Curb Appeal Ideas | 3 Cheap Tips For House Flipping

Make an impression on prospective buyers with these Curb Appeal Ideas.

When you flip a house, there are a number of different strategies you can use to make sure you sell in fast and earn a profit. However, one of the more overlooked tactics is using curb appeal, or making the outside of the property more attractive to prospective buyers.

This strategy is very important because the very first glimpse of the house these buyers get is usually through the photo in the real estate listing, either online or in the newspaper. More specifically, they will see only the front side of the house and the front yard. So even if the inside of the house is beautiful and state of the art, the buyers will never know.

Curb appeal is the best way to get your foot in the door, so to speak, and grab the initial interest of the buyer. Below are some important curb appeal ideas you should consider when preparing your house to be flipped.

Curb Appeal Ideas: #1. Make An Entrance

When we say “make an entrance”, we don’t mean this figuratively. The entrance speaks to the character of the entire house. If the entrance is cluttered, rough, and unwelcoming, the buyer might be subconsciously turned off to the property.

Alternatively, if the entrance is pleasant and well put together, the buyer might be more inclined to see what is inside. The front door, the walkway, and lighting the outside are perhaps the best curb appeal ideas to improve the entrance of your house.

The Front Door

If a house were a person, the front door would most certainly be the face. When you flip your house, you should consider highlighting this door. Sometimes a bright color can really draw attention to the house. Adding new fixtures like matching brushed nickel door hinges and doorknobs can make the entire door look brand new. Consider hanging a decoration on the door, like a wreath in the winter or flowers in the spring.

Above all, make sure the door is free of rust, grime and scratches. If the door is in very poor condition, you might want to consider investing in an entirely new one all together.

The Walkway

Think of the walkway on the property as a sort of red carpet leading prospective buyers to the door. Perhaps the most common walkway type is tiling with either brick or stone. However, if there is already a concrete walkway on the property in decent condition, a great trick to making it look impressive is to border the existing walkway on each side with a brick or stone.

Another option is to set up some stepping-stones instead of tile. Or, if you are working on a smaller budget, you could try using a crushed rock walkway.

Outside Lighting

Sometimes a great way accent the walkway is by setting up some bordering lights. You can usually get a set of solar powered LED garden lights for less than twenty dollars. Or,use these same lights in and around the garden.

Curb Appeal Ideas: #2. Highlight The Mailbox

If the front door is the house’s face, the mailbox is the handshake. Because the mailbox has the house number on it, it is the first thing the prospective buyers will see when trying to locate the property for the open house. This aspect makes in incredibly important when deciding what improvements to make when flipping your house.

You might want to think about purchasing a custom made, decorative mailbox. You can find something like this at a local craft store or at a home gardening store.

Or, for a less expensive option, you could try getting a colored mailbox to match the color of the front door. You might even consider adding decorative numbers as well. Whatever style you choose, it is a wise decision to buy a new mailbox. For the money you will be spending, you will make a big improvement on your curb appeal.

Curb Appeal Ideas: #3. Use Greenery

One of the best ways to evoke a warm, welcoming feeling in the front of your property is to use greenery. This strategy is especially true in the spring and summer when the sun is out and the plants are blooming.

Planting Beds

A bed of flowers or small bushes might be what you really need to bring some life into your plain front yard. Just lay down some mulch and ask the people at your local nursery for ideas about how to arrange the plants. Try to pick a plant that will be blooming around the time of year that you have your open house if you can.

Potted Plants

Make sure you don’t just limit yourself to soil plants, however. You should also try using potted plants closer to the house. When accenting the front door, you should place symmetrical plant arrangements on either side. If your property has a deck, consider using the rule of three and grouping a trio of different sized plants together.

Lawn

Maintaining the lawn in the front yard is an obvious, but important detail when you flip your house. The lawn takes up a good deal of space in the real estate listing photo, and should therefore not be an afterthought. A freshly cut, bright green lawn can make a big difference for prospective buyers. Lawn maintenance does often cost a lot, so remember to try to sell the property as quickly as possible after listing.

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