Allied Van Lines Reveals Designer Secrets for Creating Curb Appeal

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Update exterior, improve home sale potential in time for busy moving season
RISMEDIA, April 22 ? The phrase, ?You never get a second chance to make a first impression,? is never more true than when you?re trying to sell a house.

Experts say home sellers have only a few key minutes to spark interest from potential buyers, so it pays to have the best-dressed house on the block.

The busy 2005 moving season is coming (May ? September), and Allied Van Lines has teamed up with top landscape designer Daniel C. Owens, featured on the Home & Garden Television (HGTV) show ?Curb Appeal,? to offer homeowners simple steps that create curb appeal and improve a home?s sale potential ? most for less than $500 and a weekend?s worth of time.

In addition to providing expert advice, Allied is giving Americans the opportunity to flaunt their home-improvement skills by entering the ?Curb Appeal Quick Fix? contest. From April 18 through May 31, 2005, consumers nationwide are invited to visit Allied?s Web site at www.allied.com and submit their five best tips to improve a home?s exterior and create curb appeal. The grand-prize winner will receive a $5,000 Lowe?s Gift Card.

?In order to make a house appealing to prospective buyers, it is important to create attractive finishing touches that make it stand out from the curb,? Owens said. ?Luckily for homeowners, there are a variety of ways to update a home?s exterior with minimal effort and maximum results.?

?For many Americans, selling a home is one of the most stressful aspects of relocation,? said Tim Schneeman, general manager, Allied Van Lines. ?By providing quick and easy ways to update a home?s exterior and make it more attractive to buyers, Allied is reinforcing its commitment to simplify the relocation process for millions of Americans on the move.?

Create Curb Appeal ? Top Designer Tips

To begin, Owens advises homeowners to take a step back and view the house from across the street with a critical eye. Look for positive elements that can be highlighted and negative areas that should be concealed. A black and white photograph is another great place to start, since color can often affect your perception of problem areas.

Take a moment and identify the home?s style. Is it Mediterranean? Colonial? Contemporary? Owens believes every home has an original spark or ?essence? that can be emphasized with the right accents. Incorporate that theme into the landscape with a few key features that set the stage for visitors, such as basic landscape lighting, a coordinating mailbox or house numbers.

According to Owens, one of the quickest ways to freshen up a home?s appearance is with paint. ?Nothing creates curb appeal more than color,? he said. ?A simple palette of neutral tones such as warm browns, ivory or sage green is a great choice for a home?s exterior color.? Neutral tones can then be complemented with stronger accent colors to provide more of a ?pop? from the curb. Keep in mind that two or three colors are usually enough to make a statement.

For prospective buyers, walking through the front door of a home represents a new opportunity and they should be able to visualize many possibilities. Make the journey to the front door one of discovery, not one of clutter, Owens said. The front door should be visible from the street, and the hardscape, or walkway, should be clean and free of cracks.

For more information, visit www.allied.com.

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