What better way to entice prospect buyers to make your investment property their next home by luring them with eye-popping curb appeal. The kitchen and the bathrooms are important as always but when flipping property, making sure the exteriors get a fresh look is a necessity. And the winners in an online magazine’s recent do-it-yourself contest, we are sure to get some points when rehabbing houses with “winner” curb appeal.

Research Colors. In one project, the owners of the house in Manchester, Massachusetts, turned a dull-looking old property into an eye candy. The couple decided to repaint the house because one the existing coat was already cracking and two, they wanted to make it look livelier. They succeeded in this renovation, which is somewhat similar to fixing and flipping property, by using complementary paints. They used pale olive for the walls and red and cream for accents. According to the couple, they researched Victorian-era paints and took it from there. If you want to get passersby to stop at the home rehab, do some research.

Use History. In another project that’s located in New Orleans’ French Quarter, a couple decided to inquire with the regulatory commission about what features should be present in the exteriors of the property. Needless to say, history, or the historical value of an area can be used to boost a property curb appeal when flipping properties. They were fortunate to find 1940s photo of the property and tried to recreate that look. After a few weeks, the 1800s-era Victorian Camelback was back in shape. “Old” can be appealing.

Got a Porch? If the answer is no, then consider adding one for your home rehab. When rehabbing houses, the addition of a new or improvement of the existing porch is a good way of improving curb appeal. In another project, a homeowner from Old Lyme, Connecticut, decided to install a new porch on his 1995 Colonial home. He said it removed the blandness of the property and provided him with extra useful outdoor space.

Eye for Small Details. A couple from Franklin, Indiana, decided to give the property a little home rehab. They boosted the curb appeal with the usual techniques, cleaning, repairing, and repainting the exteriors. What made the property look extra special though were the small details. The couple added or improved some small details like new lighting fixtures, a mailbox, and even the house number. They painted these details in copper, making everything look very unified. Lesson from this project: Don’t forget small details when flipping property. The mailbox, especially is a small elements that can boost the curb appeal of a property big time.

One thing common with the houses with winner curb appeal was the surroundings. Everything was clean. The trees were trimmed to provide enough shade. Lawn seemed well-maintained and green. Repainting is another common element. The owners of the houses also chose to plan their projects carefully, with some even incorporating history. Remember these “winner” lessons when flipping properties.