Curb Appeal in Real Estate

 

I was recently interviewed by Jamie Walker for Wrightsville Beach’s Lumina News.  The subject for the article was on how Curb Appeal can help sell a home.  Sometimes, a picture is worth a thousand words.  Here is a “Before” and “After” of a recent project my husband and I worked on in the Wilmington, NC area.

 

Before (Home Redesign by Kersting Architecture)

 

After (Landscape Design by Pam Kersting)

Curb appeal is paramount in selling a home as it offers the first glimpse of the home to prospective buyers.  If the landscape is neat and tidy and well-kept, it is a good bet that a buyer will also find the home that way.

When entering a yard, there should be an obvious progression from street to parking to front entrance or from curb to courtyard to front entrance.  Visitors or buyers shouldn’t have to guess where and how to enter a home.  

 

 

It’s a good idea to highlight the entrance in some way using annuals or some other speciman plant or object of interest or both.  Also, foundation plantings should always be trimmed several inches below windows so as not to obstruct the architectural features of the home.

 

Landscape Design by Richard Hartlage

 

Perhaps most importantly, the landscape should never detract from the home.  Rather, it should be a setting for the home where one would not imagine the house without it’s landscape nor the landscape without the house.

 

Landscape Design by Richard Hartlage

 

Remember these few tips the next time you go to put your home on the market, and I guarantee that your home will get lots of showings and be one of the first in its price range to sell!  And when you do decide to sell your home contact me.  I also am in real estate and would be happy to refer you to an outstanding agent in your area!

Make an Entrance

Your entrance says a lot about you. It is the first thing that the eye should see when viewing a property.

Visitors should not have to guess where the entrance is or how to find it! It should be obvious.

Photo and Design by AHBL

Plants and paving should compliment the architecture of the house and be pleasing to the eye.

Photo and Design by AHBL

Entrance plantings should be bright enough or interesting enough to catch the eye. DO use bright colors to catch the eye!

If the entrance is not a front entrance, than plants and hardscape should reinforce the message “enter here” or “come this way.”

The journey from street to front door is experiential. There should be a nice progression of space or spaces leading to an entrance that is pleasing to experience.

Plants and paving should always work together to lead the way to the entry.

Photo by Exterior Encounters

Your entrance is often one of the first things your visitors will see of your house. What does yours say about you? Is your entrance appealing and welcoming? Or not?

This week, I’m hooked on well-designed entrances! To see what others are hooked on, visit Hooked on Houses. Have a great weekend!