Curb Appeal Exercise The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway to get a good view of the house and its surroundings. 1. What is your first impression of the house and yard area? 2. What are the best exterior features of the house or lot? How can you enhance them? 3. What are the worst exterior features of the house or lot? How can you minimize or improve them? Make a list of the problem areas you discovered. Tackle clean up and repair chores first, then put some time into projects that make the grounds more attractive.     a.. Kill mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof, or driveway.   b.. Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools.     c.. Clean windows and gutters. *Pressure wash dirty siding and dingy decks.   d.. Edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete or bricks.   e.. Mow the lawn. Get rid of weeds.   f.. Rake and dispose of leaves, even if your lot is wooded.     g.. Trim tree limbs that are near or touching the home's roof. Don't Forget the Rear View Buyers doing a drive by will try their best to see your back yard. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, include it in your curb appeal efforts. Evening Curb Appeal Do your curb appeal exercise again at dusk, because it isn't unusual for potential buyers to drive by houses in the evening.  One quick way to improve evening curb appeal is with lighting:   a.. String low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and near important landscaping elements.   b.. Add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.   c.. Make sure lighting that's visible through front doors and windows enhances the home's appearance. Landscaping Decisions There are times that adding elements to your landscaping can improve curb appeal, but there are other times when removing something is even more effective. Most buyers cannot visualize changes, and often won't take a second look at a house if the first look doesn't appeal to them. Home buyers who can visualize changes, and are prepared to make them, expect you to reduce the price of the house to compensate for the work they plan to do. A Few Curb Appeal Tips   a.. If you can budget it, a fresh paint job does wonders for a dingy house. Drive around your town to find color schemes that are appealing.   b.. Install a more attractive front door, maybe something with leaded glass inserts.   c.. If you can't justify the cost of a new door, consider replacing plain doorknob hardware with something more attractive.   d.. If new hardware is beyond your budget, repaint or stain the door and polish the hardware.   If you brainstorm, you'll find that there's a solution to most problems-one that lets you stay within your budget. The trick is to find the areas where improvements are needed, then work on them as best you can. Tip: *When getting ready to sell your home, one of the best things you can do is to get a complete heating and cooling evaluation by a professional.  The ideal scenario is to have records of the history for the heating and cooling system.  Being able to provide up to date information about your mechanical system will help to eliminate surprises from this house component and feel more confident about the condition of your home. 8 Easy Ways To Add Curb Appeal       8 Easy Ways To Add Curb Appeal Money is tight and time is short, but you don't have to skimp on beauty. Even shoe-string projects can make your home more inviting and boost your property value. The trick is to have fun, be creative, and be willing to get your hands a little dirty. Have you added curb appeal to your own home? 1. Paint the Front Door For a home that makes a statement, turn the front door into an exclamation point. Bold red, yellow, and blue add pizzazz to traditional Cape Cod and Ranch _style_ houses. Older houses turn glamorous when natural oak doors are cleaned and revarnished. 2. Lay Pretty Pavement Forget the boring slabs of gray concrete. For a warm and welcoming entry to your home, build a walkway and patio with brick or paving stones. 3. Dramatize the Details Even the most modest house has something to boast about. Use contrasting colors to draw attention to eaves, brackets, shutters, moldings, or other interesting details. Don't forget the window sashes! (Yes, you can paint vinyl and aluminum window _frame_s. Just be sure to sand them first.) 4. Build a Better Porch A new or remodeled porch will give your house a brand new face. For a welcoming accent, build a small entry porch. To transform your house, build a porch that extends across the entire facade. 5. Add Flower Power Flowers can help even the most ordinary house stand apart from look-alike neighbors. For quick color, fill planters, window boxes, and hanging pots with inexpensive annuals. 6. Turn Trash Into Treasures Browse flea markets and and architectural salvage centers and you can find just the right accents to make your home unique. Replace conventional hardware with antique door knobs and door knockers. Turn old wrought iron gates into decorative screens and wall hangings. Make mailboxes and lawn ornaments out of discarded corbels, columns, and other architectural salvage. (Just be careful that you don't overdo.) 7. Strip Off Old Vinyl Does your old house have vinyl siding? You don't have to live with vinyl that's faded, cracked, or just plain blah. Peel off a corner in a hidden spot. With luck you'll find intact clapboards underneath. Strip off the ratty vinyl, scrape, and paint. Yes, it's a messy job, but restoring your home will cost less than installing all new siding. Then, watch your property values go up. 8. Plant Vines Frank Lloyd Wright is famous for saying A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines. He may have been joking, but vines really can cover a lot of sins. To protect wood and mortar, give your vines strings, wires, or a trellis to climb. I build my business on referrals.  Should you know anyone  who is considering buying or selling I would appreciate it if you could let me know.