We're refinancing our house, and it needs to appraise for $3,000 more than the initial appraisal 2 years ago. We've since upgraded all of our faucets, upgraded the garage door and painted the entire home, so I think we'll be okay but would rather be safe than sorry.
I'm hoping you guys will have some ideas for relatively inexpensive ways to improve the curb appeal from the front. Our plan was to hire a landscaper next summer to raise the flower bed under the picture window, remove the rocks and plant shrubs and flowers, but it's a serious eye sore in the interim, especially compared to our neighbors properties.
These photos are from last fall on Google Earth. The second one shows the rock bed under the picture window that is in the worst shape.