All you need is $5 and 5 minutes to improve your home’s curb appeal

(BPT) – First impressions matter, especially when selling your home. The moment a potential buyer pulls up to your house they start to form an opinion. Curb appeal is important to draw buyers in and sell your home for a higher price. If potential buyers see little problems, they’ll assume that larger problems exist. This doesn’t mean you need to spend a ton of time or money changing the exterior of your property. It can be as simple as cleaning up, making repairs and creating a welcoming environment.

One affordable, time-saving technique when improving outdoor spaces is to use Quikrete Fast-Setting Concrete Mix in the red bag. This economical concrete requires no mixing — just pour the dry mix into the hole, add water and the special formulation sets hard in 20-40 minutes. No need for messy mixing, long cure times or resorting to hiring a pro.

Here are five outdoor projects you can complete using fast-setting concrete that will boost your curb appeal and help your home sell fast:

Fix a tilted mailbox: Posts serving various purposes can be found throughout your yard and may start to tip over time. Fixing simple things like a slanted mailbox mounted on a post can really help your house look its best. Dig around the post base, reset it straight and fill with fresh concrete to hold it perfectly perpendicular to the ground.

Set fence posts straight: Just like that slanted mailbox, fence posts can start to lean causing the whole fence to appear wavy. Because a strong, attractive fence is appealing to many homebuyers, fix any tilted posts the same quick and easy way you fixed the mailbox post.

Add a trellis: One easy way to beautify your backyard or enhance privacy is to add a trellis set with fast-setting concrete. When digging your post holes, it’s important the diameter of your hole be three times the width of the post and the post depth should be one-third to one-half the post height above ground.

Enhance outdoor lighting: As more homebuyers put a premium on outdoor living, consider adding lighting to your yard. You can mount posts strategically throughout your property and hang those very popular garden string lights to improve safety and aesthetics, such as on pathways or surrounding gathering spaces like a patio.

Add fun features: Helping future families imagine how many memories they’ll make in your home can help close a real estate sale. Consider transforming your driveway into a sports court by adding a basketball hoop. You might also create a play area for your children by adding a swing or swing set, depending on space. Both projects need to be stable which is easily accomplished with fast-setting concrete to anchor the hoop and the swing set.

For more ideas to enhance your home’s curb appeal and to watch project videos with simple instructions, visit www.quikrete.com.