7 Exterior Home Improvements That Increase Resale Value

Posted on Jun 30 2015 - 11:08am by Housecall
#44

Yesterday on Housecall, we discussed ways to increase your home value with indoor décor. Today, we're focusing on what you can do outside the home to give it an added monetary boost.

Curb appeal is everything when it comes to selling your home, and that means your home’s exterior needs to be in optimal condition. In fact, 71 percent of prospective home buyers say that a home’s curb appeal is an important factor in their buying decision. This infographic from LawnStarter shows seven exterior home improvements that can increase resale value and help sell your home even faster:

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Replace Your Front Door

Believe it or not, a front door says a lot about you and your home. A quality front door can be a huge asset for your home’s value, and how secure your home feels upon entrance. Kelly Fallis of Remote Stylist says, “It’s the first thing a buyer walks through. Repaint or replace; their first impression rests on it.” According to House Logic, a standard 20-gauge steel door can cost around $1,230, but that investment can more than pay for itself with the amount of value it adds to your home. A quality front door replacement can bring you a return of around 102 percent, which makes it a great bang for your buck.

Updated Landscaping

Over 92 percent of prospective home buyers use the Internet at some point during their search process, meaning a lot of eyes are going to be looking for pictures of your home. You want to be able to showcase your property in the best light possible to drive interested parties in for a closer look. According to Bankrate, a quality landscaping job has the potential to net you a whopping 252 percent return in increased home value. John Harris, a landscape economist, has stated that updated landscaping can increase a home’s value by 28 percent and have it sold 10-15 percent quicker.

New Paint

Most prospective homeowners tend to look at what they need to update or work on in the homes that they look at. Repainting your home can cause less stress on the buyer since they know that the job is fresh and adds to the look of the home. That being said, don’t go overboard with color choices. Choose warm and inviting colors, such as taupe, tan or white. “Individuals too often minimize the impact of a first impression,” says James Alisch, managing director of WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. “The exterior paint job of a home greatly impacts how potential buyers feel about a place.” You want to make sure that potential buyers can envision themselves inside your home, and having a neutral exterior color is appealing to a larger pool of buyers. If you do feel the need to add some brighter colors, make sure that they aren’t overpowering and can work well with the neutral base. It’s best to consult your local home improvement store to discuss your options and budget.

Add Home Automation

The home automation industry is expanding faster than ever. Nearly everyone has a smartphone with them at all times, so adding wireless automation to your home could be the feature that sways a buyer. According to HomeAdvisor, the average cost of adding home automation into your residence is around $2,100. Clair Jones of LocalInternetService.com says, “Most smart locks are available for under $250. For such a small purchase cost, homeowners can expect a full return on their investment when they sell their home, and may even see an opportunity to present their property as a ‘smart home,’ which is a hot market term right now.” Like most technology products, the price ranges vary from cost-effective to break the bank, so weigh your potential return with your REALTOR® before proceeding.

Add a Privacy Fence

Having a quality fence can drastically change the look and security of your home and property. Depending on where you live, fences are on average four to nine feet tall and made of quality materials such as wood or stone. While a chain link fence is an option and may be secure, it won’t look good or provide the privacy that a wood or stone wall will. The average cost of a wood fence is $2,450, but homeowners can expect to get 100 percent back in updated home value.

Updated Windows

Replacing old, single-pane windows is a great way to add a level of security, modernize your home, and help bring energy costs down. According to Energy Star, you can save from $125-$465 per year on energy bills. While you may not recoup the entire cost of the new windows when you sell your home, many prospective buyers will see value in energy saving additions. New windows are a great way to give new life to your home without a ton of changes, and can help sway a buyer to choose your home.

Pressure Wash

Pressure washing is hands down the best bang for your buck in terms of rejuvenating the exterior look and feel of your home. Many people don’t realize how dirt their driveways and walkways are until they start pressure washing the surfaces and seeing the difference. Bob Vila says, “If the paint is still in good condition, a light pressure wash will brighten it up and welcome visitors.” For the low average price of $236 (maybe more depending on lot and home size), you can have your home and property pressure washed. You also have the ability to rent a machine at almost any home improvement store and turn it into a weekend project for yourself.

This post was contributed by LawnStarter.

44 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Les Krawitz July 7, 2015 at 12:11 pm - Reply

    Great ideas for the prospective home owner thinking about selling their house.

  2. jim van der Voort July 10, 2015 at 2:30 pm - Reply

    I would like to hear what an appraiser says regarding ROI amounts. I don’t know of any Realtors that place that much ROI on these items.

