Curb appeal important for more than just aesthetics when buying a home

When I'm working with sellers, as they get ready to put their home on the market, I discuss with them the importance of staging their home so it looks its best. Curb appeal is part of that process. A recent survey by Relocation.com now shows that 75 percent of Americans believe that the most important factor in determining a neighbhorhood's safety is the up-keep of surrounding homes, especially the conditions of the front lawns. Interestingly the same survey shows that buyers give less weight to the fact that a community is gated with security patrols! So curb appeal of a house and that of its neighbors is proving to be an aesthetic issue but also, in the minds of buyers, one that reflects whether a neighborhood may be safe or not. What do you think? all4now