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By G. M. Filisko, contributing writer, HouseLogicy

Curb appeal goes beyond making a good first impression and that the way your home looks from the street can impact its value and shorten the time it takes to sell. Here are some concrete curb appeal tips that you can implement today !

1. Paint the house. Hands down, the most commonly offered curb appeal advice from real estate pros and appraisers is to give the exterior of your home a good paint job. Buyers will instantly notice it and appraisers will note it on the valuation. Just make sure you stay within the range of accepted colors for your market. A house that’s painted a wildly different color from its competition will be marked down in value by appraisers.

2. Have the house washed. Before you make the investment in a paint job, take a good look at the house. If it’s got mildew or general grunge, just washing the house could make a world of difference, says Valerie Torelli, a California real estate agent. Before she puts a house on the market, Torelli often does exterior makeovers, a service she pays for herself. Overall, she says her goal is to spend less than $5,000 and generate an extra $10,000 to $15,000 on the sale price.