Dave,
We are getting ready to put our house on the market and need your advice. Our home’s landscaping and curb appeal is super cute when everything is blooming in the spring…the only problem is that it’s not spring! When you drive up to our house it’s just kind of…blah. Everything is brown and dead right now. Any tips for kicking up curb appeal in the winter? We really want to make a good first impression on buyers and could use some serious help!
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Trish
Trish,
Wow…. You are wise to be thinking about your home's curb appeal during winter. Few people put enough emphasis on their homes curb appeal even in the summer, but to have that on your list of “to-do’s” this time of year is seriously being on the ball. Believe it or not, there are quite a few things you can do to spruce up your homes curb appeal during winter and it all starts with de-cluttering!
What do I mean by de-cluttering? You can start by trimming back over-grown bushes and trees (make sure to consult an arborist before you go to crazy on trimming thing back). Rake up and dispose of dead leaves and sticks that seem to pile up in entryways, walking paths, window wells, decks, and patios. Don’t be afraid to even cut your lawn on a day where we get some warmer (40-50 degree) temps. I know that sounds over the top, but you can have a fresh-looking lawn and a quick cut and trim will definitely spruce it up. I am always amazed at my neighbor’s yard. He will cut and trim his yard sporadically even over the winter and it always looks clean and fresh! I wish I had his dedication! Once you have it cleaned up, consider the thought of some new plants. Even in winter, they can make a serious impact with an affordable price tag!
You can bring in colorful pots or planter boxes and plant some smaller evergreen trees or shrubs (small pines, junipers, boxwoods etc) around your front door and entryway that will add color and at the same time provide added pops of green in an otherwise brown and drab western Colorado winter. In the same vein of adding color, don’t be afraid to put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and even shutters (easy to install if you don’t have them already) on some of the warmer days that we can have here in the Grand Valley. I think that people assume that you can not paint at all during winter, however, there are some paint brands (McCormick is one of them) that allow for painting when temperatures are as low as 35 degrees! This may at least give you an opportunity to add a pop of color if you choose. While you are at it, you might also consider a quick refresher on the old mailbox (that is if you don’t use a neighborhood cluster box). You might hit that with a quick paint touch up at that same time and the same color as the door. If you have a front patio or porch area you can still stage it with outdoor furniture and add a few new cushions to freshen up the winter look. Any of these ideas are low cost, moderate to high impact ideas that should be quite easy to implement. Lastly, don’t overlook the opportunity to upgrade your exterior lighting to improve the look of your home in the winter.
Keep in mind that it gets dark earlier this time of year and many buyers will be exposed to your home during dark or low light times and upgrading or adding to your lighting can make a big impact. Don’t be afraid to play with some brighter bulbs, new lights, lanterns, directional landscape and path lights to help make your home come to life. Lighting can have a dramatic impact on a homes curb appeal, especially during the winter months when the night hours are much longer. Lastly and easy upgrade is to change out your address numbers on your home. Even something that small can have an impact as there are now many different types of house numbers and even some that even light up!
I hope this gives you a few ideas of things you can do to freshen up your curb appeal during the winter! Curb appeal is one of the things that provide the highest return on investment and can deliver a huge impact. Best of luck with winter selling! Merry Christmas.
Dave Kimbrough
The Kimbrough Team
