Bexley/Beverly Hills Blog

We all know that first impressions count when selling a home, but all too often we only think from the front door in. 

Preparing your home for the market can involve investing in a minor or major makeover of the interiors to create that wow effect for prospective buyers inspecting your property. However, your home’s appearance from the outside is just as important; after all, buyers first see your house from the street when preparing to inspect, or when they are doing a drive-by before deciding to take things further. 

Here’s our quick guide on improving the exterior appearance of your home with low maintenance kerb appeal ideas to maximise its appeal to potential buyers – without spending a fortune.

Reimagine the front garden

When you are used to the same old look of your front garden, it can be hard to imagine seeing it from an outsider’s viewpoint. A professional landscape gardener can work wonders with even the tiniest front yards – have a look at these designs for inspiration –  but there are also plenty of easy jobs you can do yourself to make the most of what’s already there.

Keeping the front garden tidy is an absolute must – your home's kerb appeal can be made or broken at first glance. With lawns continuously growing and weeds repeatedly rearing their heads, you have to put in a bit of spadework to keep it under control. 

Regular maintenance jobs you can do to keep up appearances include:

• Weeding and tidying garden beds
• Mowing lawns and the nature strip
• Whipper-snippering garden edges
• Raking up leaves
• Keeping hedges and bushes trim and tidy
• Sweeping the driveway and stairways

Clean gutters and windows

No matter how beautiful you make your garden and the front-facing of your house, gutters overflowing with weeds and leaves create an impression of neglect – which translates to more work for the prospective buyer to do at a later stage. 

Cleaning the windows inside and out is a no-brainer; clear glass not only lets in more light and makes your home look cared for, it makes all the other features inside look better.

Spruce up a concrete driveway 

Don’t overlook the appearance of your driveway. Even though the driveway is generally seen as a practical element, it can be used to create a visual feature as it often takes up a fair portion of the front yard. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, resurfacing a concrete driveway is one option to consider if it’s looking a bit cracked and shabby. 

Revamp or replace fencing

Just like putting a photo into a frame to enhance its visual impact, the same can be said about your garden fence. A freshly painted fence will help add impact to the overall shape of your house. By using some quality exterior paints, or replacing the fence if necessary, you can lift the whole look and feel of your home.

Low-maintenance kerb appeal ideas

Other little touches that can help are softeners such as large plant pots near the front door that add colour and style to an otherwise dull porch. Outside lighting is also important, to ensure your home looks bright and welcoming at night. There are always things you can do, even on a low budget.

Make sure that your mailbox is clean and sharp looking. If it is worn out or damaged, it can be easily replaced from stores like Bunnings. And finally, by having your house number clearly displayed, there is no confusion to potential buyers that this is the house that they have come to see. 

Remember that you will recoup your expenses when it comes to the time of selling your home. Whatever you spend in hundreds has the potential to return in the thousands. 

If you’d like free expert advice on selling your home, please reach out to our sales director Sam Epsimos on 0402 373 274 or [email protected]