You don’t need us to tell you that Alberta is booming. Every month, thousands of Edmonton homes are listed for sale, each one with a seller that hopes it’s the one the right buyer chooses as their next new home. With so many new listings every month, it’s hard to decide which simple, inexpensive things you should do to get your house on a buyer’s short list. When homebuyers are scrolling through listings, the exterior appearance of the home is one of the first things they will use to include or exclude a house for consideration.
Here are a few tips to help you boost the curb appeal of your Edmonton home:
Makeshift Gardening
You have already decided to sell the house, so odds are good you’re not interested in the effort that goes into mature plant growth. That’s OK, if you keep the lawn freshly mowed, clean up any obvious weeds and give your walkway a good hosing down, you’ll be well ahead of the game. If you’re feeling especially ambitious, your local garden centre can help you out with some interesting plants and containers for your garden. You benefit from all of the greenery of a big garden, with WAY less digging and dirt under your nails.
Light Painting Projects
Have you had a good look at the trim around your windows? What about any wooden furniture you have in the yard? Obviously, you don’t want to take on a major house-painting project at this point, but a weekend spent freshening up noticeably cracked or peeling paint can really help give the whole house a fresh appearance. Consider it time well spent if you move that freshly painted lawn furniture to your new house. One less thing to worry about!
Hardware Upgrade
Can people even find your house with that faded house number over the front door? What about your mailbox? Has it seen better days? These are small details, but ones that speak to the overall care and attention that has been paid to your house over the years. Changing or even just polishing these hardware pieces can really make your house shine like a diamond in the rough.
Fresh Parging and Other Exterior Finishes
We did say you’re likely not interested in a major project at this time, but do give some thought to one we think is especially important: parging. Cracked or chipped parging at the base of your home is ugly, no question. But it can also immediately make prospective buyers wonder if there is a problem with the foundation. Why take that chance? A fresh professionally applied coat of parging will increase your Edmonton home’s curb appeal, and its value!
Making your house stand out in the crowd can really pay off when it comes to getting onto a prospective buyer’s short list. With any luck, the owner of your next house has put in the same effort, allowing you to just move in and enjoy.
Want more ideas to help improve the look of your Edmonton home? Be sure to join our online communities on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook!
Photo Credit: Renjith Krishnan from freedigitalphotos.net
