A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short.

5 Curb Appeal Trends That Will Make Your Home Look Dated, According to Experts

By JAMIE BIRDWELL-BRANSON

Image Credit: Breadmaker/Shutterstock

A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short.

Curb appeal on a house is a lot like swiping on a dating app. If you like what you see initially, you’re going to want to know more. 

Image Credit: Robert Crum/Shutterstock

A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short.

The landscaping, door color, and condition of the driveway are all going to entice potential buyers inside, or as it sometimes goes in dating and in real estate, send them running for the hills.

Image Credit: SnapshotPhotos/Shutterstock

A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short.

“[The curb] is the spot where buyers spend the most time. They’re waiting for the agent to use the code, unlock the door, so they spend a lot of time sitting on that front porch or in front of the house. That’s why you want to spend a lot of time making it perfect,” says agent Riann Emch.

Image Credit: Artazum | Shutterstock

A little black dress (LBD) is a black evening or cocktail dress, cut simply and often quite short.

But, like everything else in real estate, what was popular in curb appeal trends 20 years ago won’t necessarily wow your potential buyers today. There are a few things that may make your home look dated when you put it up on the market.

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BOXWOOD SHRUBS

“Curb appeal trends that are fading include anything that’s got high maintenance. Box hedges are pretty up there on that list—you have to shape them and make sure they’re just right,” says Emch.

 Image Credit: Emma Fiala

SHUTTERS

Although shutters can look downright adorable on the right style of home (think Colonials or farmhouses), they can make other types of homes feel too cookie-cutter, according to real estate agent Tracy Jones.

 Image Credit: Federico Paul

“People have begun to shift away from using shutters in favor of more simple, wide, white trim around their windows. This offers a very clean look to the front of the house,” she says.

 Image Credit: Tanya Lacourse

DOORS WITH SIDELITES

If you were a child of the ’80s or ’90s, you may have grown up with a front door that featured windows on either side of the front door, which are called sidelites. “Big, beautiful picture windows next to the front door are more in now. Instead of windows on either side of the door, you’re better off going with a double door,” says Emch. 

 Image Credit: Marisa Vitale

ADDRESS PLAQUES

Big brass placards were once the norm when it came to displaying your address, but this look likely isn’t doing your front door any favors.“Now it’s more common to have contemporary plates on—the nailed up single ones where you have the hanging three or four numbers,” says Emch.

 Image Credit: Sotheby's International Realty

BORDER HEDGES

Border hedges that were once established for privacy may be a nuisance when it comes to the maintenance of your front or side yard. “In Sarasota, especially, where there are a lot of HOAs, any type of hedges that were once used to separate properties have been removed, so that the mowers hired by HOAs are able to seamlessly mow from one property to the next,” says Jones.