Does curb appeal matter when selling a house?
You may not know “curb appeal” as a term, but you’ve experienced it. It’s that initial reaction you have to the exterior of a house when you see it from the street (or “curb”), and it can be positive or negative. When you’re trying to sell your house, it can make a difference in whether potential buyers tour your house and, ultimately, whether it gets sold.
You’ve probably noticed that homeowners will invest in exterior home improvements, then a “For Sale” sign pops up in the yard. They’re putting time and money into curb appeal, preparing the house for sale, and they hope to get most or all of those costs back by increasing their home value when they sell the house.
Some curb appeal projects that can improve home value
According to the National Association of Realtors® 2023 Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features with the National Association of Landscape Professionals and their 2019 Remodeling Impact Report with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, here are some estimated curb-appeal projects you can do and their projections of how each can affect the market value of a house.
Regular lawn service for a year
- Includes seasonal fertilizing, routine mowing, and weed control
- Estimated cost: $415
- Estimated increase to home value: $900
Landscape maintenance for a year
- Includes lawn service, annual mulching, planting of flowers and shrubs
- Estimated cost: $4,800
- Estimated increase to home value: $5,000
Major landscape upgrade
- Includes adding a new front walkway, large decorative planters, landscape mulch, flowering shrubs, and a tree.
- Estimated cost: $9,000
- Estimated increase to home value: $9,000
- Preparing a house for sale by improving the lawn and landscaping can have a positive return, but it takes time, which may not work for those who want to sell a house fast.
New steel front door
- This gives a great look as well as energy efficiency and a higher feeling of security.
- Estimated cost: $2,000
- Estimated increase to home value: $1,500
- This is another home improvement that costs more than it adds to assessed value, but the savings on energy can add up if you’re staying in your home for a while.
New vinyl siding
- Estimated cost: $15,800
- Estimated increase to home value: $10,000
New roofing
- Estimated cost: $7,500
- Estimated increase to home value: $8,000
New vinyl windows
- Estimated cost: $22,500
- Estimated increase to home value: $16,000
- You may have to pick and choose between these more expensive upgrades. While they can be rewarding and reassuring, they don’t all make a financial improvement to the market value of a house.
Selling a house that needs repairs doesn’t have to cost you time and effort.
Many homeowners don’t want to risk delays when trying to sell a house or put money into preparing a house for sale before putting it on the market. Some people don’t want to deal with the hassles of selling traditionally. There’s another option for how to sell a house that needs repairs—sell it with We Buy Ugly Houses®. We buy houses “as is,” meaning you don’t have to make any home improvements or even clean anything for us to see your house or to buy it. Our process is much faster and easier and requires no work or expense on your part. We charge no commissions or hidden fees, and we pay typical closing costs.† Plus, when you sell your house with us, you can leave behind any items you no longer want, and we’ll take care of them for you.
There’s no simpler or faster way to sell your house.
Just contact us, and one of our local property buyers will set up a time to visit you and your house. This consultation is free, and we can sometimes make a fast offer on the spot. You have no obligation to accept it, so you have nothing to lose but the time and hassle of house repairs to try and improve curb appeal.
You can trust America's trusted home buyer.
More than 150,000 homeowners have sold their houses to us during our 25 years in business, and they’ve given us an impressive 95%* nationwide customer satisfaction rating. Contact us today to find out how to sell a house that needs repairs the quick and easy way—with We Buy Ugly Houses!
This blog is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
