How To Affordably Boost A Home’s Curb Appeal

Every REALTOR® knows that their customers, seeking a new home experience a lasting first impression the moment they arrive at the home for sale. An ugly home may be beautiful on the inside, but a shabby looking exterior is often a deal breaker. They may not even want to tour the interior if the exterior looks too dated or run down.

Your clients want to sell, so they want any improvements they make to be affordable and have impact. They definitely do not want to make any major home improvement investments in the house they’re trying to sell, because they likely need all the money they can save to use toward the purchase of another home.

It’s certainly affordable to do some touch up painting, mow the lawn, trim the hedges, plant a few new shrubs or flowering plants, wash the windows, dust the shutters, and remove any stains on the driveway or sidewalk with a power washer and some cat litter, which absorbs oil and grease stains.

However, if your clients want to make a cost effective first impression that will make a huge impact, nothing can beat the curb appeal of a brand new garage door.

Did you know that, according to “Remodeling Magazine,” in a 2013 Cost versus Value report for major home improvements in San Antonio, a midrange garage door replacement ranked #2 with a 99.3% return on investment, and upscale garage door replacements ranked #1 with a 109.7% return on investment? Very few home improvements can boast that percentage!

Randy Oliver, owner of Hollywood Crawford Garage Doors & Openers said, “The purchase and installation of a new garage door tells potential buyers that the present owner has taken good care of the home, and has pride in the way it looks.”

Consider this. The enormous size of a garage door makes a significant difference in the appearance of a house. Many people focus on the look of the front door, but many front doors are difficult to see from the street because they often are recessed.

The average front door is approximately 3 feet by 7 feet, or 21 square feet, whereas the garage door is very visible from the street and a two car garage door is around 112 square feet.

That makes the garage door more than five times larger than the front door, so it’s plain to see why a new garage door is a wise upgrade to make on any home for sale.

Installing a new garage door is quick and can usually be accomplished in one day. Staff simply remove and dispose of the existing garage door and tracks. Then they install new 4section garage door on resilient, galvanized steel tracks, and they reuse the existing motorized opener. If the old door does not have a motorized opener, installers can easily add one, which makes for a very desirable home feature.

There are a myriad of new options that cost more than a standard replacement door, but for upscale homes a custom designed door is well worth the added cost.

For the most discriminating home seller, custom designed new doors can cost as much and $10,000, which is not much if the home is priced at half a million dollars or more.

From long lasting simulated wood, to carriage style doors, to modern looks that match an upscale home’s architectural motif, there are dozens of styles for a client to consider.

A standard new garage door usually costs around $800, yet that cost can add lots more to the value of the home.

Beautiful, custom designed doors are an art form, and we thoroughly enjoy the design process and the challenges it can bring.

1-Jun Annalee Loera Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper

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Rhonda Howerton Coldwell Banker D'Ann Harper

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19-Jun Denise Matthews Rigel Realty

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FOREWARN Trainings Available

If you're a primary or secondary REALTOR® member with an active SABOR MLS, you have access to the FOREWARN app as a member benefit. The FOREWARN app is a proactive safety resource that allows members to verify the identity of their business prospects.

Learn how to use your new member benefit, by registering for an upcoming virtual training. This month, we’ll have two! One on Wednesday, May 10, and the other on Wednesday, May 24. For a full list of dates and links to register, head to sabor.com and click on “member benefits.”