A home with great curb appeal will always make a good impression and a strong statement to neighbors and friends that the homeowners are obviously proud of their dwelling.  It shows in the small details and care that has gone into the exterior features of the home, such as a green, well manicured yard and fresh paint.

If you plan on selling your home in the near future, it’s well known that potential buyers make up their minds in the first few minutes of seeing a home. How your home presents itself from the road can actually make or break the sale.  In fact, curb appeal sells almost half of all houses. By spending a little time and money fixing up your house, you could potentially add thousands to the selling price.

Even if you don’t plan on selling your home in the near future, the pride one feels from having a beautiful home is worth more than the value they’ve increased their home by.

There are a number of ways to enhance your home’s appearance.  It helps to write down a complete inventory of what is wrong with your home’s appearance, then make a list of ways in which you can fix those problems.  Try to remain objective; look at your house and yard as if you were a buyer, and determine curb appeal from that perspective. You may notice things you’ve spent years overlooking.

Before you go to the expense of replacing or repairing major components of your home, try some of these tips:

• Trim the vegetation around your home, particularly those bushes that may conceal the front of the house and windows.  Try to limit the height of bushes and shrubbery to the bottom of windows.
• Remove weeds from flowerbeds and plant some colorful annuals or ornamentals.
• Fertilize and manicure the lawn to provide a green, even look.  See the Landscape Workshop section elsewhere on this web site for more tips on maintaining a beautiful, healthy lawn.
• Patch or replace sod that has browned.
• Replace rotting or warped fences.
• If the roof looks dull or is showing signs of mold, replacing the shingles can breathe new life into the house.  Be sure to get color and type of shingle approval from the Architectural Review Committee before starting your project.

Any one of these tips can make a difference of the curb appeal of your home.  Collectively, they will make a huge difference, adding to the overall appeal of Lithia Ridge.