Curb Appeal Checklist

The projects that actually move the needle before you list.

Scott Gentry

eXp Realty · License# 365010

📞 (910) 477-7615✉️ scott@hamiltonrealtygroupnc.com

📅 Date Completed: ___________________🏠 Property Address: ___________________

👀 READ YOUR CURB HONESTLY
✓	TASK	NOTES / DATE
☐	Walk across the street and take phone photos from the MLS-photo angle Morning and late afternoon, both. Your eyes have learned to ignore things the camera won't.
☐	Pull three active listings in your price band on Zillow Look at their front-elevation photo next to yours. Be honest about which one you'd click first.
☐	View your listing photo at Zillow thumbnail size That's the size buyers actually see first. Your home has about one square inch to pass the scroll test.
☐	Squint at your own photo Whatever jumps out as the biggest problem is where the first dollar goes.
☐	Walk the driveway and walkway Cracks, oil stains, weeds in expansion joints, and dirty mailbox posts age a listing visibly.
☐	Check the age of the garage door, front door, and focal wall If any looks more than ten years old, it's probably photographing older than the rest of the house.

🏆 TOP-ROI PROJECTS — THE TWO THAT RECOUP OVER 200%
✓	TASK	NOTES / DATE
☐	Replace the garage door if it's more than 10 years old or visibly worn ⚠️ The single highest-ROI project most years. Typically $2–4K installed. Match the style to the house architecture.
☐	Consider stone veneer on a focal wall of the front facade Second-highest ROI project. Works especially well on plain stucco, vinyl-sided, or builder-grade brick homes.
☐	Stay within one material family when adding stone ⚠️ Don't mix three stone colors or cultured brick. Done poorly, it looks like a weekend project nobody finished.
☐	Spec an insulated garage door if climate matters in your market Nudges appraisal in some markets and reads as "premium" in photos.
☐	Get two written quotes on each project One from a specialist, one from a general contractor. Compare scope, not just price.

🎨 SUPPORTING PROJECTS THAT LET THE WINNERS LAND
✓	TASK	NOTES / DATE
☐	Paint or replace the front door A scuffed or faded front door pulls the eye straight to it. Usually a single weekend of work.
☐	Upgrade exterior light fixtures flanking the door and garage Cheap, photogenic, and immediately reads as "updated."
☐	Replace a faded or dented mailbox and house numbers Small details that age the listing photo.
☐	Pressure-wash siding, walkways, and the driveway One of the highest photo-to-cost impact items available. Rent one for a day.
☐	Mulch the beds and edge the lawn before photo day ⚠️ Do it the day of — mulch darkens and re-settles fast, and the MLS photos need to catch it at peak.
☐	Trim overgrown bushes blocking windows Overgrown landscaping makes the house read smaller and darker.
☐	Clean gutters visible from the street Sagging or leaf-filled gutters photograph as deferred maintenance.

📸 TIME THE WORK TO PHOTO DAY
✓	TASK	NOTES / DATE
☐	Schedule the professional photo shoot for after the projects are finished ⚠️ A project finished after photos go live does not help you until re-shoots, which are disruptive and sometimes skipped.
☐	Book photos for the time of day your house shows best Morning light on east-facing homes, late afternoon on west-facing. Ask your agent.
☐	Confirm drone shots if the elevation benefits from them Not every home needs aerials; for corner lots and larger facades, they sell.
☐	Do the final mulch, mow, and clean the morning of photo day Grass cut, driveway clear, mailbox straight, nothing in the driveway.
☐	Move cars off the street and driveway before photos Even a parked neighbor's car can crowd the hero shot.

🏘️ KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CEILING
✓	TASK	NOTES / DATE
☐	Ask your agent for the median comparable sale price in your subdivision You're trying to spend up to the neighborhood ceiling, not past it.
☐	Identify which upgrades are assumed vs. differentiators in your market Some neighborhoods expect stone accents; others don't. Know before you spend.
☐	Avoid $30,000 of curb improvements on a home that tops out $20,000 above median ⚠️ You don't recoup what the market won't bear.
☐	Check HOA or architectural-review restrictions before scheduling work Some HOAs require approval for paint color, front door changes, or stone veneer installations.
☐	Decide on "classic" over "trendy" finishes Classic finishes recoup more reliably than trendy ones because they don't date the photo.

💬 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR LISTING AGENT
✓	TASK	NOTES / DATE
☐	"Based on comps in my price band, what's the single project you'd spend first dollars on?" A great agent will have a specific answer, with addresses to point to.
☐	"What should I NOT spend money on before listing?" The anti-pattern question. A weak agent won't push back; a great one will save you thousands.
☐	"Can we schedule photos around the project timeline and the light?" Photo day drives the project timeline, not the other way around.
☐	"Which projects in my neighborhood do you see sellers waste money on?" Local pattern knowledge. Generic answers mean generic experience.
☐	"What's the neighborhood ceiling on a home like mine?" ⚠️ If your agent doesn't know, they're not comping aggressively enough. Get a second opinion.