Curbside appeal could play a larger role in selling a house than one might believe.

“Curb appeal to me is driving up and finding that the owner appears to have pride in the ownership,” said Mark Prokay of REMAX in Butler. “When I have a buyer in my car and we are approaching the subject property that we're viewing, first impressions are critical.”

Prokay said everything from landscaping and roofing to the front door can make or break a potential buyer's impressions of a home.

Curb Appeal

An attractive front entrance area gives a home curb appeal that both guests and potential home buyers will almost always find preferential to a home with overgrown shrubbery, weeds in the sidewalk or moss on the siding.

“Cleaned versus maintained,” Prokay said, “Cleaned might be too light of a term. Sometimes it's the answer, but mostly it's best to just keep it well-maintained throughout ownership.”

While Prokay suggests proper maintenance to one's home is the best way to make sure the exterior is attractive to potential buyers, he said there are a few small improvements that can make a difference.

Mark Twentier, who was the managing associate broker for Howard Hanna's Butler office since 2012 before recently moving to the Hampton office, said landscaping should be a top priority.

“Make sure all the leaves that fell over the fall and winter are cleaned up,” he said. “This time of year, as it warms up, power washing sidewalks and siding on the house go a long way.”

Prokay said upgrading a home's exterior could be anything “to make (it) appealing, to brighten, to make more cheerful, to clean, to paint, to update, so it's cheerful looking.”

Twentier said he “really can't stress enough” that homeowners should power wash their sidewalks.

“Siding on your house, if it's dirty, should be power-washed,” he said. “If you have stains on your roof, there are companies that will come out and powerwash those.”

“(The) normal maintenance sometimes owners take for granted when you've been in your home for years,” Prokay said.

“Sometimes you don't realize that it needs a good cleaning or that moss is growing on your siding, or that your landscaping needs to be replaced.”

Prokay added that “nice fencing can be an appeal” for a home because so many first-time buyers — or even second or third — plan to bring animals or children into the home or simply like the privacy it offers.

“There are a lot of people (who) will be impressed with a fence,” he said.

One of the easiest and quickest ways to boost curb appeal is to paint — and repair, if needed — a home's front door, molding and trim. Painting garage doors, porches, shutters, doorsteps, flower boxes and window trim are other potential projects.

“Painting is high on the list,” Twentier agreed. “Declutter and thoroughly clean.”

Prokay said these are key points toward prompting a sale as they lead to buyers walking in with more optimism about the home's overall maintenance.

“It gives you the conclusion that the owner is particular about his home and you're going to find the same on the inside,” he said.

Lawn Upgrades

While returns on home improvement projects vary, Prokay said lawn maintenance is a simple task that can make a home inviting to buyers.

“Put yourself in a buyer's shoes,” Prokay suggests. “What do they expect when they get to the home they're looking at? They want it to be spick and span with a well-manicured lawn.”

Simply cutting the grass, trimming shrubbery, addressing weeds and tidying the driveway are easy, low-cost tasks to make a home more appealing. Twentier also suggested a focus on driveways should be a consideration, even if it might be more expensive to fix up.

“Laying some fresh gravel is good,” he said. “If the gravel is all pushed around, you may want to go out and rake it — make sure none of it is in the yard and it's all in the driveway.”

Improving curb appeal makes even more sense in today's real estate market, in which many people do their own searching via real estate websites. When using such sites, buyers will likely be less inclined to click on a listing if exterior photos of the property are not eye-catching.

“They want to think that they don't have to do anything, (and) having the lawn cut and landscaping addressed will help that vision,” Prokay said.

Staging

Homeowners should also consider staging when selling their homes.

Staging might seem as simple as clearing out clutter, but it helps potential buyers visualize the potential of a home and see themselves owning and living in the property.

“Really, everything should be out of the yard,” Twentier said. “A swing set or sandbox is one thing, but anything that can be picked up should be picked up.”

The removal of personal effects can also help potential buyers see themselves making the home their own. It can be difficult for buyers to envision this if current residents' personal property is everywhere — including outside.

Prokay said “not having personal items throughout, not having many personal items in the yard,” such as children's toys or hunting gear, can improve selling probabilities.

Homeowners are urged to replace personal photographs with neutral artwork and remove other decorative items that reflect their personalities.