How to increase your Cheadle home’s kerb appeal

It takes seconds to make a first impression, whether it is the brutality of the internet dating swipe or the swift property judgements on Rightmove or other property sites, when it comes to viewing a property, buyers want that instant reaction, they want to feel excited to step through your front door and eager to see what your home has to offer. When you are selling your home Cheadle, it isn’t just your interior that needs to wow potential buyers but your exterior too. We value so many homes where the owners have made the interior beautiful, but not touched the exterior, which is usually what potential viewers will see first! At Maurice Kilbride we have put together some ideas on how to increase your home’s kerb appeal.

Front garden

A recent survey showed that homes that offer a front garden carry a 4% property price premium versus those without and that equates to around £11,000 on the average priced house in the UK currently. Now, we recognise that not all homes Cheadle and the surrounding area have a front garden, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t add some touches to give that impression. We are now in spring and, as such, flowers are starting to bloom, and what makes a property stand out more than a colourful welcome.

Hanging baskets, window boxes and tubs are great ways to easily spruce up your kerb appeal. If you do have a garden, view it with a critical eye. Fix any broken fences or gates, power hose paving and driveways, make sure the lawn is looking healthy and is cut, and trees and shrubs are not overgrown. One thing to always hide are your bins: they are a big turn-off to potential buyers. If you really are unable to hide them, find a way to minimalise their appearance rather than them becoming the focal point of your home.Guide

Front door

Any of you who read our blog regularly will know our obsession with front doors!  Your front door is where a buyer’s eyes are initially drawn; it is the centre of your kerb appeal and, therefore, it needs to grab their attention. If your front door is looking tired and shabby, give it a coat of paint! But does the colour of your front door really make a difference as long as it is looking its best? According to a new study by Safestyle, the leading window and door retailer, it does: their findings suggest that a property with a certain colour front door could increase the saleability of a property by up to 36%. So, which colours are top of the pops?

It may not be surprising to learn that the top colour adding the greatest value to your home is red. This is because it is striking and bold as well as being elegant. In second place is grey, which is in complete contrast. This, we believe, could be due to some buyers wishing to have a more neutral tone of kerb appeal. Black is in third place, with Safestyle stating that homes with this colour front door sell 11% more quickly. Blue comes in fourth place, quickly followed by white. Although this is great in theory, it is essential that you ensure the colour you choose defines and complements not only your home but also those around you and doesn’t break any covenants.

Functionality

Our homes must work for us in many ways these days; therefore, homes that aid our lives by offering functionality are always going to be more appealing. Eco-friendly materials and features are going to be increasingly popular this year, states Anglian Home Improvements. “Sustainability and energy efficiency have become increasingly important to homeowners. In the current climate, they want products that not only help the environment but also help them reduce the costs of their bills, and this is only set to continue.”

Eco features you could consider are energy-efficient lighting, which is a great way of cutting down your energy bills without sacrificing on a stylish product and design. You may be good at recycling materials, but do you reuse water? This is a sustainable way to water your garden.

Get noticed!

If you are looking to sell your property this year, make sure it is Instagram ready. You want buyers to stop and take notice, and by making some changes, you can quickly and easily improve your home’s kerb appeal. For more advice on adding value to your property contact Joe, Patrick or Maurice on 0161 428 3663, e-mail sales@mkiea.co.uk or why not pop into our office on Cheadle High Street for a chat. Alternatively, you can book a FREE market appraisal and marketing consultation online via our website following this link https://mkiea.co.uk/valuation/