Curb appeal refers to the impression that your home will make on others — and it will either make a good or a bad impression.
If you’re selling or want to take good care of your largest single investment, you’ll want to be mindful of the exterior of your residence. The good news? There is no need to break the bank to make an impact. A little can go a long way.
While some exterior projects are DIY-friendly, others aren’t. So it’s best to hire a professional when you want new siding, roofing, and windows.
Here are five things you can do to take your home’s curb appeal up a notch or two.
1. Give Your Landscaping a Brand New Look
Landscaping is also one of the easiest and quickest ways of decorating the outside of your home. Weeds, neglected flowerbeds, and tall grass can make your home look less tended to than it really is. It’ll reduce your home’s curb appeal value. Simple yard maintenance can transform the exterior of your home in an impactful way.
Here are some things you can do to ensure that the landscaping is on point:
- Prune trees and shrubs to make the property tidy
- Edge and trim the lawn
- Weed and remove dead flowers
- Add fresh mulch to the flower beds
- Plant seasonal flowers along the front entrance
Boxwoods, hydrangeas, or ornamental grasses are easy to work with and will provide structure and foliage with little maintenance, even for the most novice of gardeners.
2. What to Do with Your Front Door
Your home’s front entrance is the most visible point of contact for any visitor. Replacement is a relatively low-cost, high-impact investment in curb appeal.
If a replacement isn’t necessary, a fresh coat of paint can be a good move. All you’ll need is a can of paint and some time to transform your front door.
So, replace or paint the front door, replace old door hardware with newer handles and knockers, replace a worn-out welcome mat or seasonal wreath, and replace old house numbers or an outdated doorbell.
3. Consider Exterior Lighting
Outdoor lighting not only offers security but also ambiance and elegance around your home. Your front door will be more aesthetically pleasing and welcoming when there’s proper lighting, and accent lighting can help improve curb appeal even at night.
Consider the following suggestions if you want to improve exterior lighting:
- Replace dirty or rusty fixtures with new, modern lighting
- Install walkway or yard lighting with solar lights for simplicity of installation
- String lights or lanterns in outdoor living spaces
Lighting doesn’t have to be a costly upgrade — and it’ll be worth it in terms of better functionality, security, and aesthetics.
4. Repair and Clean the Exterior
It’s important to keep the exterior of your property clean. That means pressure washing siding, sidewalks, driveways, and porches. And don’t forget to clean the gutter and downspout, clean windows, touch up the paint, replace rotten panels of siding, and repair cracked pavement or cracked concrete on sidewalks.
These renovations will provide a clean look that helps, rather than hinders, curb appeal.
5. Replace Your Garage Door and Driveway
The garage door also impacts your property’s overall exterior appearance. You should consider repairing or replacing yours if it detracts from the aesthetics of your home.
And if stained or cracked, the driveway should be tended to. Otherwise, it could attract attention for all the wrong reasons. Seal driveway cracks or resurface the driveway if it is in poor shape.
These five curb appeal projects are ideal whether you’re preparing to list your home on the market or want to enjoy pulling into your driveway each day. Increasing the curb appeal factor is worth the investment.
