The Easiest Way To Add Curb Appeal To Your Home

   

Having surveyed dozens of top real estate agents across the country, the easiest and best way to increase the curb appeal of your home is to pressure clean or wash the exterior surfaces of your home. According to agents, “adding curb appeal makes a house not only easier to sell but also gives a beautiful and finished look to any property.” So where does that best first impression start? Without a doubt, it starts at the curb- So let’s examine what the top suggested surfaces to pressure clean that can give you the most bang for your buck and enhance the exterior of your home.

What should you clean?

Take a look around your house – do you see green algae around the shady sides of your home, or do you see surfaces that appear to have a high concentration of tiny, microscopic black dots? Those microscopic black dots are mold spores and using even light pressure can remove the algae and mold spores. The areas of your house that throw the most shade – whether, by trees, overhangs, and more are the surfaces that could use the most attention. However, let’s also examine other areas that pressure cleaning could be used to enhance the curb appeal of your home.

The Façade of Your Home

Your homes façade, whether its brick, vinyl siding or wood is your home’s calling card; when it looks good, it indicates that whoever lives in it genuinely cares about their home’s maintenance and upkeep, which is critical in today’s market, whether you are selling your home or not! HOA’s can be fussy too, so you need to keep your home looking good! Pressure cleaning with light pressure will remove algae and mold spores. Contractors can use a portable machine with variable PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) and the right kind of water nozzle (jet nozzle, etc.) and you will be in business! Indeed, your home’s façade is the first step to take toward quality first rate curb appeal.

Sidewalks, Patios, Driveways, Fences & Pool Decks

As you inventory the exterior of your home, other surfaces to keep in mind to stay clean are your sidewalks, driveways, patios and lastly pool decks. All highly visible areas, when the scream clean, your house will shine! Horizontal surfaces tend to be a mold magnate, and when left on over the Fall and Winter months, it continues to grow and grow. Pressure cleaning these surfaces will do the trick. Occasionally, a mild biodegradable chemical is the answer to killing the mold, removing it from whatever surface it is on and the beauty of your pristine home is the result.  A word of caution – any area that is pressure cleaned that is near grass or landscaping should be watered down first to prevent chemicals, however biodegradable, from harming your lawn or plants. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Some contractors even place a “blue” tarp over plants – Why Blue and not just clear plastic? There is a good reason for that; the clear plastic can trap heat and cause the grass to brown over time. Using blue tarps do not cause this reaction. So all of these surfaces will look great once pressure cleaned- if you have outdoor furniture and even wooden playsets, these portable pressure cleaning machines can bring back the sparkle on these items too!

Your home is your castle and probably one of the single most significant investments you’ll make in your lifetime; think about this whenever thinking about the curb appeal and the exterior beauty of your home.