If you’re considering selling your home, or even if you plan to stay a while, you'll want to give some attention to outside. The Curb Appeal. In most cases, all you need is a little elbow grease to make a big difference. The front door should give a strong ‘Welcome Home’ messager. A fresh coat of paint is a must, new door knobs and hardware, if the old ones are worn, and a new kick plate if appropriate. Studies show that red is a favorite color, if it fits in with the style and colors of the home and the neighborhood. Be sure to check with the covenants or homeowner association guidelines. Creating a focal point at the front door by adding a wreath of flowers, or hanging planters or potted annuals. Adding a cozy chair or bench is a nice touch if there is room. The entrance should not be cluttered and have enough room for at least a couple of people to stand side-by-side. Wooden trim must be repaired of wood rot and freshly painted. Wood rot is a tell-tail sign to buyers that the home might have other items of deferred maintenance. Overgrown bushes and low-hanging branches can also be a signal to buyers that there might be a lack of maintenance. Trim bushes and trees and put a layer of new mulch on beds. If you can’t plant some colorful flowers, put some potted flowers near the doorway, for a friendly, welcoming touch. Keep the entrance well-lit for night-time showings. After you’ve spent all this effort on your curb appeal, you don’t want buyers to miss it in the dark. You also don’t want any accidents. Inspect your entrance lighting and replace if necessary. There are many affordable lighting solutions to be found in home improvement stores. Power washing mold and algae off of outdoor surfaces is important, as mold shouts deferred maintenance to most buyers. Power wash dirt build-up on driveways, walkways, stoops, porches, siding and decks, making a clean, sparkling impression. You can easily rent a power washer for a day and take care of a lot of dirt. Make sure the windows are clean, inside and out. When showing your home, you want as much natural light as possible to enter. You also don’t want buyers being distracted by dirt-filtered light…anyone who has dogs…you know what I mean! Paint faded shutters to make a clean fresh look. Re-think windows that are without shutters, keeping symmetry in mind. Staining or painting siding may be necessary if the house is faded and dingy. Make grass as lush as possible, as soon as possible. Start using a product like Scott’s Weed and Feed right away, so your lawn will be in great shape. And it may go without saying, but keep the lawn mowed when you have your home on the market. It may sound like a small thing, but a ratty-looking mailbox will really stand out once you’ve done all the other sprucing up. Home supply stores carry lots of types so that you should be able to find one that fits your home’s style for a reasonable cost.

1. The Secret to Great Curb Appeal:
Elbow Grease
cc: 1lenore - https://www.flickr.com/photos/80522246@N00

2. Great Curb Appeal Welcomes Buyers
First Impressions Set the Tone
cc: Grant MacDonald - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28801512@N00

3. The Front Door
• Fresh Coat of Paint
• New Door Knob
• & Hardware
• Style of Your Home
• Check Your HOA
• Red is a Favorite
cc: =Nahemoth= (absent for a while) - https://www.flickr.com/photos/114894243@N04

4. Create a Focal Point
• Front Door Wreath of Flowers
• Colorful Potted Plants and Flowers
• Hanging Flowers
• Add a Cozy Chair or Bench
• Make Sure it isn't Crowded
cc: Grant MacDonald - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28801512@N00

5. Wooden Trim
• Repair or Replace Wood Rot
• Fresh Paint
• Repair and Fresh Paint on Shutters
cc: bgolub - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8246716@N04

6. Plants and Shrubs
• Overgrown Plantings Hint …
• Lack of Maintenance
• Trim Plantings and Low Branches
• Clear a Path to the Door
• Plant Colorful Flowers
• Use Potted Plants if Necessary
cc: VinothChandar - https://www.flickr.com/photos/44345361@N06

7. Clean and Spotless
• Rent a Power Washer
• Remove Mold and Mildew
• Power Wash Dirt Build-up on
• Driveways,
• Walkways,
• Stoops,
• Porches and Decks,
• Siding
cc: bark - https://www.flickr.com/photos/49503168860@N01

8. An old, tired Mailbox will stand out
cc: k.landerholm - https://www.flickr.com/photos/28565785@N02
Like A Sore Thumb!

9. Lawn
• Make Grass as Lush as Possible
• Keep it Mowed
• Weed and Feed
cc: Jez Page - https://www.flickr.com/photos/30775143@N00

10. Lighting
• Keep the Entrance Well-Lit
• Light Up the Walkway for Safety
• Replace Tired Lighting
• Keep Style of Your Home in Mind
cc: Stuck in Customs - https://www.flickr.com/photos/95572727@N00

11. Make Your Home Easy to Show
• Put the Lockbox in a Prominent Place
• Make Room in the Driveway
• Keep the Animals Away
• Be Flexible in Your Showing Times
• Try to Accommodate Last-Minute
Showings
cc: Justin in SD - https://www.flickr.com/photos/40708728@N04

12. Elbow Grease Pays Off
• Outside Presentation is Just as
Important as the Inside
• You Don't Have to Break the Bank
• You Want to say, "Welcome Home"
cc: chrisinplymouth - https://www.flickr.com/photos/21450297@N06

13. The Highland Group – with Turning
Point Real Estate
Frederick Maryland Real Estate Agents
Cell: 301-401-5119 Broker: 301-831-8232
Visit our website for more selling tips:
cc: blentley - https://www.flickr.com/photos/8675898@N03
Frederick Real Estate Online