Your front door is where a home buyer makes their first impression of a home. What is a home buyer going to think of yours? You may be surprised to hear that sprucing up your front porch is a one of the top ways to increase the value of your home. You may even be more surprised to learn that replacing your front entry door is the home improvement project with the best ROI (return on investment.)
According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2017 Cost vs. Value Report:
Entry Door Replacement (Steel)(90.7% ROI)
Average Cost: $1,413
Average Resale Value: $1,282
Maybe your door doesn’t need replacing. There are still a number of things you can do to add that wow factor to your entry, and you don’t have to spend much to get huge impact! These suggestions cost less than $300 total.
Paint – A clean, fresh coat of paint will go a long way in making that positive first impression. Not only does it look nice and clean, but it says to a buyer, “This house has been maintained and updated. BUY ME!” Paint your front door, trim, shutters, railings. Neutral or white is always best for trim, but a pop of color on the door is a nice touch. For railings, consider matching the color of your soffits. Cost: $35 for paint.
Knob/Handset – For less than $100, you can really add some style to your door! There are a wide variety of styles of door handles to choose from. Try to match the style of your current lock set so you don’t have to do anything extra.
Pressure Wash – Get out your hose and get to work. Make sure you get the nooks and crannies in the corners, and the bird doo-doo off the railings. This may need to be done again while your house is on the market to keep it looking fresh. Consider taking the bird feeder down for a while, too. Cost: FREE
Landscaping – This can be low cost, even free, if you are creative. Your landscaping doesn’t have to be elaborate, just tidy. Start by trimming back any bushes that obscure windows or other plants. Pull out anything that is dead, and clean out debris from rock beds. Many plants, such as Karl Forester reed grass, Stella d’Oro day lilies, cone flowers, irises, and hostas are easy to grow, fool proof plants that can to be divided every few years. Perhaps a friend or neighbor is willing to divide off some of theirs and give them to you (and maybe even help you plant them!) Add 2 inches of fresh mulch to all your mulched beds to make them look clean and well-tended. Cost: $20-$50 for mulch.
Usable Space – Give the impression that your front porch is a charming little outdoor room. A cute chair or porch swing is a great way to communicate the usability of your porch. Add a pop of color with an indoor/outdoor pillow that complements your front door. Cost: less than $100
“This house has been maintained and updated. BUY ME!”
Pot of Flowers – You don’t have to have a green thumb. Garden centers carry flower baskets that are ready to go. The best flower arrangements feature a ‘thriller’ (wow factor flowers), and ‘spiller’ (vines cascading down the side of the pot) and a ‘filler’ (flowers that fill in the rest of the pot). We like calabrachoa (aka Baby Bells) over petunias. In the photo below, they are the little orange flowers in the blue pot. The spent little baby bell calabrachoa flowers dry up and blow away in the wind instead of dropping on your porch making a mess. Not a flower person? Perhaps a fern is more your style. Note how much sun your porch gets and choose an arrangement that will do well with the sun and shade situation. Ask for help from garden center staff if you can’t decide. Take a few quick photos of different angles to give the sales person an idea of the space you are trying to fill. Be sure to water it every day! Cost: $30
Pretty Door Mat – Actually, it’s probably best to choose something rather plain. Just make sure it’s clean and fresh, with a homey look rather than industrial. You want your house to say “I’m charming and well-maintained!” Cost: $15
Clean Windows – Sticky fingers, doggy nose prints, and rain drop scum are not selling points. Pull out your Windex and get to work on those windows and make them sparkle! Cost: FREE!
John and Becky Durham are top selling realtors in Stillwater MN. Becky is an Accredited Staging Professional and offers her staging services to all their clients. Contact John and Becky today!
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