By Adrienne West
Whether you’re putting your house on the market or you just want to improve the appearance for guests, curb appeal is key. Weed-free flower beds and trimmed boxwood bushes give a strong first impression to potential buyers or those picky in-laws.
We spoke to local Realtor Steve Wydler, of Wydler Brothers Real Estate in McLean, to narrow down a few updates in curb appeal that our readers could do themselves or hire out for a reasonable price. Here are his suggestions:
Update 1: “General overall maintenance of the outside of the house is a big one.” He notes that chipping or peeling paint, missing shingles and dirty siding all detract from your house’s appearance. “Power-washing is usually a better option than painting the siding. Ivy should be pulled off and kept away from the foundation because it gets into the mortar and introduces moisture. Generally speaking, you want to avoid large-scale financial investments because you’re not adding square footage or a new kitchen, you’re just making a cosmetic fix to make what you have look nice.”
Update 2: “Step back and look at how the landscaping is working with the house.” Wydler refers to the older houses whose original plants have overgrown their space and suggests trimming or removing them. “Those larger scale plantings block light into the house so when you go inside, it feels dark. And proportionally, it makes the house feel much smaller. You don’t want any large trees near the foundation—that’s a light issue, but it potentially becomes a scary thing for buyers because a tree limb could fall onto the house, and the roots can get into the foundation. Home inspectors [say to cut] any shrubbery or leaves at least a foot, preferably two, away from the house.”
Update 3: “Now make what you have look pretty by mulching any beds, mowing and edging the grass and planting some flowers.” He adds that painting the front door is another option, “but you don’t want to do any large-scale stuff.”
The overall lesson is to maintain the house to a certain standard so that anyone could come by and be impressed with its appearance. Too often, deferred maintenance catches up with the homeowner at the worst time and costs extra to get it back where it needs to be. Take advantage of the warm weather and hit those garden beds now.
