5 Steps to Creating Curb Appeal for your Birmingham Alabama Real Estate

Buyers can usually tell from the outside of the home whether or not they want to proceed further into viewing the home.So don't loose them at the door step, or even the curb. Create a sense of warmth and inviting to draw them into your home.

1. Choosing and using containers
Whether combined in a group or standing alone, containers add charm and personality to any garden. They provide color and a splash of brightness no matter the season. Put them where you want people's eyes to go.  Containers placed on both sides of a landing can delicatly frame the steps. In spring, red geraniums look great with yellow pansies and daffodils. Variegated ivy can be trained to grow up a trellis or surround the entrance. As the summer's landscape changes, so does the look of the containers. The ivy has filled out, and ferns surround the base.

2. Spruce up the address numbers
House numbers don't just tell guests where you are; they can also tell them who you are. Get creative but not too eclectic as this alone may scare some buyers away. Try and match your home's decor and make sure they are repainted or redone all together. Placement isn't limited to your front door -- consider planting numbers in a garden bed or affixing them to a retaining wall near your driveway. Add some lighting but be sure they can be seen clearly from the street.

3. Be inviting and welcoming
Does the entrance or driveway of your home say, "welcome, come in further?" If not, consider what can be done to make it more appealing. Does your home have easy access to the front door and is the entrance clearly marked? Would buyers have problems find the actually front of the house?

With flowing pavers or cobblestone up the driveway, it shows buyers exactly the path to take. Plant containers or shrubs that lead the way help make the eye and the buyer follow just the way to the door. The result is a driveway that flows well, welcomes guests and actually complements the home.

4. Details can make all the difference
Is the outside of your home dated? The inside might look completely updated but the outside still screams 1970? Buyers are not going to want to venture inside when the outside has not been updated along with the rest of the home. How is the paint color? Does it need updating? Even just the trim could use refreshing. (For more information on painting your home  in dollars, check out my Pierce County real estate partner and their article on painting your home.)

5. Freshen your front door
A front door says a lot about a home. Older doors can add character but only displayed in the right way. Can the beauty of an antique door be combined with the durability of a new one? It's not as hard as you might think. A new door can always be aged to look older with some ageing paint and the right technique. Older steps can also be freshened up with some concrete paint or wood paint depending on the material.

With these simple tips, you are sure to draw the buyers in way past the front door into your home. Make sure you keep them there with our seller's tips on what to do once buyers are in your home.

Give our agents a call anytime you want more information on how to sell your specific Birmingham Alabama real estate.