Too often, inexperienced fix and flip investors simply focus on cost-effective interior home upgrades. While interior renovations are important, homebuyers’ first impression of a home almost always starts on the outside. Experienced real estate investors understand the importance of exterior upgrades, with landscaping ranking top three in sellers’ pre-listing upgrades. Additionally, according to Remodeling magazine, 7 of the 10 home improvements with the highest return on investment (ROI) are exterior upgrades.
Curb appeal isn’t just about making your home look pretty for potential buyers. When done correctly, exterior home upgrades can skyrocket resale value and enhance your return on investment.
How can you change the exterior of a house to boost profits? Let’s look at some of the most cost-effective exterior house upgrades that will attract buyers and enhance your property’s bottom line:
Curb appeal isn’t just about making your home look pretty for potential buyers. When done correctly, exterior home upgrades can skyrocket resale value and enhance your return on investment.
How can you change the exterior of a house to boost profits? Let’s look at some of the most cost-effective exterior house upgrades that will attract buyers and enhance your property’s bottom line:
Enhancing the Landscape
Do-it-yourself (DIY) projects are an easy way to increase a property’s ROI potential. Several landscaping projects can add character to a plain house exterior, are DIY-friendly, and enhance the home’s resale value. In fact, a 2018 study found that a well-landscaped home can increase resale value between 5.5 – 12.7% of the home’s value. That translates to a $28,000 increase on average.
Some of the most cost-effective exterior landscaping upgrades include:
Some of the most cost-effective exterior landscaping upgrades include:
Landscape Maintenance: Giving the exterior of the house a facelift brings a breath of fresh air to a home’s exterior and creates a more aesthetic visual for home shoppers.
Break a sweat, or hire someone, to perform routine landscape maintenance projects during the selling process, like:
- Lawn mowing
- Mulching
- Weeding
- Shrub and tree trimming
- Pressure washing
Planting Trees: In 2024, going green has gone from a movement to a lifestyle. Sixty-six percent of today’s eco-conscious consumers consider a home’s sustainability during the purchasing process. While solar panels and tankless water heaters are some of the top eco-friendly home improvements to attract buyers, adding trees to the front or back yard is a more cost-friendly approach to enhancing a property’s appeal with today’s green homebuyers. In fact, strategically placed trees can reduce a home’s energy consumption by up to 25% according to the Department of Energy. The addition of two to four trees to a yard is a high ROI project that increases curb appeal while enhancing privacy and providing shade.
Landscape Lighting: While most homebuyers are looking for additional privacy, all consumers want to feel safe. Installing landscape lighting throughout the property is a low-cost exterior upgrade that increases a home’s safety, security, and overall appeal.
Front Walkway Redesign: Front yard pathways make a home more visually appealing to potential buyers. Believe it or not, installing concrete pavers or flagstone walkways is one of the easiest exterior house upgrades you can do. Walkways are inexpensive, look great, and are low maintenance throughout their lifetime.
Landscape Lighting: While most homebuyers are looking for additional privacy, all consumers want to feel safe. Installing landscape lighting throughout the property is a low-cost exterior upgrade that increases a home’s safety, security, and overall appeal.
Front Walkway Redesign: Front yard pathways make a home more visually appealing to potential buyers. Believe it or not, installing concrete pavers or flagstone walkways is one of the easiest exterior house upgrades you can do. Walkways are inexpensive, look great, and are low maintenance throughout their lifetime.
Update the Color Scheme
If you’re wondering how to modernize the exterior of your home, updating the exterior color scheme is a cost-effective, fast project for fix and flip investors. However, painting the home’s exterior is not recommended for novice painters. While it’s not ideal to DIY this, the costs are minimal, with professional painters charging $3.03 per square foot on average in the US.
Neutral colors like white and off-white remain the go-to colors for resale investors. However, blacks and darker grays like deep graphite have become trendy interior and exterior design colors among millennial and Gen Z homebuyers.
For example, aAccording to Zillow research, homes with darker grays sell for $2,500 more than similar houses on average. In addition, homes with black front doors sold for $6,450 more than expected.
