Eye 'Shutter' When I Look At Your House

A statement made by my mild-mannered mom put into focus the way that your eye perceives a house that has no shutters or other side decorations beside each window: "Carol, shutters on a house are like the eyebrows on your face...they give expression and definition to other great features. They add personality to the house." She was right. As a gift to us, my parents gave us some 'house eyebrows.' Those black vinyl shutters placed by each window on three sides of our house (not the back for cost reasons) that was newly built and did not come standard with shutters, truly gave personality to our piece of heaven. Neighbors began to look and copy the idea, seeing a way to add curb appeal and character for a relatively small price. Years later, I still look at houses as I drive by and smile when I see shutters. We enjoyed ours over the years and even painted them when the sun faded them. It was like a shot of Botox and it freshened up the house once more. Front doors are high on the priority list of to-dos when it comes to preparing your home for sale, but I also vote for shutters.