If there’s one real estate buzzword that sells, it’s curb appeal. In fact, 94% of real estate professionals suggest improving curb appeal before listing your house on the market. Curb appeal is all about using your property’s outdoor space to make your home look and feel inviting. It encompasses the aesthetics of your house as seen from the street—from the sidewalk to your front door.
Achieving Lasting Curb Appeal
Even when you’re not selling, there are many benefits to improving curb appeal. If done right, excellent curb appeal can:
- Expand the value of your neighborhood
- Save you time and money on preventable damage and unnecessary repairs
- Make your home environment healthier and more comfortable to live in
- Deter criminals from entering your property
One of the best ways to achieve lasting curb appeal, regardless of what’s en vogue, is to consider the climate. Often overlooked, temperature plays a huge part in keeping your yard attractive. If you live in a dry, hot area, chances are that the heat can destroy your home exterior in the long run. That said, careful planning is essential so that you can use the conditions to your advantage.
Maximizing Curb Appeal in Dry Regions
Making your property look amazing requires preserving its features. However, it’s hard to maintain a beautiful lawn when a desert climate ruins everything from paint to pavement. Or is it?
There are ways to improve curb appeal while protecting it from the harsh effects of dry heat. Here are a few subtle yet significant upgrades you can focus on to make a huge impact on your outdoor space:
1. Take good care of your driveway
It’s the first thing visitors step into when they pull up in front of your house. So a well-maintained driveway goes a long way. Although driveways do erode over time, extreme temperatures can hasten the process.
In arid regions, where excessively dry summers turn into freezing winters, pavement frequently shrinks and expands. As a result, cracks form until the integrity of your pavement breaks down. These cracks don’t only look ugly; they also reduce parking functionality. To avoid this damaging cycle, consider using a seal coat for asphalt driveways. The coat shields your driveway from the elements, ensuring a flawless appearance for the years to come.
2. Select and place your garden plants carefully
Lush gardens are always a staple when thinking about curb appeal. Yet, a garden is only as beautiful as its plants. To ensure that your greenery stays healthy and pretty all year round, choose drought-tolerant varieties. Hardy perennials, such as Russian sage and crape myrtle trees, thrive well in hot, dry conditions. They’re easy to care for, allowing you more time to tend to everything else.
Positioning is also important. How you arrange your plants can prevent people from peeking into your home and getting too close for comfort. Additionally, well-placed shrubs and trees offer protection from the sun and wind. This lets you cut down on air-conditioning costs, saving you money at the end of the day.
3. Invest in good roofing materials
A property’s roof contributes a lot of value to curb appeal. It’s the largest feature in a house, taking up to 40% to 60% of your visible exterior. That’s why roof maintenance, especially in hot, dry places, is essential.
Painting the roof white to reduce temperature is an open secret in home construction. Known as cool roofing, the process decreases the rate of solar radiation absorbed. It doesn’t only prevent the wear and tear caused by heat, but it also helps tackle indoor insulation issues.
High temperatures cause leakage and a whole host of roof problems. Shingles crack and blister under extreme heat, eventually warping the surface and destroying the roof. If you’re renovating, opt for materials that are cooler and more reflective, such as tiles.
Better yet, have a professional inspect your roof to prevent further issues. They may recommend coating and sealing your roof, and installing vapor barriers so that your roof can withstand the test of time.
Perfecting the Art of Curb Appeal in Dry Weather
Although having constantly high temperatures can wreak havoc on the beauty of your home, playing smart when it comes to upgrades can go beyond increasing the physical charm of your property. It can also help you slow down heat damage for supreme curb appeal.
There are plenty of approaches to an attractive outdoor space. Whatever theme you have in mind, remember that consumer tastes evolve and that trendy ideas for what it takes to boost curb appeal change over time. Thus, lovely designs aside, the key to a timeless curb appeal requires proper maintenance and great consideration to the nature of your property and the environmental elements around it.
