When it comes to selling your home, getting the highest selling price is the top priority. First impressions count, so even if your property looks like a million dollars inside, if the exterior looks shabby or uninteresting it can turn off potential buyers and reflect badly on the interior. Curb appeal is important - it can add actual value to your home as well as making a great first impression to anyone who views it.

It also shows that you take pride in your home - and if the front garden and facade are well-maintained, buyers will have confidence in the rest of the property. Adding to curb appeal goes beyond planting a few flowers and fixing the windows (although these things are important). But making the outside space look great doesn’t have to cost the earth, and you’d be surprised how much impact just a few small changes can make. Here are some ideas to help you maximize your home’s value.

Keep it consistent

Most homeowners wouldn’t design each room in a wildly different style to the next, and your outdoor space is not an exception. Continuity is key to a beautifully designed home, so make sure your curb design concept matches the interior of your property. If you have a contemporary, minimalistic house, an ornate French-style garden will clash badly. On the other hand, if you have a homely cottage, having a bold modern yard will be jarring to any viewers. Consistency between indoors and out is not only a great starting point, but it will also give you plenty of design ideas.

Low maintenance

It’s all well and good designing and planting out a garden, but are you prepared to devote enough time and energy to maintaining it? Selling a home can take months, and keeping up the front garden for that whole time isn’t practical for those with busy lives. The solution is to design your garden to be as low maintenance as possible. Choosing perennial flowers means you won’t have to replant season after season. Rather than spend your time watering plants, installing some form of irrigation system, such as in-ground sprinklers, soaker hoses or even ollas makes watering easier and less wasteful. And avoid trees and bushes that shed leaves, needles and berries constantly.

Lawn

A lush, verdant lawn not only adds massively to curb appeal, it’s also a key focal point of any garden. Maintaining a lawn is just a question of keeping it the right length - not too short - and giving it the right amount of water. Watering in the morning is far better than in the afternoon - it’s cooler so the water doesn’t evaporate. We mentioned irrigation methods earlier - these are far superior to above-ground sprinklers or the garden hose. If you’re starting from scratch and have a lot of dead grass on your hands, don’t despair - there are ways to revitalize your lawn rather than lay new turf. Edging your lawn is also a surefire way to add a touch of elegance.

Plant trees

There are many reasons to plant trees in your front garden - they provide shade, attract birds, clean the air and look great. It has been suggested by many that having trees out front increases your house price - but be sure to choose the right ones. Mature trees are beautiful to look at but can be a turn off for buyers - they obstruct views, can interfere with power lines and potentially grow their roots under the house, which could cause structural problems.

Curb appeal all year round

Many house sales occur in the spring or summer months - but you should never discount the colder seasons. It’s important to make sure your front garden looks great all year round. As far as plants are concerned you should make sure there is a focal point for all seasons - bright bulbs for spring, annuals for summertime, attractive shrubs for autumn, and evergreens to add some festive cheer in the winter months. If you have garden furniture outside it can be rotated, with lawn chairs and tables for the summer, or a sheltered bench when it gets colder.

Walls, doors and windows

We’ve focused mainly on the garden, but an equally important factor in boosting curb appeal is the house itself. Old cladding can be replaced, or the outside walls refreshed with a new coat of paint. If you have climbing plants that are growing out of control then cut them back. The front door can be repainted or even replaced, with a new knocker and letterbox to smarten it up. Windows can make or break curb appeal - restored old sash windows look fantastic, but if yours are beyond saving, splash out and replace them. And most important of all - keep them clean!

It’s not difficult to add value to your home with curb appeal. These are just a few ideas to get you on the way to having a house that is beautiful from the inside and the outside.