Thinking of selling your home? If so, you should look into upgrading some of your outdoor spaces. While you may not be able to afford all the upgrades you'd like to do, you can choose a select few and increase your return on investment. Here are some expert suggestions from our real estate agents that will help you improve your home's value. 

1. Spruce up the facade.
   Does replacing the siding sound expensive? Well, it isn't cheap but it can be cost-effective if it's done right. Two suggestions for improving the facade: concentrate on the front of the home, and use manufactured stone veneer. Although the cost may hover around $10,000, you're likely to earn back 95 percent of the cost. 
   
   
2. Jazz up your garage doors.
   Most people don't think of the garage doors when planning a home's exterior facelift. But the fact is, simply painting the garage doors in a color that complement's the home's exterior color scheme will help improve curb appeal. You might also replace the doors with trendy designs in wood, steel, glass, aluminum, and fiberglass. Clean lines and basic colors like gray, black, and chocolate are popular, but some jazzier designs incorporate wood, bold color panels, and vertical window schemes.
   
   
3. Make a statement with your front door.
   A front door can be a great way to make your home stand out from the competition. Maybe you're up for nothing more than painting the door; consider a bold, trendy color like cerulean blue, cheerful yellow, pomegranate red, or cool aqua. Take your door renovation a step further and replace the old model with something new, or, a style that brings out your home's best features: modern, traditional, craftsman, rustic, or even arched.
   
   
4. Install a fire pit for year-round fun. 
   A fire pit can provide the setting for year-round fun. Warm up to your fire pit in the fall and winter, drawing near and enjoying the outdoor landscape with a cup of hot chocolate in the cooler months; in spring and summer, roast marshmallows and tell stories under the stars. A fire pit with a gas burner in a patio setting may cost as much as $6,000, but real estate experts say you'll enjoy a 67 percent return on your investment.
   
   
5. Transform your landscape.
   One killer way to improve your curb appeal is to do a landscape makeover. What constitutes a landscape makeover? One moderate-sized tree and some flowering shrubs; new planters (a stone's a good choice); some flowerbeds with perennials and colorful annuals of the season; generous mulching; and maybe a flagstone walkway should do the trick. Give your lawn a boost by aerating, fertilizing, getting rid of pests, and replanting bare spots. Real estate experts agree a landscape makeover can help you recoup more than 80 percent of your investment.
   
   
6. Add a deck.
   Making the most of our outdoor spaces has, over the past 15 months, been given major play in lifestyle reporting. Homeowners are keen to ensure there's plenty of room outdoors for family get-togethers. A wooden deck, either attached or detached, will provide the home's occupants with just the right setting to grill, soak up the sun, or entertain. Plus, it'll be a major selling point for your home.

There are many other tasks you can do to improve your home's value, from installing landscape lighting to adding a patio or installing an irrigation system. Need more ideas? Contact us today.