How to improve your home's street appeal

Selling a property for profit can be a complex and difficult task if the market isn’t skewed in your favour. At such times, it is location and aesthetics that determine the outcome. In fact, a 2016 survey by Finder found that homebuyers would reduce their potential offer on a home by up to 25% if that home has poor street appeal. The potential loss of 25% value is a sobering thought and highlights the importance of maintaining and elevating the street appeal of your home.  

It’s the small things that can affect the perceived value of your property. An Australia-wide survey conducted in 2020 by Raine & Horne discovered that a neat, tidy and green lawn will attract buyers to a home, with 40% of Raine & Horne agents surveyed of the opinion that a nice lawn can increase your home’s value by 20%. The University of Western Australia conducted a similar study in 2013 that revealed attractive landscaping in particular can increase your home’s sale price from 5% up to 20%, and that something as simple as a broad-leafed tree on a street verge to the front of a home can increase median property price.

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Furthermore, research by the Universities of Alabama and Texas found that homes with high kerb appeal in general tend to sell for more than those that don’t, getting an average of 7% more than similar homes with a less inviting exterior. Another interesting finding is one by property experts and authors Ben Kingsley and Bryce Holdaway who, in their book Money Simple Again, suggest that replacing your boring front door with a statement front door in an eye-catching colour or design will increase kerb appeal and perceived property value.

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• Cleanliness is crucial, so ensure you either power wash your home’s exterior or repaint it.
• Replace or repair visible roofs, gutters, chimneys, screens, house numbers or fencing that look old, worn or tatty.
• Mow your lawn, tidy your edges, remove weeds and water any plants or grass that look dry.
• Add flowers to your garden for a pop of colour.
• Add a beautiful mailbox to your fence, gate or entry to elevate the front garden.
• Clean, refresh or paint worn concrete pathways or stepping stones.
• Make a style statement by painting the front door.
• Repair or repaint any latticework or structural features on the façade of your home that look damaged.
• Remove any unnecessary outdoor furniture to avoid the front of your home looking cluttered.
• Add lighting that is both ambient and functional, such as safety lighting over the driveway and front door, and solar lanterns in the garden.

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