Having a welcoming home brings more leads and can increase how much money you will get in an offer, which is why curb appeal matters. In fact, curb appeal can increase perceived home value by 5 to 11%. So if your house is on the market for $100,000, an 8% increase from a $1,000 curb appeal fix will net you $7,000. But with all the curb appeal ideas out there, which ones do you start with?
Whether your budget is large or small, here are some of the best curb appeal ideas under $1,000 to help increase the “perceived” value of your home and increase your sales price!
13 Curb Appeal Ideas Under $1000
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Exterior Paint
A newly painted color coordinated home will make your house look well-kept and refined. But limit yourself to two or three neutral tones so the house does not look too busy. If you want to add a pop of color, paint the door and your shutters to add some vibrancy.
Pro tip: Go with a popular color if you go this route. The wrong color can make a buyer skip your house because they will have to do more work if they buy your home and another home doesn’t need painted.
Cost:Â $500 and $2,000 depending if you DIY.
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Clean and Pressure Wash Pavement, Features and Siding
Pressure washing is an easy curb appeal idea that increases your sales price as your home will look clean, fresh and newer. You can rent a pressure washer in hourly increments or by the day, and use it to clean pavement, fences, the siding on your house, and even brick or stone. A clean walkway and dirt free exterior are welcoming and will set the tone for your real estate photography to welcoming potential buyers in as they tour your home.
Power washing times:
- A typical house takes 30 minutes per side – 2 hours
- A standard size driveway takes 1 -2 hours
- A 500-square-foot fence takes 2 – 2.5 hours.
Bonus Tip:Â If you have oil stains, use a degreaser first before pressure washing.
Cost:Â $30 for 4 hours rental
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Add Vinyl Shutters
If your house is missing shutters or they’re damaged, you can replace them for about $40 a pair with vinyl shutters. Or if your shutters are old but not broken, adding a coat of fresh paint will have the same effect.
Cost:Â $40 a pair
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New Exterior Light Fixtures
Exterior light fixtures provide a homebuyer with a sense of safety and security as people come home at night, they’re functional as they light up the pathway to your home, and they create a welcoming feeling as they’re pretty to look at.
Cost:Â $150-$500
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Define Your Yard’s Entry Point
This curb appeal idea is about welcoming someone to your home so they feel welcomed the minute they pull up. Add two matching planters at the base of the walkway with fresh greenery or flowers. Another option is to plant rows of flowers that start shorter towards the walkway and grow taller as they move back towards your yard.
Pro tip: If you don’t like planters, try two trimmed evergreens and rows of plants leading up to your front door.
Cost:Â $250-$500 (depends on what you pick and how much you add)
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Update Your Garage Door
Instead of replacing your garage door, give it a new look! Updates like pressure washing, new magnetic decorative hardware (with faux hinges, nail heads and latches), a fresh coat of paint, and window coloring can take a garage door from unremarkable to unforgettable.
Pro-tip: If you’re going to repaint your garage door, ask the paint or hardware store if a primer is needed first. You don’t want to do all the work only to find out you have to do it again.
Cost:Â Between $30 and $500
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Replace Your House Numbers
Replacing your house numbers makes it easier for the buyer to find your home. Although house numbers on their own may not increase the sales price, a less-stressed buyer will be a happier as they tour your home. And if they’re feeling good, the experience will be better and they will be more inclined to buy.
Pro tip: Find numbers that match the architecture of your home and place the numbers somewhere that is easily visible from the street while not taking away from the beauty of the property.
Cost:Â $20-75
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Lawn Paint
This is one of the easiest curb appeal ideas that can increase your home’s sales price. If you have patches of brown or yellow grass, use lawn paint to turn your grass green again.
Cost:Â $150
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Trim Any Overgrown Plants
Trimming overgrown plants is a great way to make your home more “appealing”, and this is something you can do yourself. It’s one of the easiest and most cost effective curb appeal ideas that can increase how much you can sell your house for.
Cost:Â $0 to $250
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Add Flower Boxes
Flower boxes and hanging plants are a great way to add pops of color and bring life to boring walls and empty porches. Best of all you can buy them already bloomed or have a fun weekend project creating the containers and planting flowers, vines, or plants.
Cost:Â $50-$200
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Eliminate Weeds and Debris In Your Yard
Weeding your yard is easy and if you don’t want to do it, you can hire a landscaper or the neighborhood kids. And while the weeding is being done, pick up and recycle or trash any debris you find to ensure potential buyers find a well maintained and good looking lawn, garden and home that makes them take their checkbook out.
Cost:Â $50 to $250 depending on yard size
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Use Natural Stone Tiles To Create Pathways Or Cover Existing Concrete Walkways
While replacing pavement is expensive, natural slate tiles are affordable. A nice pathway is a great way increase the curb appeal of your front, side and backyard landscaping while keeping costs under $1,000. In many cases slate and stone tiles look nicer than concrete while adding personality making it a fun curb appeal idea that helps your home stand out.
Cost:Â $500-$1000
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Reseal Your Driveway
Resealing your driveway is a much more cost effective solution to increase your curb appeal without breaking the bank. Your goal is to sell your house for as much as possible, you’re not going to be living there. That is why resealing is a better option thank replacing. Your driveway will look fantastic and buyers won’t see old, cracked and worn down concrete.
Cost:Â $500
Curb Appeal Ideas Over $1000
If you are looking for other ways to increase the sales price of your home with curb appeal ideas, and the ones above are done, here’s a few more options you can try. However they are a little more expensive.
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Roof Replacement
If your home has roof issues, it will be a major turn off to potential buyers. This is especially true if the other homes they tour do not have leaks, missing tiles, or hail damage. If you’re in a competitive market, get your roof repaired or replaced. You may have to spend money now, but your damaged roof won’t be an issue that stops a person from buying your home or making a lower offer.
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Replace Siding
New siding can be expensive, but it also looks great. And according to a few professional studies, this curb appeal idea can get an almost 70% return!
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New Garage Door
If rehabbing or decorating your garage door isn’t an option, replace it. Pristine garages welcome a person home from a long day at work, after running errands, or once the homeowner returns from vacation. It is the smile that says “you’re home”. That’s why a new garage door is vital if the old one is not able to be rehabbed, and an important curb appeal idea if you have some extra money.
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New Front Doors and/or Windows
Just like your garage door, your front door and the windows are the eyes and welcome points as people come, tour, enjoy and leave. If everything is old, warped and outdated, replace them. It’s expensive but you can also use energy efficient options making your home more appealing to potential buyers if other homes have standard options that increase electric bills.
Curb appeal ideas to increase the sales price of your home don’t have to break the bank. And the more you can do, the better chance you can increase what a buyer will be willing to pay. If you’re looking for more ideas like these, join our newsletter below.