catches a buyers eye and draws them in, is the goal here. First, address the front door. Oftentimes, a deep clean, removing any markings or rust, can be enough. Other times, a quick coat of paint will do the trick. Equally important to the look of the door is the function of the door, so make sure all of the mechanics are in good working order. If the door is beyond repair, it is definitely worth the investment to get a new one.
If the house has a patio or front deck, consider adding some chairs, potted plants, decorative items, etc. This can add a cozy and ‘lived in’ feel that allows the buyer to envision themselves in this home. Addressing the lighting in the front of the house is also a great way to add value to your home. Make sure the lighting is bright by replacing any dim or burnout bulbs and clean light fixtures to add as much light as possible to the home.
On a buyers way to the front door, is a path. If you’re lucky, the house will already have some sort of a path, but adding a path does not need to cost a fortune. While pouring a concrete path is a simple way to tackle this project, you can also get creative with the path and save some money in the process. Consider creating a path with gravel, pavers, or tiles! Even adding a slight curve to your path can add an extra detail that will make your house stand out. Remember that edging can also add a lot of value here along with adding small LED or solar powered lights to illuminate the path.
Mailbox
Our last low cost idea for enhancing the curb appeal of your flip is all about the mailbox. Many houses have mailboxes directly on the house. A quick cleaning may be all that’s needed. But make sure the mechanics are in good working condition. Same could apply for a stand-alone mailbox. Making sure it’s clean and in working condition can sometimes do the trick, but for a low cost, you could take this opportunity to add some character to the home. Finding an inexpensive, but attractive, mailbox could be like the bow on top of the beautiful present that is the home. It’s worth the investment to make sure it pops and adds to the house, instead of feeling like an afterthought.
While addressing curb appeal can feel overwhelming and expensive, there are many small changes, like the ones we outlined in this piece, that can be made to enhance the natural beauty of the home. Starting with a good cleaning and clearing of the space and then adding pops of color through plants, mailboxes, and doors can take your house from ‘For Sale’ to ‘Sold’!
While good curb appeal can help you sell your flip faster, CPL Investments can help you secure that next flip, so make sure to contact us to see how you can start your next real estate venture today!