Curb appeal alludes to the visual attractiveness of your property by way of the road or sidewalk. When it comes to curb appeal, you can look to many places for inspiration. Entire magazines are dedicated to the topic, and many television shows, YouTube channels, and online blogs will give you unending advice on how to improve the look of your property. You can explore anything from simple DIY to large structural elements.

Keep it Clean

Curb appeal always starts with a piece of property that is clean and tidy. Pressure washing the exterior of your home and the driveway is a great start. Make sure your yard is mowed and edged with any debris cleared away. Trees and shrubbery need to be pruned up and in healthy condition. You will want to wash the inside and out of all the windows. Repair anything that may need attention such as loose siding, pavers or door handles for example. If your property has fencing, you will want to check the entire perimeter for any maintenance.

Pretty as a Picture

The landscaping choices and exterior elements of your house are the main pieces that make up your property's curb appeal. The layout of the yard can create a picturesque view for onlookers that sets a welcoming tone. Bear in mind the style of your home and the surrounding neighborhood. A simple pathway leading to your front door beckons; welcome. Well-manicured lawns and interesting plantings can speak volumes to the passerby. The way you play with different heights of plants, trees, and any architectural features can draw onlookers to take a second look. A wraparound porch with rocking chairs and some hanging baskets of colorful flowers on a farmhouse-style home invites you to pull up and sip some lemonade. A craftsman home with a beautiful pergola is a striking image that can create a porch-like feel in a small space.

In Living Color

The color combinations are a big way to make a statement. From the color, you choose for your house to the flowers and leaf colors in the yard the entire palette needs to work together. The front door color can make the whole front porch area pop. Trim colors can add dimension so can shutters, awnings, and gables. Placing a few containers strategically near the front entryway can add a lot of color and drama but doesn't take too much time, effort or money. You can keep the containers seasonally up to date and reap the curb appeal rewards all year long.

Tour some local open houses this weekend and note what elements of the curb appeal you enjoy most.

Tweet

Technology appears to be advancing faster than we can keep up with it. From turning on lights and regulating the temperature just before you arrive home to having your own personal smartphone butler, there’s a large number of gadgets and devices churned out each day that make life easier and more comfortable. If you consider yourself tech savvy enough, you should consider adding any of these smart home gadgets to your home.

1. Smart Purifiers: Smart air purifiers have only one job – make sure you only breathe the cleanest air possible. They don’t just remove dust and allergens from the air; they also get rid of odors and unpleasant smells too so your lungs never have reason to complain.
2. Smart Mirrors: Like a character from a Disney fairytale cartoon, smart mirrors can display notifications about the weather, traffic, tasks and events in your calendar, and emails while you get ready for the day.
3. Smart Espresso Machines: So you like your coffee black on long days and milky on weekends? Smart espresso machines will save you the stress of reminding your wife why today’s coffee should be black. You can program your order for any day of the week into it, and it will remotely make your coffee for you as soon as you hit your smart alarm snooze button. What’s more, they can keep track of coffee beans and let you know when it’s time to restock.
4. Wi-Fi enabled crock pot: You probably know the struggles of dashing to the kitchen at ten-minute intervals to check if your pasta needs draining. With this pot, you can control the temperature and cook time of whatever gourmet dish you are making from an app on your phone.
5. Smart Blender: Smart blenders connect to an app on your phone via Bluetooth or wireless and allow you to track down nutritional information and calories about your favorite fruits and vegetables as you mix up your smoothies.
6. Robotic lawn mower: Admit it, mowing isn’t your favorite chore. No worries about that, you can get a robotic lawnmower that takes care of overgrown grass for you. Worried about theft? It has an inbuilt anti-theft lock.
7. Smart video doorbell: A smart video doorbell allows you to see visitors at your front door from the comfort of your mobile phone wherever you are. Its motion sensors also send you notifications when it senses movements outside your door. Need any other tech gadget not included here, ask your local tech store to see what options they have. 

Want to know if the latest and greatest tech is right for your home? Ask your real estate agent about the best options.

Tweet