You’re hoping to sell your container home soon, but you want to make sure that it looks its best before you do. What you’re hoping to have is called “curb appeal.”

Curb appeal is a real estate term that means the visual appeal of your home’s exterior. With good curb appeal, potential buyers will walk or drive by your home and feel the urge to see what’s inside. They’ll want to go to an open house and look up the sale price. And, if they’re really impressed, they’ll put in a bid in hopes of buying the house before anyone else does.

How can you make your shipping container have more curb appeal? 

Paint the Container

Shipping container manufacturers paint containers to guard the corrugated steel walls from the elements and minimize rusting. While your container’s original paint layer may be very useful, it’s not very attractive. You want your container house to look homey — not like it was pulled directly off of a cargo ship. 

So, add a new layer of paint to your container. This is a great way to give your shipping container an upgrade and boost its curb appeal. You don’t have to remove the original layer of paint. You can simply spray over it. Be sure to use a coat of primer beforehand. Then, apply at least two layers of paint on top and let it dry.

Think carefully about the paint color that you pick for your container. If you pick a color that’s too light, it could easily show dirt and mud. If you pick a color that’s too dark, it could attract a lot of heat during the summer months, making it uncomfortably warm inside. So, try to find a middle-ground for your color choice. These are some ideas for exterior color palettes from HGTV to get you inspired. 

Paint the Front Door

The painting job isn’t done just yet! Another way to boost your place’s curb appeal is to paint your front entrance door. Don’t paint it the same color as the exterior walls. Do it in a contrasting color. This will easily draw the attention of anyone walking by.  

A brightly painted door will also make your home more memorable to house hunters. After all, many house hunters see dozens of houses throughout the week. Having a bold yellow or green door could give you an edge over the other listings they’re visiting. The last thing that you want is for your home to be forgettable.

Add More Plants

Plants are another easy way to gain curb appeal. Plants come in eye-catching colors and textures. They can also make the outside of your home smell wonderful, even from the sidewalk. 

These are some ways to add plants for curb appeal:

• Plant a flower bed directly in front of the house.
• Hang window boxes full of fresh kitchen herbs in the front-facing windows.
• Place planters of shrubs by the door.
• Plant a small fruit tree in the middle of the yard.

You don’t have to go overboard and turn the entire front yard into a botanical garden. If anything, that can backfire. Potential buyers will see an intricate garden as too high maintenance for their liking and refuse to make a bid. So, stick to additions that are small and simple but still impactful.  

You can make your container home a hot commodity by boosting its curb appeal. Make these changes and see how many buyers come knocking at your freshly-painted door.