Steep roof pitches, precast details around windows, upgraded brick and stone facades and coach garage doors will add to the visual appeal of the luxury homes in Zancor’s The Castles of King City project.
You can't overestimate the power of a first impression.
That's why a home's curb appeal, or how it appears from the street, is vital factor when it comes to selling it. With resale houses, potential buyers may not even come through the front door if they think the exterior is unattractive.
It takes a leap of faith to buy a house in a community that isn't built yet, but creating pleasing curb appeal is something that successful builders put a lot of time, effort and expense into.
"Exterior elevations are paramount," says Joe Guido, general manager of Zancor Homes. "It's important to us because our exteriors do set us apart and we are very particular how we want our houses to look."
Streetscapes and curb appeal have come a long way since the cookie cutter houses so prevalent in the 1980s.
"The home building industry has become more sophisticated and consumer demands drive that," says Mr. Guido. "Curb appeal has evolved over the years. It started with 1980s' architectural controls and evolved from there."
Architectural controls (or architectural guidelines) in urban planning refers to the design guidelines used to harmonize and enhance the exterior presentation of homes and buildings within the community design.
When Zancor is preparing to launch a new home community, it takes a look at the surrounding area and homes for cues it can use in its home designs. Take for example King's Ridge in King City, launched four years ago. It was the first new residential project to be built in the municipality in more than two decades, which had development restrictions due to sewage capacity.
King City is renowned for its rolling country and numerous horse stables and that rich equestrian history influenced the design of the King's Ridge homes that were forerunners to those in the latest Zancor project in King, The Castles of King City. Working closely with architectural designers, Zancor president Fabrizio Cortellucci and his team came up with equestrian-type elements that were reminiscent of horse farms, such as weather vanes with horse motifs, that could be included in the homes' design. Garage doors and hardware resembled coach house doors.
"We looked to the local community for inspiration and it was extremely well received," says Mr. Guido.
That applies to each Zancor project, as all communities are different. In Brooklin, a village in the Town of Whitby that has many heritage Victorian buildings, the homes in Brooklin's Forest in Olde Winchester were designed with Victorian-style detailing and emphasis on front porches.
Zancor uses features such as upgraded roof shingles, precast details around windows, finishes such as upgraded brick, stone and stucco, coach garage doors and upgraded front doors to create attractive facades.
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Resale homes must make a great first impression and pride of ownership should be evident to potential buyers. The well-kept landscaping, brick walkway and inviting front porch give this home enormous curb appeal. (PHOTO: Supplied)"We won't skimp on roof pitches either," says Mr. Guido. "Our houses typically have higher pitches. Then the exterior colours and finishes really make a project sing."
Variety of elevations and designs on a street also creates appeal. Zancor also pays attention to the look of the rear of its homes, especially in luxury sites, adding touches such as roof detailing, precast around windows and doors and large expanses of glass.
"Most of our projects have three elevations for each home coupled with a number of models that generates a very unique streetscape," says Mr. Guido. "We allow our clients to customize and few houses are identical." He says that attention to curb appeal is reflected in resale value, as many Zancor buyers have been able to command higher prices for their homes than others in their area.
"We think it's (curb appeal) is important to consumer and it will last life of the home," says Mr. Guido. "It's not something you can easily upgrade afterwards."
Curb appeal is just as critical in the resale market says Jan Campbell, a Century 21 B.J. Roth Realty sales representative.
First of all, you want your front yard to look neat and well kept. That means keeping your lawn cut, trimming your hedges and shrubs, weeding gardens and keeping your yard free of junk and debris.
"There's nothing nicer in warm weather than a nice garden," says Ms. Campbell, but if you're not a green thumb, it's easy and inexpensive to add a few containers with colourful flowers or hanging plants to the front steps or porch. She says dollar stores are a good source for inexpensive garden accessories.
"If a home looks well-maintained, potential buyers are going to feel comfortable that they'll be able to maintain the house," says Ms. Campbell. "You want people to see themselves living there."
A newly painted front door can add a welcoming touch and your home's front façade might benefit from new house numbers or a new mailbox or light fixture.
Check your porch or deck to see if they need painting or re-staining, and also look at metal railings to see if they need a touch-up with metal paint. Paint the garage door if it needs it and take a look at your driveway to determine its state of repair. Large potholes would be a turn-off to buyers, says Ms. Campbell.
"A lot of sellers don't want to invest in a house they are leaving, but sometimes small investments (such as filling in potholes or resealing a driveway) are going to be realized in financial gain," she says.