Selling your home? Instantly boost your kerb appeal

Moving house is stressful, fact. But there are things you can do to make the process a little smoother and thinking about your kerb appeal is one of them.

Once you’ve got the inside all sorted, you may want to think about making the front of your house look as inviting as possible – after all, it will be the first impression of your home and the last thing potential buyers see when they're leaving.

We’ve put together a few fail-safe ways to add instant kerb appeal to your home, and hopefully speed up the sale.

Fix exterior fittings

Make sure that nothing is obviously broken. Walking through a gate that’s hanging off its hinges, tripping up on a loose paving stone and then having to bang furiously on the door because the doorbell doesn’t work isn’t going to set a great tone... Fixing the little things could make a big difference.

Freshen up with a lick of paint

According to research undertaken by Dulux Weathershield, the nation expects to pay 23% more for a good-looking exterior… Now if that doesn’t have you reaching for the paintbrush, we don’t know what will. If your once-white home is now looking decidedly greyer or your bright blue front door is a little worse for wear, it may be time to don the overalls.

Mow the lawn

If you’re lucky enough to have a front garden, make sure the lawn is tidy. You want the first impression to be, 'Oh, look at this lovely garden’, rather than ‘Hmmm, this is going to take a lot of maintaining’. Don’t put them off before they’ve even made it inside.

Clear any clutter

Does the family's Wellington boot collection live just outside the front door? Or the bike you’ve been meaning to take into the shed? Create a clear space that buyers will be able to appreciate so that they don't have to fight their way through the front door.

Clean your windows

Add a little extra sparkle with clean windows and well-maintained window sills. Buyers will often drive past a property before their viewing to take a look at the area and form a first impression. To many, grubby smeared windows may imply an uncared-for house inside, so it’s worth putting in some elbow grease.

Look at the details

If it’s unclear whether you live at Number 6 or Number 9 because the number is hanging at a jaunty angle, take five minutes to sort it out. As with the rest of the exterior, a well-painted front door is really important. Potted plants or hanging baskets will create a warm welcome, too.

If you're selling your home, we wish you lots of luck with your move. And if you're staying put, you can't possibly lose out, as all your hard work will be something you can enjoy every time you open the gate. So here's to prizing your exterior as much as your interior!