Eco-Friendly Homeowners Can’t Ignore the Importance of Curb Appeal

Are you a proud owner of an eco-friendly home? You are in good company. One survey found that 73% of Americans would pay more for an environmentally friendly home. Another study found that 38.5% of Americans already have purchased an eco-friendly home and this figure seems to be growing every year.

You might have purchased your sustainable home initially because you wanted to lower your carbon footprint. You might initially have felt that preserving the environment was the most important thing. However, you might quickly discover that improving the value of your property is just as important.

The truth is that environmental concerns aren’t the only thing that you can worry about as an eco-friendly homeowner. You must also think about financial considerations like your property value.

Curb appeal is one of the most important things to consider as a green homeowner. Taking the right steps to boost your curb appeal can boost property values significantly.

Make Curb Appeal a Priority as a Sustainable Homeowner

Curb appeal is one of the factors property valuers use to determine a home’s value. Eco-friendly homes are no exception. Statistics show that curb appeal can boost the perceived value of a home by up to 11% and help your home to sell faster.  

In very basic terms, curb appeal is the general attractiveness of a home. Generally, homes with high curb appeal have neat exteriors, interiors, and clean landscape designs that boost their value. If a home has dirty, poorly maintained exteriors and a yard filled with dead trees and plants that aren’t cared for, its curb appeal and value would be low.  

Just like there are many ways to make your home greener, you can take several steps to enhance your homes’ curb appeal, including: 

• Getting pressure washing companies to remove dust and grime from external surfaces, including walls and roof  
• Adding a fresh paint coat to the exterior and interior walls 
• Getting a landscaper to design the yard  
• Maintaining a green, well-mowed lawn and plants 
• Replacing an aging roof with a new one 
• Fixing the driveway and walkways  

Of course, you need to make sure that you find environmentally responsible ways to accomplish these tasks. You should look for non-toxic paint and work exclusively with eco-friendly landscapers, because many traditional home improvements harm the planet.

There are various reasons curb appeal affects your property value; here are five of them: 

1. It’s Reflective of A Home’s Condition 

The look of your home’s exterior often matches the condition inside. Potential buyers get the impression that the house has interior maintenance issues if its exteriors feature:

• Long or patchy grass
• Peeling or faded paint
• Cracked driveways
• Dirty walls and roofs 
• Clogged drainage 

In such situations, potential buyers won’t only be looking out for those issues throughout their tour. They’ll also be wondering what else could be wrong in places they can’t see. Any maintenance issue in the home translates to stress and cost for a home buyer, which explains why poor curb appeal can cause a drop in your home’s valuation.

2. It’s What Buyers Notice First

When looking for homes, the first thing potential buyers notice in the properties they look for is curb appeal. If you’re selling your home, buyers will start assessing its exteriors as soon as they get to the property. They’ll look at the landscaping, driveway, walls, and roof of the house and form an initial impression of the property.

The initial reaction that potential buyers express towards property is potent; it sets the tone of their tour and determines how they perceive other parts of it. If the initial impression is negative, there’s a high chance the rest of the viewing will suffer a similar fate. The opposite is true—a positive first impression increases their chances of buying the property.

3. It Can Make or Break Purchase Deals 

Another way curb appeal affects a home’s value is its potential to make or break purchase deals. Often, homes with high curb appeal sell easily and faster than those with low curb appeal. Low curb appeal, in turn, is a turn-off for most buyers, making them harder to sell.  

Potential buyers aren’t intrigued to look at the interiors of a home if what they see in the exteriors doesn’t impress them. Bear in mind that buyers look at other homes in the neighborhood and compare them with your home. If your home isn’t attractive to them, they’ll opt to buy a different house.

4. It Makes Your Home Competitive 

Curb appeal affects the value of a home because it makes it stand out in the market. People forget homes with low curb appeal quickly, but this isn’t the case for properties with high curb appeal. A home that has a well-maintained lawn, beautiful landscapes, and freshly painted exterior will stand out on property listings than other homes. This makes the house more attractive to buyers and consequently increases its value.

5. It Addresses Small Appeal Issues  

Small details such as dirty roofs or walls, dead grass patches, and old gutters can affect the value of a property the same way large details would. During property tours, potential buyers pay attention to every detail and take notice of any curb appeal issues a home might have. Those problems register in their mind and affect the value they place in your home.  

Eco-Friendly Homeowners Must Worry About Curb Appeal Too

You have a lot of things to consider when you own an eco-friendly home. You obviously need to take steps to lower your carbon footprint, but you have to think about your property value as well.

A home’s curb appeal has to do with the attractiveness of its exterior features and the value they add to the property. Home valuers consider curb appeal and use it to determine how much a home would be worth in the property market. 

Houses with a high curb appeal captivate the eye and inspire confidence in potential buyers. Such homes sell faster and at a significantly higher price due to their positive effect. If you plan to sell your house in the future, investing in curb appeal can boost its value in the market.