Armando Montelongo | News and Information In Real Estate

People always say that the kitchen is the most important part of the house.

Although the kitchen is one of the most important interior features of the house, it is not the first thing that buyers see when looking at a property.  So is that the room that should get the most attention when you fix a property? Yes and no.

The kitchen and other highlights like the the master bedroom and bathroom are important. But, how are you going to get buyers to look at the interior if you can’t get them in the door? You focus on curb appeal: how attractive the property looks from the street. Kitchens are important, but should be focused on AFTER you have a plan for great curb appeal.

Curb Appeal Checklist

Roof

Check the roof. Sometimes a roof will need repairs or to be replaced. Many times a faded roof just needs a little detergent, water, and a push broom to look years younger. If there are shingles flapping or missing, plan on doing repairs or possibly replacing the entire roof. Drywall hanging from the ceiling or yellow water stain marks are often signs that a roof needs fixing.

Soffits and Fascias

Inspect the soffits and fascias, the wood part of the house just underneath the roof. If they’re broken or torn, or if the wood looks warped or rotted, you need to replace them. This isn’t a complicated project and your attention to these little details will go a long way when you’re ready to list your property. You simply cut out the rotten part, replace the wood and paint over it. This is easy to fix and the extra step of fixing the warped and rotted wood will make your house stand out. Make this part of the house look new and you’ll help it pop out from the street.

Siding

For brick siding, cracks in the bricks themselves may mean foundation problems. For example, cracks in the mortar usually mean settlement or the natural changes in a foundation from time and weather. However, wood siding often has problems in areas where it hangs near the ground. Water damage and dogs chewing are the usual causes. Rather than replace the entire siding, have your carpenter attach 2-by-6 inch boards and paint to match.

Aluminum and vinyl can be expensive to put up because you often have to go through a big contracting company. Instead, find a direct installer from an aluminum or vinyl siding distributor. You’ll have to drive to the distributor’s shop to get the siding, but the trip will be worth the money you save on the material. If you can find the manufacturer of vinyl siding, you can probably get the material at no cost. That’s because most vinyl siding comes with a transferable warranty. In some cases, the siding may be so expensive, you may just do better by replacing it with wood siding.

Flower Beds

Build small flower beds in the front yard and top them off with the blackest dirt you can find for contrast. Then plant some bright and colorful flowers. The combination of the green grass, black dirt and colorful flowers — especially in the summertime — is spectacular and will draw great visual interest to the property.

Trees

If trees are drooping, trim them to get rid of branches hanging down toward the ground. Lift the trees just above the height of the house. The trees don’t need meticulous manicuring, they just have to be visible from the street. Make sure to trim any branches that are touching the house. This can cause damage to the property and allows squirrels and other creatures to easily access the roof. These creatures love to chew on electrical wiring or get inside the attic to find a safe place to have their babies. Trimming the tree branches near the roof line can help avoid all of these problems.

Grass

First of all, make sure your contractor waters the grass regularly while working on the job. If you still see brown spots, use grass paint. It is water resistant and will keep the brown patches green for 2-3 months or until the grass grows. You want that grass looking good.

Bushes

If you have tall bushes in front of the house, remove them or trim them to the bottom of the front windows. This will allow you frame the windows nicely with greenery. But, if trimming the bushes reduces them to the point where bare branches and sticks are all that remains from the original bush, rip them out and put in grass or add planter boxes instead.

Kitchens are important, but should be focused on AFTER you have a plan for great curb appeal. Click To Tweet

Once you have put all of the finishing touches on the front yard, you’ll have a property that’s so appealing, buyers will have to come inside and see all the work you did on the kitchen and the rest of the interior.

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