Neutral colors like white and off-white remain the go-to colors for resale investors. However, blacks and darker grays like deep graphite have become trendy interior and exterior design colors among millennial and Gen Z homebuyers.
For example, aAccording to Zillow research, homes with darker grays sell for $2,500 more than similar houses on average. In addition, homes with black front doors sold for $6,450 more than expected.
Replace Old Windows & Exterior Doors
One of the top ways to attract today’s homebuyers is by replacing older windows and exterior doors. Expect eco-conscious consumers to pay close attention to the windows and doors of your investment property. Energy-efficient, insulated windows and doors not only satisfy consumers’ sustainability needs but significantly reduce utility costs–a great selling point.
Replacing exterior doors is yet another inexpensive, DIY-friendly project that can give your home’s facade a fresh look while making it more secure and energy-efficient. A steel door replacement costs just north of $2,000 but, on average, generates over a 100% ROI during resale.
While replacing older windows with newer vinyl or wooden windows is a more costly exterior upgrade ($20,000 – $24,000), Energy-efficient windows can catapult a home’s resale value and garner a 68% ROI on average. Investors with reliable financing should look to upgrade their investment windows to attract buyers and enhance profits.
Replacing exterior doors is yet another inexpensive, DIY-friendly project that can give your home’s facade a fresh look while making it more secure and energy-efficient. A steel door replacement costs just north of $2,000 but, on average, generates over a 100% ROI during resale.
While replacing older windows with newer vinyl or wooden windows is a more costly exterior upgrade ($20,000 – $24,000), Energy-efficient windows can catapult a home’s resale value and garner a 68% ROI on average. Investors with reliable financing should look to upgrade their investment windows to attract buyers and enhance profits.
Create Outdoor Space
Although most exterior house upgrades focus on drive-by curb appeal, consumers want to enjoy the outside too! This doesn’t mean you have to sink a lot of money into installing an inground pool though. Smaller, cost-effective backyard projects have proven to move the needle for both appeal and resale value.
Backyard stone firepits are reasonably affordable, easy to install, low maintenance, and feed the consumers’ desires to engage and entertain outside. Investors can also spring for patio or lawn furniture, fencing for added security and privacy, and outdoor televisions. In 2024, homes with an outdoor television average a 3% higher resale value than comparable properties. That’s a nearly $11,000 increase!
If you’re still wondering whether exterior house upgrades are worth the hassle, the overwhelming answer is yes! Completing DIY-friendly, cost-effective home upgrades are a great way to enhance your property’s resale value without breaking the bank. And, while some projects may require funding to complete, updated doors and windows and a fresh coat of paint go a long way in increasing curb appeal and a home’s value, while attracting today’s homebuyers.
Backyard stone firepits are reasonably affordable, easy to install, low maintenance, and feed the consumers’ desires to engage and entertain outside. Investors can also spring for patio or lawn furniture, fencing for added security and privacy, and outdoor televisions. In 2024, homes with an outdoor television average a 3% higher resale value than comparable properties. That’s a nearly $11,000 increase!
If you’re still wondering whether exterior house upgrades are worth the hassle, the overwhelming answer is yes! Completing DIY-friendly, cost-effective home upgrades are a great way to enhance your property’s resale value without breaking the bank. And, while some projects may require funding to complete, updated doors and windows and a fresh coat of paint go a long way in increasing curb appeal and a home’s value, while attracting today’s homebuyers.
CIVIC: Funding for All Your Interior & Exterior House Upgrades
CIVIC offers the most reliable short-term fix and flip financing options for home renovations. Our fast, flexible loan options cover up to 100% of your renovation expenses. Equipping you with the capital necessary to enhance curb appeal, boost resale value, and attract today’s homebuyers.
Get the funding you need to modernize and enhance the exterior of your home. CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE consultation with a CIVIC team member today!
Get the funding you need to modernize and enhance the exterior of your home. CLICK HERE to schedule a FREE consultation with a CIVIC team member today!
