A home’s exterior appearance can make it or break it, according to a recent survey of nearly 1,000 Americans conducted by American Home Shield. 

The survey found that 68% of homebuyers consider bad curb appeal a dealbreaker, but 94% said they’d be willing to upgrade the appeal after purchase. 

On average, homebuyers will increase an offer by $9,195 for great curb appeal, with the most enticing exterior features being: 

1. Well-maintained lawn (61%) 
2. Hardscaping (patio, pavers, etc.) (45%) 
3. Fencing (42%) 
4. Landscape and gardening (37%) 
5. Outdoor lighting (30%) 

On the flip side, the top red flags were: 

1. Dirty exterior (57%)
2. Worn paint (50%) 
3. Overgrown lawn (48%) 
4. Cracked driveway (44%) 
5. Overgrown trees (36%) 

For homeowners, 89% care about curb appeal, valuing it most because they take pride in their home appearance (78%), want their home to feel inviting (58%) and want to increase resale value (35%). 

On average, homeowners spend $2,369 on curb appeal each year, though 47% have cut back on maintenance due to the cost of living. Still, the top exterior projects with the highest ROI were lawn care and maintenance (27%), painting or exterior maintenance (17%) and fencing (14%). 

Additionally, 58% said they were planning a curb appeal project this year, planning to spend an average of $2,934. The pressure to present tidy, enticing curb appeal could factor in, as 43% of homeowners said they get annoyed when neighbors skip exterior upkeep. 

Curb appeal favorites include walkways (88%), gardens (68%) and shrubs and hedges (61%), and homeowners are increasingly turning to climate-conscious curb appeal options. Fifty-two percent reported completing climate-conscious landscaping, and 41% have considered regenerative landscaping for sustainability reasons. Water-efficient landscaping like gravel/rock gardens, drought-resistant plants and drought-resistant grass also made the list.