It’s all in the look

5 Easy Steps to Improve Your Curb Appeal

By Lisa Cu LLen

Curb appeal is one of those terms frequently heard from the mouths of real estate agents, particularly when putting a house on the market. Sounds great but what it is? And what if you aren’t selling your home? Does curb appeal matter?

What is Curb Appeal?

There’s an old saying: “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” I’ll bet you can think of examples in your own experience: the shabbily dressed salesman, the dirty restaurant, the rusty and dented car can all be turn-offs. I’m sure you agree that the same concept applies to your home. But, what is “curb appeal”?

The dictionary defines curb appeal as “the visual attractiveness of a home as seen from the street.” It further defines attractiveness as “Arousing interest or pleasure.” Attractive is then defined as “Having a pleasing appearance” and “Having a feature or quality that people like.”

Wow! How can you predict what people will like? The truth is, you can’t. So, if you can’t foretell the future and you’re not a mind-reader, what can you do to enhance your home’s curb appeal? The answers are simple.

Here are easy 5 steps to improve any home’s curb appeal.

1. Take a Walk

Walk around the neighborhood. Look at everything through fresh eyes. Notice what’s pleasing and what isn’t. Really look, as if seeing everything for the first time. Walk in other sections of town, being sure to include many different styles of homes.

2. Garden Editing

Now that you’ve established for yourself what makes a place attractive (or not), come home and look at your own home from this new point of view. I mean really look. Walk about and make a list. It’s time to remove anything that isn’t contributing to your home’s beauty. That includes plants that are dead, dying, or just plain ugly. Be ruthless. No sentimentality allowed. Overgrown lavender, woody rosemary, a ball of sticks, anything that isn’t worthy is actually detracting from the overall aesthetic and needs to go. And, be sure to get rid of all the excess junk. (No offense intended; we all have some.)

3. To Add or Not to Add, That Is the Question

Now that you have a clean canvas, the question becomes to add or not to add. My advice on that is this: If you add, stay with the prevailing theme. If your home is Mediterranean, stay Mediterranean. If the landscape is tropical, stick with that. If you have a cottage garden, stay cottagey. Don’t add red flax for “wow factor” unless you already have a flax garden. Keep it simple.

4. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch

Now that you’ve removed everything unattractive in your garden and added plants (or not), bring in the mulch. Not orchid bark, mulch. You can get it free from Marborg or the county or get chips from a tree company. Doesn’t matter where it comes from, just do it. Apply it four inches thick on every square inch of earth. But don’t bury the plants. And then, don’t allow your gardener to blow or rake it all away.

5. Cleanliness Is a Virtue

Cleanliness is most definitely a virtue when it comes to curb appeal. Now that the editing, adding, and mulching are done, it’s time to clean. Rent a power washer, get out your broom and bucket and start scrubbing. Remove stains off your driveway and patios. Sweep away cobwebs, clean the shutters, and yes, even wash the windows. I guarantee that once you get started, you’ll find some pretty interesting surprises. But the result will be worth it. You’ll have a home that sparkles.

The Economics of Curb Appeal

I hate to talk economics but if you’re selling your home, I assume you want to sell at a good price. And even if you aren’t going to sell, it’s a good idea to take into account the overall value of the home, relative to the neighborhood. When addressing the issue of curb appeal the real question is: How to maximize the return on your investment? The steps I have given you are the basics – what to do if you do nothing else.

There are many more things you can do to help your curb appeal, but whatever it is, ask yourself if it will increase the property value. No-brainers are things like adding a new mailbox and house numbers. You can do more and spend more of course, but do these five easy steps first. You can thank me later.

Lisa Cullen, landscape designer and organic gardener, owns Montecito Landscape with her husband, Chris She can be reached at 805 969 3984 or www montecitolandscape com