Inspect and Stage the Outside of Your Home for Curb Appeal

Present a Safe and Otherwise Enjoyable Outdoor Living Space

Guests are often excited about the possibility of visiting a property that consistently projects a neat, well-maintained, and welcoming exterior appearance.  But proper upkeep can be rather daunting, and takes time and other resources, especially when little guidance is available on where to start.  Use these tips gathered from professional appraisers and home inspectors as suggestions to enhance your home’s safety and curb appeal.

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Staging Design that Enhances Outdoor Safety and Curb Appeal

• 18 Suggestions on Examining the Gutters and Roofs of Homes
• 18 Tips on Inspecting the Condition of Your Exterior Surfaces
• Seven Easy Ways to Inspect Your Decks for Wear, and Hazards
• 14 Inspection Recommendations to Consider for Home Lawns
• 14 Tasks that are Proven to Enhance Home Curb Appeal
• Seven Routine Maintenance Tips for Curb Appeal that Lasts

Always make personal safety a priority
and be mindful of neighborhood rules when reviewing these tips.

18 Suggestions on Examining the Gutters and Roofs of Homes

Please consider using binoculars or a drone when examining the roof of your home. 

• Make note of any interior odors, moisture stains, or mold in ceilings and walls directly beneath attics and roofs.
• Examine the roof for curling, blistering, or loosened shingles, bald spots, sagging, protruding nails, and growing moss.
• Check for loosened or damaged siding and corner trim on the chimney. 
• Look for corrosion, debris, and rust at the exhaust vents, chimney, and furnace flue cap.
• Confirm that the chimney stands upright without leaning to any side.
• See if the chimney rises at least two feet above the roof.
• Determine if the flue liner can be seen above the chimney crown.
• Check the chimney cap for bird nests or debris.
• Be sure that the space above the chimney is clear of tree limbs.
• Confirm that the bricks and mortar along the chimney are intact and free of crumbling.
• Check the tightness of the flashing against the chimney.
• Confirm that the furnace flue is more than one inch from the roof shingles.
• Examine the plumbing vent flashing boots for leaks.
• Confirm that the attic ventilation turbines are unobstructed and work correctly.
• Be sure that rooftop antennas are connected to the main ground, tightly secured to the surface, and away from service entrance cables or electrical wires.
• Repair or replace missing or sagging gutters.
• Confirm that the gutter downspouts are secured tightly to the surface, clear of debris, and discharge water adequately.
• Ensure that all splash blocks direct water away from the structure and prevent excessive water from standing on the property.

18 Tips on Inspecting the Condition of Your Exterior Surfaces

• Look for bulges, bowing, gaps, holes delamination, discoloration, looseness, raised nails, or other damage in the siding.
• Check bricks, mortar, stones, stucco, and concrete along the basement, crawlspace, foundation walls, and other places for looseness, insect nests, mud piles, and tubes.
• Test properties built prior to 1978 for the presence of lead, mitigate and retain the reports.
• Examine the condition of the basement external moisture barrier.
• Check the condition of the basement and crawlspace doors, vents, and access locks for looseness, rust, security, and proper function, correcting them as needed.
• Make a note of any algae or efflorescence along the walls and edges, an indication of possible moisture penetration.
• Repair, replace, tighten, and otherwise address loosened banisters, boards, doors, shutters, windows, and hardware on all surfaces including the eaves and soffits.
• Examine window drips and confirm that they dispel and are free of standing water.
• Check the condition of the laundry exhaust vent, vent hoods, dampers, and flap assemblies, looking for gaps, lint, and insect nests.
• Review the condition of any attached junction boxes and remove any insect nests inside.
• Confirm that all exterior electrical fixtures are properly grounded, tightly fitted against the surfaces, show no exposed wires, and work properly.
• Look for and correct any surface cracks, holes, or gaps with electrical and plumbing fixtures.
• Correct any exposed wood shards, screws, and unsmooth surfaces that can be harmful to hands.
• Look for dents, warps, rot, or other deterioration on the entrance and garage door frames.
• Check the security of and look for looseness, peeled paint, and other conditions at the jambs, sills, thresholds, toe-kicks, trim, and other parts of all doors to the outside.
• Confirm that the door hardware, kick panel, knobs, and locks are firmly attached and in good working order.
• Look for gaps between the porch floor and the main structure.
• Check the porch for broken steps, and inconsistent heights in the risers.

