Curb Appeal: the easiest way to add value to your home

Boulevard garden at the corner of David Dunlap Circle and Jessie Drive

Shanta Maraj, local real estate expert was asked what affect curb appeal has on the value of homes. She said, “adding curb appeal is the easiest way to add value to your home.”

Studies confirm that curb appeal has a huge influence over how quickly your house will sell, and for how much. According to the National Association of Realtors, "curb appeal" sells 49% of all houses. But it’s not just your house and garden area that’s important, the condition of your neighbors' houses and yards can affect the curb appeal of your own home.

How do you improve curb appeal?

You don’t need to do a major landscaping renovation! In fact, small improvements often make the biggest difference… improvements you can easily do over a weekend. Here are some suggestions:
· Remove weeds and other unwanted growth.
· Prune shrubs and trim trees.
· Keep lawns mowed.
· Re-sod or re-seed bare spots on the lawn.
· Edge the lawn. (A simple task that can have a dramatic visual impact.)
· Sweep the walkway and driveway. Rake the leaves.

In small space communities such as ours, what you do with your outdoor space affects everyone one of your neighbours. There are minimum standards that the city has established for maintenance of outdoor spaces (see below for the actual wording of the bylaw). What many may not be aware of is that homeowners are responsible for all boulevard areas adjacent to their properties. This means as a homeowner of a house that has a boulevard, it is up to you to maintain that area as if it were your own.

City Bylaw
Article V of Chapter 743 of the Toronto Municipal Code requires that all property owners in Toronto:
Sustain all vegetation planted in the boulevard in a state of healthy growth, with boulevard sod kept trimmed to a height less than 20 cm (8 inches);

Maintain all private encroachments, including stairs, landscaping, fences, retaining walls or noise barriers in a state of good repair and free of graffiti and posters;

Maintain driveways, parking areas and walkways in a state of good repair;

Keep the boulevard and sidewalk clear of noxious weeds, litter, rubbish, brush, leaves, lawn and tree trimmings;

Keep an unobstructed two metre radius around fire hydrants;

Keep bushes, hedges and gardens trimmed at a height of less than 0.85m (2.5 ft), measured from the travelled surface of the adjoining road;

Prune and trim hedges, soft landscaping and private trees to ensure that they do not obstruct sidewalks and bicycle paths.

The City does not repair any private encroachment, such as a fence, stair or retaining wall, damaged as a result of road repair, reconstruction or snow removal and street cleaning. Property owners who do not maintain the boulevard are subject to a $200 fine as well as any costs incurred by the City to perform any required repairs or alterations.