  3. Norvie July 11, 2015 at 8:59 am - Reply

    I think these are absolutely great ways to prep for a successful sale. Also, creating a list of any improvements made to the property such as inspections and appraisals, will provide great back up to why your home is an incredible buy. Know the condition of your attic and crawl spaces while you are in the midst of a deep clean. This will prevent unexpected costs to you as a seller should repairs be required by a lender or inspector once a contract is full force. Happy Selling!

  4. Ash Solitaire July 12, 2015 at 10:48 pm - Reply

    Interesting post! Nowadays, selling homes are not as eay as it may seem. In fact, i am planning to sell my home and could really use these tips. I would certainly do upgrades to add more value to it. In connection to this, i have stumbled upon an article at http://www.vancouverhousefinders.com/blog/why-you-need-think-twice-hiring-realtor-sell-your-home/ which suggests to think carefully before hiring a realtor to so the selling and i find it helpful as well. All of these tips will surely be on my list. Thanks for sharing!

  5. Ken Jone August 24, 2015 at 7:20 pm - Reply

    Solar panel powered home is good way too to increase the value of the house. Alternative source of energy is famous nowadays.

  6. David Nguyen August 25, 2015 at 7:05 pm - Reply

    We’re planning on selling the old place as we’ll be moving closer to where the kids will be schooling. Those tips on home improvement to jack up our selling price should help. Our budget says we can’t do all but the fresh coat of paint and the re-landscaping I think should do the trick for us. Thanks.

  7. Aaron Robertson October 10, 2015 at 6:47 pm - Reply

    I found this article useful. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

    Aaron Robertson
    http://www.authoritypm.com

  8. Koury Jean October 19, 2015 at 2:50 am - Reply

    Thanks for your tips. They will increase the value of your house. I often use wooden furniture when I want to decorate my house.

  9. Cinemagic Entertainment November 5, 2015 at 1:50 am - Reply

    Some great idea & information here. 7 Exterior improvements are good investments for your home – not just to make it look good, but make a better, longer lasting home.

  10. Richard Leverett April 8, 2016 at 1:57 pm - Reply

    Thanks for this tutorial!

  11. CHase May 14, 2016 at 1:55 pm - Reply

    As a landscaping company, we are consulted with to increase a home’s curb appeal quite often. Keeping the yard up with fresh mowing, new flowers, shrubbery trimming and clean edging lines makes the property look sharp.

  12. Tonny May 20, 2016 at 12:19 am - Reply

    Thanks for your helpful article. It’s 5 months but My parent still cannot sell their house. I will help them to do like your advice.
    Hope they can sell soon .
    Thanks again
    Tonny

  13. Anna Smith June 12, 2016 at 9:08 pm - Reply

    These are 7 great tips. I sent your post to my uncle. He can not sell his home for 3 months now. Hope it will help.
    Thank so much !

  14. Leonel Moreira July 30, 2016 at 4:45 am - Reply

    I was very impressed with your infographics. Very beautiful and meaningful. Can you guide me?

  15. Kent Howton August 7, 2016 at 9:25 pm - Reply

    Great ideas here! One thing that could also add to your curb appeal is resurfacing your driveway, front entries and walkways. I’ve been in the decorative concrete industry for almost 40 years and through it all I could say that this is also one way that would up your home’s value. I also like what you said about replacing front doors. This is a relatively new idea for me. I have yet to try it out!

  16. Mallo December 23, 2016 at 8:37 pm - Reply

    Keeping the yard up with fresh mowing, new flowers, shrubbery trimming and clean edging lines makes the property look sharp.

  17. Vic Vega February 28, 2017 at 10:26 am - Reply

    Awesome Idea indeed.. thanks for sharing…

  18. Russ K March 5, 2017 at 9:40 pm - Reply

    It’s nuts how much a good lawn and ourdoor entertainment space matters for resale value. Don’t neglect and you’ll be rewarded long term!

  19. interiors April 6, 2017 at 8:46 am - Reply

    I got such a good information on this topic it’s very interesting one. Thanks for sharing the best posts they very useful to us and very help us. I am very satisfied with your site and your posts they amazing. You made a good site it’s very interesting one

  20. Jose Nguyen June 6, 2017 at 1:05 am - Reply

    Great ideas here! One thing that could also add to your curb appeal is resurfacing your driveway, front entries and walkways.

  21. Jose Nguyen June 12, 2017 at 10:51 am - Reply

    Thanks for your tips. They will increase the value of your house. I often use wooden furniture when I want to decorate my house.

  22. Adriana Wil. June 17, 2017 at 8:50 am - Reply

    Me and my husband have been flipping houses for many years now. Your article is spot on! In the beginning, we would not focus too much on curb appeal but realized quite quickly, that a can of paint can make a HUGE difference!

  23. Yuri on Ice Season 2 July 21, 2017 at 5:10 pm - Reply

    Great ideas here! One thing that could also add to your curb appeal is resurfacing your driveway, front entries and walkways.

