Here's the question - how would a total stranger describe your house? If the answer's not 'beautiful', 'stunning', 'incredible', or 'this feels like home', then you have got some work to do.

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but potential buyers will judge your house by its exteriors - that's just the way it is.

Don't worry if your curb appeal isn't that appealing at the moment. In this article, we'll teach you how to cast magic spells on your abode and make it look like it's been taken out of a fairy tale.

Here are the 10 ways to boost your home's curb appeal:

1. Up your lawn game

It's not just about mowing the lawn and keeping it neat and tidy. Your lawn is the first thing that buyers will notice about your house, so you might as well decorate it a little. Go hard on some colourful shrubs and add some garden sculpture to have the most unique lawn in your neighbourhood.

2. Upgrade your mailbox

If you have one of those old, mouldy, wooden mailboxes - get rid of it now. For less than a $100, you can get a modern, metallic mailbox that not only looks good but is also resilient to harsh weather conditions and has more storage capacity.

3. Conceal electrical fixtures

Since it's your home, not a power grid, you should conceal all the electrical fixtures if you can do so safely. However, if you can't change the position of certain fixtures, like an electrical box, consider painting them in such a way that they blend in with the surroundings.

4. Put that hose into action

If you want to boost your curb appeal for selling your house, you might want to give it a nice clean from the outside. Use a high-pressure hose to remove all the dirt from the porch, walkway, driveway, roof, deck and any other area where a quick power wash can do the trick. Ideally, you should do this at least one day before the potential buyers arrive because nobody likes a wet house.

5. Light it up

Unfortunately, the sun isn't always up and smiling at us. That's why you need lights to ensure your home doesn't look haunted when the sun goes down.

Here are the three types of lights you should be aware of:

• Solar-powered lamps: You can use these to lighten up the walkway and your lawn.
• Spotlights: These can be used to emphasise sculptures and trees.
• Scone lights: Install scone lights at the right distance to brighten up your house from the outside.

Remember to use LED bulbs - the idea is to make the neighbours jealous without paying half your savings in power bills. Proper lighting is one of the best home improvements to increase value, so don't ignore it.

6. Have a kick-ass garage door (if you have one)

Some Kiwis aren't big fans of garage doors - that's why some of us don't even have one. But if you do, make sure it's spot on!

Your garage door will probably cover a quarter of the surface of your front facade - which means that all the other renovations don't mean anything if you have an ugly garage door. If a whole new door is out of your budget, you can always paint it and make it look good as new.

7. Choose outdoor furniture carefully

Before choosing outdoor furniture, keep two things in mind: colour and material. When you see a captivating piece of furniture, you might feel like pulling out your wallet and buying it. However, you need to make sure that the colour of the furniture is in harmony with the overall colour scheme of your outdoors and the material is resilient enough to withstand humid days and the strong Kiwi sun.

8. Get rid of the clutter

Whether it's a bucket, plastic bottles, cardboard boxes or any other 'object' of that sort, you need to chuck it in the garage, or maybe in the bin. It all starts with "I'll do it later" and, before you know it, there's a whole lot of clutter outside your house which kills your curb appeal.

9. Enhance the front door

Does your door require a couple of hard pushes till it opens? Is the doorknob rusty? Is the paint coming off? Well, that's not what you want buyers to see. Applying new paint and installing contemporary door hardware won't take too long, and it's one of the cheapest ways to increase home value.

10. Invest in new gutters and downpipes

Does your gutter have mould or rust? Or maybe the joinery needs some fixing. Well, don't let it be the reason why potential buyers go somewhere else. Buying a house requires a really big investment, so buyers will closely examine every nook and cranny of your house - including gutters and downpipes.

Investing some coin to improve your home's curb appeal will not only give you a sense of pride, but it'll also increase its value tremendously. Use these ideas to boost your curb appeal - you'll be amazed by the results.

Need mortgage advice?

If you want to know how much you can borrow, click the link below to use our one-page overview form and we will get back to you within 24 hours with what options you have.