Seven Easy Ways to Inspect Your Decks for Wear, and Hazards

• View the deck from a distance to determine if it stands upright or if bracing may be needed.
• Check the deck support footings for cracks, and other damage, and be sure that they are anchored to a concrete slab.
• Check the rail posts for missing deck lag bolts.
• Look for and address any looseness or movement in banisters and side rails.
• Confirm that the flashing between the deck ledger board and house is in good condition and firmly attached.
• Look for and address any cracked, worn, rotted, raised, or missing deck boards, planks, posts, rungs, and steps.
• Correct raised nails, wood shards, and other unsmooth surfaces that can harm hands.

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14 Inspection Recommendations to Consider for Home Lawns

• Confirm that drainage systems direct water away from the structure.
• Ensure that firewood piles are at least ten feet away from any structure on the property and adequately protected from the weather.
• Look for clogged drains, dead spots, insect mounds, mole tunnels, unburied cables, sinking areas, standing water, smelly water oozing from the ground, and other nuisances around the lawn.
• Consider removing any V or U-shaped trees that lean or are near cracked or heaving soil, and those with several broken limbs that rarely bloom and have nesting holes up high.
• Look for buckling, leaning, and looseness in the bricks or mortar of the retaining wall, and address them accordingly.
• Remove excess foliage from around air conditioning compressors, ground wires, and exterior walls.
• Examine the privacy fence, wooden playsets, and any other wood structures for leaning, softness, gaps, holes, loose boards, rusted or unworking hardware, raised nails, wood shards, other unsmooth surfaces, or other unsafe conditions.
• Confirm that the existing mulch does not make contact with any of the structures.
• Look for and address any space found between concrete or brick structures and the earth.
• Shape and trim shrubs and trees away from the structures and walkways.
• Confirm that the mailbox opens, remains closed, and stands sturdy without movement.
• Check lanterns and other lawn fixtures for proper grounding, looseness, wear, working light bulbs, shortages, sparks, exposed wires, unusual sounds, and proper operation.
• Seasonally apply pre-emergent, feed, fertilize, seed, weed, and add sod as needed. 
• Check the parking pads and walkways for cracks, grass or weed growth between the panels, and looseness.

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14 Tasks that are Proven to Enhance Home Curb Appeal

• Move playthings, pool supplies, garden hoses, and other tools out of sight. 
• Clear the entire exterior of cobwebs, insects, and other pests, including the light fixtures and the mailbox.
• Wash the exterior walls, columns, decking, patio, porch, sidewalks, privacy fencing, parking pad, mailbox, street curb, and any other surfaces that need attention.
• Add a fresh coat of paint to the exterior surfaces where needed, including the doors, frames, porch, lanterns, and mailbox.
• After drying, freshen the wood stain and otherwise waterproof the deck, privacy fence, and any other wood structures that need it.
• Polish all light fixtures, door kick panels, and any other exterior hardware.
• Clean or discard damaged outdoor furniture.
• Clear the parking pad, walks, and lawn of any pet waste.
• Patch, wash, and reseal the parking pad and walkways.
• Style and outline the lawn with mulch.
• Add colorful flowers and plants that brighten and colorize gardens and walkways with stylish planters and pots.
• Adorn the patio for staging design with stylish, seasonal outdoor furniture, rugs, and flattering décor.
• Replace worn house numbers on the structure and mailbox with ones that are easily visible from far away.

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Seven Routine Maintenance Tips for Curb Appeal that Lasts

• Look for any new safety hazards in the curb, lawn, front porch, walkways, and parking pad.
• Mow the lawn, weed, water, and otherwise tidy up the gardens.
• Clear curbs, parking pads, patios, walks, and other surfaces of any new pet waste, and lawn debris.
• Clean bird droppings from the mailbox.
• Wash recycling bins and garbage receptacles, and move them out of view during events.
• Cover the pool and check the condition of the security gates.
• Add seasonal plants near the front entryway in stylish planters.
• Finish the front with a tastefully themed doormat.

Concluding Staging Design for Maintenance and Curb Appeal

Thoughtful property upkeep is in the best interests of the neighborhood, visiting guests, and the owner.  While this punch list clearly indicates that there is likely always something to do with regard to exterior home maintenance, don’t be overwhelmed by the obligation.   After all, it is ongoing regardless of the responsible owner.  As attributed to Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal...,” so consider these maintenance and staging tips over time to achieve the greatest amount of outdoor safety, and curb appeal.

Call Solomon Greene, Drake Realty, Inc. at (770) 271-2156 to Get major jobs completed prior to and paid for at settlement.