What is Curb Appeal, exactly? by The Buckhead Office

A U G U S T

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THE BUCKHEAD OFFICE

Listed by: Travis Reed & Martha Shepherd

TABLE OF CONTENTS What is Curb Appeal 20 Ways to Add Curb Appeal Market Update What You Can Buy for $1,300,000

Listed by: Cathy Boston

SO WHAT IS CURB APPEAL, EXACTLY?

WHAT IS

CURB APPEAL, EXACTLY?

It’s colorful, it’s fun, it’s en vogue—but the trouble with a hyped concept like curb appeal is the details get lost in translation.

THE TRUE MEANING OF CURB APPEAL: CAN SUCH A CATCH-ALL WORD BE DEFINED? If we had to explain curb appeal in a 15 second elevator ride, we’d say this: Curb appeal is how attractive a house looks from the outside. As a focal point for a house that goes up for sale, curb appeal encompasses all of the external factors that shape a home buyer’s first impression of a property the moment they lay their eyes on it from the street. (Phew, we’re out of breath!) Web sources vaguely note that use of the term “curb appeal” reached fever pitch during the housing boom that preceded the subprime mortgage crisis. Digging into this claim a little deeper we looked at the available data tracking this trend over time. Google NGram which tracks how often a term gets used in books, shows that mentions of curb appeal started around 1960 and then had hockey-stick growth from 1980-2000. Meanwhile, Google Trends data shows that searches for “curb appeal” on the web spike fairly consistently every April, no doubt as the weather starts to thaw and homeowners start thinking about putting their house on the market for spring selling season.

ARTICLE COURTESY OF:

CORINNE RIVERA HOMELIGHT

CURB APPEAL IS MORE THAN A PRETTY SIGHT: IT’S CASH IN THE BANK, TOO Curb appeal’s visual interest and dramatic makeover potential make it great TV and wonderful fodder for browsing those shocking before-and-after photo essays. But does all that reality TV encouragement to spruce up your home’s outdoor appearance hold water, or is curb appeal as vapid as the ever-entertaining House Hunters? Experts in the real estate field and ROI research echo the same truth: curb appeal matters big time—especially for home sellers. Check out these stats if you don’t believe us: A well-landscaped home is likely to fetch 5.5 – 12.7% more than one with no landscaping. 94% of Realtors have suggested sellers improve their curb appeal before listing a home for sale while 99% believe curb appeal is important in attracting a buyer. “First off, it’s going to be how well the house and the yard are maintained,” says PJ Hartley, a top-performing real estate agent in Tyler, Texas who’s sold over 74% more properties than the average agent. “Now the inside of the house can be a total let down, but I think the front yard being pretty and attractive sets the stage of paying more for the house.

FROM THE STREET TO THE FRONT DOOR—CURB APPEAL IS EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN To better unpack the abstract idea of curb appeal, we’ve broken it down into three different levels representing different areas of a home’s frontward presentation from the bottom up.

CURB APPEAL LEVEL 1 (BOTTOM) GENERAL LANDSCAPING, BUSHES AND SHRUBS, FLOWERS AND DECORATIVE PLANTS Starting from the lowest point of a buyer’s line of vision, landscaping is the first level of curb appeal. Standard lawn care service is the number one project that appeals to buyers and is estimated to return 267% of the cost, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2018 Remodeling Impact Report. “Where the plants are and how they grow into their shape makes a big difference in how well the front of your house shows,” says Hartley. “In the South where I am, the grass is still a big deal. Buyers want it green, healthy and trimmed.” If there are areas of the yard that look disheveled or unkempt, Hartley recommends using a few beautiful elements to draw buyer attention away from the negative. “I have a client who, in 30 years, never really did much in the way of landscaping and we didn’t have a whole lot of time,” says Hartley. “We put pots with beautiful plants around her really nice looking front porch. It drew people’s attention away from the fact that it wasn’t heavily landscaped all the way to the ends of the house.” Work with your real estate agent to figure out the best way to landscape your home within your budget and timeframe. If possible, consult with a professional landscaper to add or remove plants where necessary. At the very least, trim bushes and cut the grass to keep your yard looking prim and proper.

CURB APPEAL LEVEL 2: PORCH, WINDOWS, AND THE FRONT DOOR ENTRYWAY As buyers enter the home, they will spend the most time on the porch and the doorway. They’ll hold onto the railing, walk the length of the porch, and look at the details of the home’s entrance. “Many people live by going from their garage to their house daily. They don’t really go on their front porch,” says Hartley. “The buyer has plenty of time to check out the front porch while they’re waiting for the agent to get the door open.” For ultimate curb appeal, create a charming front entrance. Here’s how to enhance your curb appeal with your doorway and porch: • Clean dirt and dust around the doorway • Give your front porch and door a fresh coat of paint • Replace old, used decorations with clean, simple touches • Replace porch light bulbs and update fixtures if necessary • Clean the windows on the outside • Sweep the porch The siding of your house is also in the direct line of vision for approaching buyers. Make sure your siding has been maintained and is visually appealing. Fix chipped siding with fresh paint and power wash siding to remove layers of dirt.

