Skin-deep investments in a home’s exterior offer gratifying paybacks
It’s not about the updated kitchen. Or the state-of-the-art walk-in shower. Not to say that updating the interior of a home isn’t important. It’s just that because we mostly live inside our homes, updating and beautifying the outside seems to be placed on the back burner.
There are usually two reasons homeowners think about improving the curb appeal of their home (1) pride of ownership —they just want it to look more attractive, or (2) they are selling and want to get the highest price possible. Either is an excellent reason to value and update your home’s facade.
Many homeowners don’t realize that spiffing up their home’s exterior offers some of the best return on investment of anything they can do to their dwellings. Whether it’s just for the heck of it or to attract a buyer, curb appeal is what “gets them at hello” when people drive by a property.
The National Association of REALTORS® Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features has some fascinating data illustrating how curb appeal and landscaping affects the value of a home, beating out nearly every indoor project for payback. Included are yard overhauls, such as adding a winding flagstone walkway, planters, flowering shrubs, a good-sized tree and new mulch. According to the study, the median cost for doing all of the above is $4,750. Return value? $5,000. Sweet.
Add more “softscape” items like trees, shrubs, perennials, mow strips and boulder accents and your home’s curb appeal is transformed. Now figure in lower utility bills, since placing trees in the right locations can produce savings on heating and cooling costs, and there are bonuses up the yin-yang. A new patio or deck? Even better.
So next time you think about where you want your remodeling dollars to go, it might be prudent to step across the street and take a look at your home from a different perspective. Shutters need painting? Does your front door make a statement? Would your house look better with more color around it? A little bit of attention to what meets the eye can make a world of difference.
