Kerb Appeal Checklist — Win Buyers Before They're Inside

From the street

• Mow, edge and weed — a sharp lawn does a lot of work.
• Water-blast the path, driveway and entrance steps.
• Trim hedges and overgrown shrubs so the house is visible.
• Clear the gutters and straighten a sagging spouting line.
• Tidy or hide the bins.

The facade

• Wash the weatherboards or render — often enough on its own.
• Touch up or repaint tired exterior paint and joinery.
• Clean the windows, inside and out.
• Repaint the front door in a confident neutral.
• Replace a dated letterbox and house number.

The entrance

• A clean doormat and a planter or two by the door.
• Working, modern entrance lighting.
• A door handle and hardware that feel solid, not loose.

The 30-second test

Stand where a buyer first sees the home — from a car, from the footpath, from the listing photo. If it looks cared-for, bright and welcoming in three seconds, you've won the first round. If your eye snags on something tired, that's your next job.

Most of this is a weekend of effort plus a coat of paint — and it's built into the exterior week of a pre-sale makeover.