Love at first sight is a rare thing indeed but that doesn’t negate the fact that you only get one chance to make a first impression. First impressions matter and in the housing market, it’s often the only impression you’ll get the opportunity to make. In today’s online real estate world things happen fast and unless you stand out from the myriad of cookie cutter facades you may get passed by in a hurry… and for good.

Whether you’re trying to sell your home or merely express your own sense of style, shutters are a great way to make your curb appeal pop and catch the eye of both your neighbors and online house hunters.

Where to start? The options are endless as there is a great variety of styles and shutters span from the purely decorative to utilitarian.

  1. Start with color! Shutters are a likely the best way to accent your home’s exterior color. Think of them as mascara or eyeshadow, that extra touch of color to differentiate your home from the rest. Colors and color combinations trend so talk to a professional about what classic or trending color combinations could best accent your home.
  2. Determine if your shutters will be merely decorative or utilitarian. Do you need to protect from hurricanes, storms or sun? If so, that could limit your choices. Decided on this before finalizing your style selection.
  3. Choose a style. Here too, you may want to consult a professional as there are many styles which are always evolving with the times. Do you want louvered, raised panel, plantation, board and batten or a combination? Although rectangular shutters are by far the most common, custom shapes are growing in popularity; arched, square or even round.
  4. Pick your material. Check out our previous blog for details on shutter materials: vinyl, wood composite, wood or fiberglass.
  5. Shutters are fun! So, most of all enjoy the process and have fun making your home stand out from the “little pink houses” all in a row.