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Curb Appeal: Lighting, Walkways, and Driveways

Curb Appeal: Lighting, Walkways, and Driveways

Curb Appeal: Lighting, Walkways, and Driveways

ID: 82897437 © publicdomainstockphotos | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Curb Appeal is an ongoing series to help buyers and sellers learn more about how to make the exterior of their property more marketable.

If you haven’t noticed, houses can be seen either day or night. So the next topic of this curb appeal series will focus on enhancing the house’s charm for both during the day and night.

During the day, aside from the typical paint, hardware, and trim –all of which we have covered already– there are other things that direct one’s attention to a house. Among these are the walkways and driveways; the ones that lead your attention to the front door or entrance of the house.

It is human inkling to follow a trail of something that leads to somewhere. Because of this, the impact of driveways and walkways should not be taken lightly.

A common thing people do is create a walkway with interlocking stone or outdoor tiles. Some houses even already come with it built. For those that don’t though, and are considering having one, remember that this may be a more costly endeavor.

Image by: Engrave-a-Crete

Be sure to plan your budget, as this may require some more advanced equipment to excavate and level the surface, aside from the cost of materials. There are countless professionals that specialize in this, so if you have the budget and do not have the help from relatives and friends, this would be the next best investment.

Another alternative is to just have a concrete path directing to the face of the house. To enhance this, you could paint the surface and create a tile or interlock-like pattern. This requires a bit more creativity and unfortunately, not everyone has that – including myself. The first time I have actually saw this was on an episode of Mike Holmes’ Holmes Inspection on HGTV.

Next is to consider your driveway.  These generally last a long time and require little maintenance.  One thing you could do is reseal it with a driveway sealer. It gives the driveway a nice dark coat and a pleasant fresh feel.

There are many contractors lately going around door-to-door offering free estimates in my area to do this, but this could easily be done by anyone. It is as simple as applying paint. It costs about $30 for 17L, which covers roughly 375 sq ft.

At night, pathways are not too visible. To counter that, adding lighting is the way to go. Solar or battery powered low voltage lighting along the walkway not only assists in directing attention, but also offers more light so that your upgraded walkways are more visible. Also, this enhances safety both in that you see where you are going and deters trouble away.

Photo by: Jana Perenchio

Porch lamps and spotlights can also be added to increase lighting. Aside from just being more appealing, these will allow you to spend more time outdoors, and not just during the daytime. And when the weather is less kind, it will still allow you to appreciate your home’s exterior.

Remember, the objective is to draw attention. However, lighting can also easily be overdone and become a nuisance to your neighbours. As always, balance and mood is key.

If you are a buyer or seller looking for a good Real Estate Agent to work with that is educated, experienced and tech-savvy, let us help you. You can click here to Search for one and if you don’t find someone in your area, just send an email to julie@primoagents.com and we will search someone out for you – absolutely free.

For more articles on preparing your home for sale go to our page on home staging and curb appeal here.

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