CURB APPEAL LEVEL 3: ROOF, GUTTERS, AND WINDOWS Stand on the curb in front of your home and scan the house from the bottom. The last section of curb appeal is the top of your home. A decrepit roof and lowhanging branches are dollar-signs in buyers’ eyes. Dirty windows and broken shutters makeyour house look rundown. Clean the windows on the inside and outside to make the glass shine like new. Carefully paint the trim around each window for fresh contrast. Lastly, paint or replace worn shutters to make the windows pop. Check off the final category of curb appeal with a clean, maintained roof. Hire a professional pressure washer to remove dirt and mold and give your roof a new look. Cut any low hanging branches that could cause problems down the road. Then, clean the gutters and the chimney to bring it all home.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT: WHAT IS CURB APPEAL? Curb appeal is the first thing buyers notice about your home. It’s the collective elements of the front of your house that determine whether buyers are excited to see more or bummed they wasted their time. Strong curb appeal has the power to bring more buyers through the door and, ultimately, help your house sell for more money. Talk to your real estate agent to enhance your curb appeal and sell your home successfully from a buyer’s first “hello”.

Listed by: Erin Yabroudy

20 WAYS

TO ADD CURB APPEAL

ARTICLE COURTESY OF:

BETTER HOMES & GARDENS

DRESS UP THE FRONT DOOR

REPLACE OLD HARDWARE

CREATE PERFECT SYMMETRY

INSTALL OUTDOOR LIGHTING

CREATE AN INSTANT GARDEN

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DO A MAILBOX MAKEOVER

INSTALL WINDOW BOXES

GARDEN FOR CURB APPEAL

EAST DIY WINDOW BOXES

Listed by: Beth Smith

RENEW PLANTER BEDS

ADD ARBORS OR FENCE PANELS

ADD OUTDOOR ARTWORK

MAKE A GRAND ENTRY

ADD SHUTTERS OR ACCENT TRIM

CREATE A NEW PLANTING BED

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20

Listed by: Price Curtis

REPLACE GUTTERS & DOWNSPOUTS

RENEW PAINT, SIDING, & TRIM

TILE YOUR DOORSTEP

DRESS UP THE DRIVEWAY

BUILD A WALKWAY

MARKET UPDATE B Y

N E I G H B O R H O O D

Listed by: Kelly Boudreau

ANSLEY PARK

H I S T. BROOK H AV E N

HOMES FOR SALE

NEW ON MARKET

$1,071,000

$1,042,777

AV E R AG E S A L E P R I C E

+8.5%

-20.4%

SALES PRICES

98%

95%

L I S T T O S A L E P R I C E R AT I O

76 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

121 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

Trendgrahix based on data pulled the end of July 2019 | Residential Properties All Price Points % sales price change based on changes from July 2018

BUCK HEAD

C H A S TA I N PARK

921

HOMES FOR SALE

328

NEW ON MARKET

$754,000

$883,000

AV E R AG E S A L E P R I C E

+7.1%

-47%

SALES PRICES

93%

97%

L I S T T O S A L E P R I C E R AT I O

68 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

91 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

MID TOWN

MORNING SIDE

HOMES FOR SALE

NEW ON MARKET

$860,000

$881,000

AV E R AG E S A L E P R I C E

+7.8%

+0.3%

SALES PRICES

98%

95%

L I S T T O S A L E P R I C E R AT I O

55 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

45 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

Trendgrahix based on data pulled the end of July 2019 | Residential Properties All Price Points | % sales price change based on changes from July 2018

VIRGINIA HIGHLAND

SANDY SPRINGS

547

HOMES FOR SALE

236

NEW ON MARKET

$1,026,000

$572,000

AV E R AG E S A L E P R I C E

+22.3%

+10.6%

SALES PRICES

96%

93%

L I S T T O S A L E P R I C E R AT I O

57 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

60 AV E R A G E D AY S O N M A R K E T

WHAT YOU CAN BUY FOR

$1.3M

123

PROPERTIES LISTED IN METRO ATLANTA

146

PROPERTIES LISTED IN BUCKHEAD

$1,395,000 4966 POWERS FERRY ROAD 5 B E D S | 5 F U L L B AT H S

3 H A L F B AT H S

Listed by: Erin Yabroudy & Bill Izlar

Listed by: Kelly Boudreau

$1,390,000 40 OLD VERMONT PLACE 7 B E D S | 6 F U L L B AT H S |

3 H A L F B AT H S

$1,375,000 4 6 8 5 E C O N W AY D R I V E N W 4 B E D S | 4 F U L L B AT H S

1 H A L F B AT H

Listed by: Travis Reed & Michael Kriethe

Listed by: Sister Hood

$1,350,000 1 2 0 1 O CO N E E FA R M S R O A D 2 B E D S | 2 F U L L B AT H S

D A KOTA FA R M S

1 H A L F B AT H

92+/- ACRES

$1,350,000 122 OLD IVY ROAD NE | #19 4 B E D S | 4 F U L L B AT H S

1 H A L F B AT H

Listed by: Kelly Boudreau

Listed by: Beth Smith

$1,349,000 7 8 2 K I N G S W AY 4 B E D S | 4 F U L L B AT H S

Buckhead Office - 532 East Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, GA 30305 | 404.233.4142 | HarryNorman.com The above information is believed accurate, but is not warranted. This offer is subject to errors, omissions, prior sale and withdrawals without notice

What is Curb Appeal, exactly?

Articles inside

What You Can Buy For $1.3M

20 Ways to Add Curb Appeal

What is Curb Appeal, exactly?