Cultivating curb appeal is crucial when preparing your home to sell. Although properties in New York City have less outdoor and exterior space to work with than their counterparts in the suburbs, there are still design strategies at a Park Slope homeowner’s disposal when tasked with improving their residence’s appearance. Let’s take a look at a few of these approaches to increase the visual appeal of your property and, consequently, its value.

How to increase your Park Slope curb appeal

Landscaping

Functioning as the main entrance to your home, your front door needs to be in the best state that it can be. Consider a paint job to spruce it up or take it a step farther and install a new one that matches with current trends.

If you have a yard with grass, make sure it is mowed, trimmed, and free of weeds. Add bushes or flowers to give it a fresh look and pops of color. If you don’t have a yard, install planter boxes under the windows with delightful flowers or a small herb garden to get the same effect.

Similarly, you can add plants or flowers along the walkway or on the steps. If you’re fortunate to have a tree, be sure it's trimmed, well maintained, and any of the fallen leaves are raked up and moved out of sight. This will leave your building looking fresher, brighter, and more appealing.

Check the exterior for repairs

Scan the entire outside of your home to see if anything needs to be replaced or fixed. If you have light fixtures, make sure the light bulbs aren’t burned out and replace them if needed and clean their glass cases so the home will appear brighter at night.

Check the walkway and steps for any cracks which need to be filled. Update the numbers on your home to a new style so people can easily tell what address they’re at. Look for cracks in the door and window frames that can let weather and bugs into your home. Any potential buyers will be scrutinizing everything to ensure they are investing in the right property and will be put off by the need to put in the work and resources for additional repairs. By having this sorted ahead of time, your home will be more appealing in the minds of the buyers and will likely attract more offers.

Exterior Lighting

Lighting gives your building character and can make it feel welcoming and bright. There are many different forms of lighting you can choose to incorporate. Bring in a traditional fixture for a historical feel, or try adding solar paneled lights to make your house more eco-friendly. If you have bushes or a tree, you can string lights along them to give a festive atmosphere and make it look elegant year-round. All of these changes will transform the appearance of your home at night and give it a warm and inviting ambiance.

Replace the hardware on your door

Freshen up the front of your home by installing new fixtures like a doorknob, handle, and door knocker. You should find the materials which compliment the aesthetic of the home's exterior the best and contribute to the overall design you’re going for. Look into smart locks, which can be opened via a code or even a phone instead of a key. This installation of modern technology will give your home an edge against the other properties in the area and have the advantage of matching current trends.

Paint or clean the exterior

If your home is painted, give it a fresh coat to brighten it up and make it pop. Determine which colors work with your home’s design as well as the appearance of other homes in the neighborhood. Use on-trend colors and enhance your home's desirability.

If you have shutters on the outside of your windows, paint those as well. Find a color that will contrast with the rest of your home and make it stand out from the others on the block. Even your front door could probably do with some sprucing up. Choose to repaint it with its current color or liven it up with a bolder tone.

If your home is brick or another material that doesn’t get painted, make sure it’s freshly cleaned. Going over the exterior with a power washer to remove any built-up dirt and grime that have accumulated over the seasons can do wonders in giving your home a fresh look.

Tile Your Doorstep

Tiling your doorstep will give your home a unique and exciting flair guaranteed to catch the eye of potential buyers. Have fun by finding colors that work with your home and enhance the whole appearance. You can also play around with different pattern combinations, choosing to go with a simple square look or bring in various shapes like diamonds or octagons. Beyond the shapes, you can also decide if you want them to be a single or blend of colors or have patterns on them such as fleur-de-lis and other symbols.

Mailbox makeover

The mailbox is one of the exterior focal points of your home, so it should stand out and contribute favorably to the overall aesthetic. If it’s seen better days or just doesn’t match the rest of the exterior design, it's time to replace it. With so many varieties of mailboxes, you can take the time to determine which color, shape, and design works best and then place it in a spot where it will be noticed and work cohesively with other decorations.

Clean or replace gutters and downspouts

Gutters often get filled with leaves and other debris that can clog them up. Take the time to clean them out and the outside of them too. The fall and winter seasons can be especially hard on your gutters and leave them covered in grime, making the exterior of your home appear unkempt. If they have been damaged over the years, then replace them altogether. This will ensure potential buyers that you take care of your property and it’s ready to be sold.

Add an arbor or fence

Adding a feature like an arbor or a fence will give your home more dimension and another opportunity to decorate. There are a variety of materials you can choose from for either of these, such as wood, stone, or metal, so select which of these and the corresponding style will compliment your home. After installation, consider some decorations - add colorful hanging plants or drape them with string lights. Leaving them bare is an option, too, if it matches your aesthetic.

Add additional decorative flairs

The last step is to see what other places you can liven up with decorations. You can add a fancy welcome mat to your front porch, install a small fountain or some garden statues, or anything else you can think of to give your house more of a chance to be noticed and stand out.

One of the most challenging battles when selling a home can be just getting people to look inside your home. The more appealing your home looks from the outside, the better chance you have of potential buyers becoming curious to see the inside and consider buying the property. Before deciding to put your home on the market, it would be wise to make a few of these key improvements.

Buying or selling Park Slope real estate?

If you’re interested to learn more about increasing your home’s curb appeal or about Park Slope homes for sale, please don’t hesitate to reach out to The Pham Mascio Team for expert guidance.