Curb Appeal

You don't get a second chance to make a first impression, so make the first impression count.  Curb appeal can turn a lot of people off from either viewing your property or making offers - most times it's what gets buyers into a property.  When we talk about curb appeal, we are referring to what you see when you pull up to a property - usually the landscaping and exterior of the property.

Landscaping
Keep the landscaping clean and trimmed back - make sure that the lawn is well maintained (green and recently mowed), bushes and trees are trimmed, remove any visible weeds, add mulch around the base of trees and bushes, and sweep up any loose debris. 

QUICK TIP: If you don't have time to do this and are on a budget, hire temporary workers to do the mowing, trimming, mulch spreading, weed pulling, and add flowers to give the landscape some color. 

PROPERTY EXTERIOR

Siding

Wood  
Repaint if its faded, replace with vinyl if its in poor condition.

Brick/concrete 
Pressure wash to make clean and new looking.

Stucco
Repaint if necessary.

Vinyl 
Pressure wash to make clean and new looking.

Asbestos
Go over asbestos siding with vinyl siding.
DO NOT REMOVE ASBESTOS SIDING, IT IS ILLEGAL WITHOUT NOTIFYING EPA. 

Shutters

Wood
Repaint if its faded, replace with vinyl shutters if its in poor condition.

Vinyl
Pressure wash to make clean and new looking.

Shingles

Asphalt
Use the following rule of thumb:
If there is 1 layer of shingles 8+ years old, add 1 layer on top,
if there are 2 layers of shingles 8+ years old, add 1 layer on top,
if there are 3 layers of shingles, remove all layers and add a new layer.

QUICK TIP: It is cost effective to hire a roofing company to add or replace roofing, they usually have large crews that finish in a day or two.

Gutters

None
Add vinyl gutters under each roof edge (front and back) or at least over doors.
QUICK TIP: Pitch gutters 1/4" for every 8' towards downspout.

Aluminum
If they are new, pressure wash to make clean and new looking, if they are old, replace with vinyl.

Vinyl
Clean and pressure wash if necessary.

Windows

Aluminum
The best you can do is to clean them as much as possible.  If you have the money, it may be a worthwhile investment to have them replaced with vinyl windows, especially if they are drafty and difficult to open and close.