So you want to increase house value, take a look at its curb appeal. Curb appeal is the ability of a house to WoW! the viewer when they drive up to the curb.
Curb appeal is important when listing homes for sale, so is HomesByOwner. If you are in the market for a home, our network of FSBO, listings covers the southwest including Arizona homes so you can find hidden gems which are only for sale by owner homes.
To get an idea of the curb appeal of your home, act like a visitor. Get in your car, go to town for a while, and come back as if you are visiting.
Increase house value by using these easy steps
As you drive up to the house, see what type of impact that house has on you. It only takes a second to make an impression on a personâs mind, and thatâs how long it will take for someone to decide whether they like or dislike your house.
Take a quick inventory of what you see when you drive up. Look at the paint or siding, the roof, the gutters, and the basic condition of the house. Does it look fresh? Does it sparkle and show pride of ownership?
What is in the yard? Kidâs toys, hoses and other items left laying around signal a family that is careless with their possessions. Are the shrubberies and trees well-cared-for? Do you see weeds or dead plants in the beds, or is everything neat and ship-shape?
Imagine you were interviewing for a new and very interesting job you wanted very much to get. Suppose for just a moment that it is not you driving up to that house, but the prospective boss coming to do an interview. Would you be proud of what he would see, or would you be finding little things you âshould have taken care of before he arrived?â
Now turn the corner and drive away. Take a nice, leisurely Sunday drive around town and be sure to visit some of the lovely, well-kept neighborhoods where you would like to live.
What kind of things do you see in these houses that you might want to duplicate in your home? You might take note of a stamped concrete effect on a driveway, large rocks or rock gardens with nice appeal to them, or interesting new plant varieties you might not have considered for your yard.
Make notes about what you see, or better yet, take your camera. What better way to record the wonderful ideas you see than with a photo. I keep a book loaded with ideas so I can make use of the very best when I build my new Southwestern Dream Home.
Now, all those great magazines youâve been hoarding with ideas you have always wanted to use in your yardâ¦.cut them up! Rip them apart and compile a scrapbook full of ideas. This is your dream, so make sure it is what youâve been dreaming about.
Now take another trip. Crank up the trusty computer and cruise the net. I do this constantly looking for ideas. My favorites list looks like the yellow pages for Los Angeles! I just canât stop saving cool ideas.
How to save a picture to your hard drive
If you just want to save a picture, save it to your picture subfolder in your âMy Documentsâ folder.
Forgive me if you already know how to do this, but just in case you donâtâ¦
Right click on the photo, and choose âsave picture asâ from the menu that appears. You can then choose where to save the photo. These photos can also be printed out and placed in your wish book.
Now, when youâve collected the items youâd like to have in your yard, go through your book and decide how each would look there and how it might help you to increase house value and curb appeal. The do-it-yourselfer can plant a few shrubs or cactus, import a few boulders, or lay a few bricks for a new and exciting look. You'll learn to increase house value in no time.
You can also take your idea book to a landscape artist and get him to design an awe-inspiring yard that will provide maximum curb appeal for that new boss.
Now before you start telling me all about how expensive all this is going to be, Iâm going to tell you something that will make that expense much easier to swallow. The cost of your new landscape is a great investment. Iâm sure you already knew that, right?
The money you spend creating that fabulous âcurb appealâ can increase the value of your home by as much as 15%.Another way to look at this investment is to consider that you could get 150-200% return on your money when you sell your home. Homes can appraise high enough for you to âcash outâ with a home equity loan. Howâs that for a way to increase house value?If you are short on cash, consider approaching a lender for a home improvement loan. Lenders are aware of the increased value of a well-landscaped home and are often willing to advance you the money to help you increase house value.
So, to increase house value, be sure you explore its curb appeal. The effort will make your home a more pleasant place for you, and some day the investment will pay off when itâs time to sell your home.
