Increasing "Curb Appeal"
The outward attractiveness of a property is known as "curb appeal" in real estate circles. Before a potential buyer wants to inspect a property in detail, it, its neighbors, and the entire neighborhood must make good first-impressions. One of the main purposes of homeowners' associations, such as our Oakwood HOA, is to ensure that curb appeal remains high to protect and enhance the members' property values.
Please regularly self-critique the external appearance of your property -- both the yard and the structure. Does your house need painting or its shutters replaced? Has the lawn suffered and need some attention? Have extraneous items accumulated outside and need to be disposed of or put away? Does your mailbox and its post need straightening, other repairs, painting, or replacement? Have some shingles loosened or been blown off? Does the garage need cleaning out so that your cars can be parked inside? These are just some examples of things that contribute to the overall appearance of your parcel, and each property's attributes and problem-areas will vary.
Having a "second set of eyes" evaluate your property and make suggestions is often a successful way for identifying potentially-overlooked problems. See if a friendly real estate agent, architect, landscaper, or another individual is willing to give you their opinions. Or, if desired, a member of the Board may be willing to do so as a nonbinding courtesy.
Once you've identified the problem spots, address the highest-return ones first. Some problems, like cleaning up the garage or yard, can be accomplished quickly and at little to no cost. When the easy challenges are solved, move onto the more difficult ones.