With the popularity of home and garden television programming, new terms have been added to our everyday lexicon: a “pop” of color, man cave, and open floor plan, for example. Another expression we’ve come to know is curb appeal, describing the external attractiveness of a home, generally as viewed from the street. With entire shows dedicated to the subject, we’ve also learned its importance; extending far beyond streetside, curb appeal determines how potential buyers first perceive the property—not just the exterior, but the overall condition of the home itself—and makes a lasting impression.
Several factors come into play with curb appeal, one survey indicating that “a home with outstanding landscaping will bring 5% more than a home with average landscaping and 7% more than one whose landscaping is in a bit of disarray.” In addition to the appearance of the yard, potential buyers consider lawn decorations, paint colors, overall condition of materials and features (trim, railings, windows, sidewalk). Often overlooked, however, is the door.
Several times in past months, we’ve shown houses with less-than-perfect doors: at one residence, due to a misalignment of the latch and strike plate, we were completely unable to shut the door at all; at another, the handle of a sliding glass door came off in a client’s hands. As you can imagine, neither home ended up high on those clients’ lists of potential future homes.
Aside from the obvious suggestion to ensure doors and locks are functioning properly, the aesthetic of a home’s door factors highly into curb appeal. To maximize the appearance of your home’s front door, consider
- Painting the door a colorful hue in keeping with the exterior palate,
- Removing a screen or storm door, displaying a vintage or craftsman door, or
- Replacing it with a unique selection from an architectural salvage reseller or antique shop.
As with all preparations to sell a home, the best choices are found within the confines of a comfortable budget. It’s not necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on a solid oak door, if a gallon of paint can produce a satisfactory—and appealing—result.
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Angela Anderson, Realtor opening doors in the Twin Cities