First impressions count and according to research by our partners HomeOwners Alliance, 68% of homeowners said kerb appeal was a key factor when choosing their new home. So if your home’s exterior is looking a little lack-lustre, HomeOwners Alliance are here to help.
First impressions matter. And if you want a clean and tidy home, it’s a good place to start. Our YouGov survey revealed a list of the features most important to homeowners in creating a positive first impression of the home they wanted to buy.
Our study found the most important features for kerb appeal were well-maintained windows, a roof that appeared in good condition and a tidy front garden. Let’s take each in turn:
1. Well maintained windows.
A good wipe down of the frames and a good clean might be enough for most windows to look sparkling again. But if they are in need of repair you could be looking at a few thousand pounds. Our tip: update a window a year. You don’t need to have them all replaced in one go and you can spread the cost of each window across the year, ticking them off over time. For more advice see our guide on what to expect when replacing windows.
2. A roof in good condition.
While your eyes don’t always go to the roof when you visit a house, if it’s in bad condition you do notice. And a mossy, leaky roof or poor, blocked guttering can mean leaks and damp inside your home. So as soon as you see a broken or slipped tile get it fixed. Replacing five missing, loose or cracked roof tiles would cost around £200 and would only take a day. See our guide on Does my roof need replacing for more issues to watch for
3. A tidy front garden.
It’s no surprise that this is one of the top three most important things to create kerb appeal. Get rid of the weeds, trim and tidy hedges, hide the wheelie bins away. If your neighbour's wall or fence is the problem and you’re not sure how to broach it with them, see our guide on garden walls and fences: who pays?
Want to do more to improve your kerb appeal? See the full list of factors homeowners think are important in our guide Top 10 Kerb appeal features - how to boost your home’s appeal.
About the HomeOwners Alliance
If you’re buying, selling or simply maintaining and improving your home, the HomeOwners Alliance website has lots of guides, calculators and services to help you. Make sure you stop by to see how we can help.
First impressions count and according to research by our partners HomeOwners Alliance, 68% of homeowners said kerb appeal was a key factor when choosing their new home. So if your home’s exterior is looking a little lack-lustre, HomeOwners Alliance are here to help.
First impressions matter. And if you want a clean and tidy home, it’s a good place to start. Our YouGov survey revealed a list of the features most important to homeowners in creating a positive first impression of the home they wanted to buy.
Our study found the most important features for kerb appeal were well-maintained windows, a roof that appeared in good condition and a tidy front garden. Let’s take each in turn:
1. Well maintained windows.
A good wipe down of the frames and a good clean might be enough for most windows to look sparkling again. But if they are in need of repair you could be looking at a few thousand pounds. Our tip: update a window a year. You don’t need to have them all replaced in one go and you can spread the cost of each window across the year, ticking them off over time. For more advice see our guide on what to expect when replacing windows.
2. A roof in good condition.
While your eyes don’t always go to the roof when you visit a house, if it’s in bad condition you do notice. And a mossy, leaky roof or poor, blocked guttering can mean leaks and damp inside your home. So as soon as you see a broken or slipped tile get it fixed. Replacing five missing, loose or cracked roof tiles would cost around £200 and would only take a day. See our guide on Does my roof need replacing for more issues to watch for
3. A tidy front garden.
It’s no surprise that this is one of the top three most important things to create kerb appeal. Get rid of the weeds, trim and tidy hedges, hide the wheelie bins away. If your neighbour's wall or fence is the problem and you’re not sure how to broach it with them, see our guide on garden walls and fences: who pays?
Want to do more to improve your kerb appeal? See the full list of factors homeowners think are important in our guide Top 10 Kerb appeal features - how to boost your home’s appeal.
About the HomeOwners Alliance
If you’re buying, selling or simply maintaining and improving your home, the HomeOwners Alliance website has lots of guides, calculators and services to help you. Make sure you stop by to see how we can help.