  24. Steven August 28, 2017 at 2:39 am - Reply

    Really, it’s a great idea. I think every home owner should read this article. Thanks

  25. Blake Slade October 26, 2017 at 12:01 am - Reply

    All steps are important for a homeowner. Your ideas are just perfect and money saving. NIce share.

  26. shameless season 8 recap November 17, 2017 at 12:34 am - Reply

    Great ideas here! One thing that could also add to your curb appeal is resurfacing your driveway, front entries and walkways

  27. Michael December 29, 2017 at 3:35 am - Reply

    I like your post. Great infographics. It is very useful and informative. Thankyou so much for sharing this article.

  28. Jason Rosser January 23, 2018 at 6:21 am - Reply

    Painting is proven way to increase the resale value to me. All the steps told in the post is very effective. Best of luck to the resale’s.

  29. Michael Rawson  February 18, 2018 at 9:59 pm - Reply

    All great affordable options to increase your home’s value

  30. John April 17, 2018 at 6:23 am - Reply

    Thank you for the infographic! Your ideas on how to improve home exterior are great!
    Replacing the front door to really safe ones are important. I agree that it might cost a lot but it’s a long-term investment. And safety is the what everyone should be thinking about. 🙂 And if I would like to buy a house I’d definitely pay attention to this kind of things 🙂
    And it’s true that updating windows can save up to $500 per energy bill.

  31. Visit Our Site May 25, 2018 at 5:44 am - Reply

    The information you share is very useful. Thank you for the valuable information.

  32. noor July 28, 2018 at 1:12 am - Reply

    Hello, I really loved your home improvement resolution ideas. Can’t wait to see the outcome when it will be completed. Please don’t forget to share with us when it is done.

  33. owen .R February 7, 2019 at 12:42 am - Reply

    Thanks for sharing the nice informative eye-catching infographics. Easily help me to bring out peak point.

  34. Jonathan Sager March 26, 2019 at 3:01 pm - Reply

    Excellent achievement!
    This is a great post. I agree with you & I believe, a front door says a lot about the home. Its quality is a big deal. This is a major issue. It increases the beauty of the house. I’ve learned a lot of information from your article for home improvements. Seriously I didn’t know at all. Thanks for sharing the wonderful post!

  35. Hadi February 12, 2020 at 11:59 pm - Reply

    I’ve learned a lot of information from your article for home improvements. I think good lawn and outdoor entertainment space matters for resale value.

  36. Concrete contractor March 9, 2020 at 7:59 pm - Reply

    Thank you for your great article, it was very informative and useful. Outdoor space will always add value to the homeowner.

  37. Martin Blouin April 10, 2020 at 4:18 pm - Reply

    I agree 100% with the section on new paint!

  38. Cement Contractor May 24, 2020 at 1:23 am - Reply

    Great post and home improvement options. Stamped and colored concrete are also great options!

  39. Milwaukee Concrete June 19, 2020 at 11:31 am - Reply

    Awesome post here for home improvement! Another big thing to consider is the exterior appearance of your concrete. Broken driveways and sidewalks decrease home value perception so getting those repaired is a huge benefit.

  40. Masonry Contractor September 28, 2020 at 8:15 am - Reply

    Good topic for home improvements and increasing value. Don’t forget to also have things like chimneys inspected before listing a house (if you have one). Chimneys and fireplaces are easy things to have fixed before a potential buyer sees the issue and expects reductions on selling price.

  41. Edmond Roofer October 23, 2020 at 9:44 am - Reply

    Definitely a great concept here for home improvement. As a roofer, I would definitely put my 2 cents in for a roofing project. This won’t always work for every homeowner, but there’s some situations where I believe it can increase value. The easiest thought is this, if your roof is over 15 years old, take a look at re-roofing before sale. Buyers would be willing to pay a premium if a major project like roofing is done before they move in.

  42. Concrete Company October 27, 2020 at 10:08 am - Reply

    Great article here and nicely presented with that infographic. I like doing things myself that have a good return so things like power washing my house and concrete are always great investments. Most good power washers are less than $300 to purchase so you can still own the equipment and use it over and over again. And it just makes such a massive difference in the appearance.

  43. Milwaukee Painter February 21, 2021 at 2:52 pm - Reply

    As a painter myself, I can completely agree that new paint transforms the look and feel of a home! Both interior and exterior paint jobs can definitely increase the perceived value of a home for a buyer. And it’s an easy investment because you can see the before and after effect. Also great inforgraphic by the way!

  44. Oakland Concrete Solutions February 22, 2021 at 9:46 am - Reply

    This was awesome content to help homeowners upgrade their property and increase its value.

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