How to Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal
There's nothing more alluring than a lovely house with a well-kept yard, colorful flowers, and a comfy porch. Curb appeal refers to the aesthetic quality of a home's exterior that should create a positive first impression before a visitor enters the house. First impressions count, therefore, your home should look attractive when people visit.
Enhancing your home's curb appeal is generally a plus if you are looking to sell your property, it may not provide much value in your appraisal, but the appeal factor is a plus generally. Even if you're not planning on moving anytime soon, it could be a good idea to give your home a facelift so that you, your guests, and even strangers passing by may admire its unique charm.
However, if your home's curb appeal doesn’t leave much to be desired, you don't need to spend a fortune to improve it. Regardless of how long you've lived in your house, you can make it seem somewhat newer with these fifteen fairly inexpensive ways to improve its visual appeal.
1. Maintain a Neat and Orderly Walkway
Trimming the grass around the curb and front walk is an easy way of improving the appearance of your property. If you have a brick or stone pathway, you may notice that grass or weeds have begun to grow over the sides or even through the spaces. You can greatly improve your home's curb appeal by using garden tools to remove unwanted grass and weeds. Doing so can be much cheaper if you already have the necessary tools.
2. Repaint Your Front Door
Your front door is the first thing people see when they visit your house, so it should express your taste and style. It's the deciding factor in whether or not visitors and potential homebuyers think it's attractive and properly cared for. If the door is peeling or deteriorating, it needs a new coat of paint. Before applying a fresh coat of paint, remove the old one by stripping it or sanding it down. Changing the siding and trim around a door may completely alter the appearance of the building's exterior. Paint and brushes don't exactly come cheap, but they're worth it in our opinion.
3. Invest in a Better Mailbox
If your current mailbox doesn't reflect your home's aesthetic, consider investing and upgrading to a new one. If you're feeling very resourceful, you may spruce up the one you currently have by giving it a fresh coat of paint, adding some potted plants to the ground surrounding it, and adding your family's name somewhere visible. Fixing up the little things like these may have a huge impact on the curb appeal of your property.
4. Upgrade Your Door Decorations
Upgrading your door does not necessitate replacing the complete door. An inexpensive and simple option to update the look of your door is to install a new door-knocker or handle. If a door knocker is not your thing, you can decorate the door with a wreath that is appropriate for the season or expresses your unique personality.
5. Add Plants to the Outside of Your House
A home with plants in its front yard is more colorful, distinctive, and welcoming than one with a flat, featureless front. Putting some colorful plants in window boxes or pots on the porch steps is a cheap, simple, and easy way to bring some life to your home's exterior.
6. Add Some Lighting to Your Pathway
The daytime beauty of a home may continue into the night with some well-placed lights. You may use landscape lighting to draw attention to the paths and trees in your yard. It can make your home feel nicer at night and could significantly impact how your house looks as the sun goes down. In addition, modern solar landscape lighting is a great way to cut down on energy costs and protect the environment.
7. Embellish Your Porch With Some Outdoor Furniture
It's easy to make your porch feel more like an extension of your home by adding furniture. However, if the outdoor furniture you currently have is in bad shape, it may be a good idea to replace it. Applying a new coat of paint or wood stain is a quick and easy way to update the look of your current wooden furniture. If the color on your plastic furniture is starting to fade, pick up a can of spray paint in a bright hue. The outcome may exceed your expectations.
8. Hide Your Trash Bins
It would help if you always keep your trash cans, gardening tools, and children's toys hidden behind the house or a secluded section of fencing in the side yard.
9. Add an Outdoor Rug
If you want to add color and comfort to your front patio, consider putting down an outdoor rug. For a concrete porch, a plush outdoor carpet is a perfect way to make the space more welcoming to guests. Rugs are usually priced differently based on size, material, and design, but they’re often inexpensive.
10. Paint Your Garage Door
To avoid making an unattractive first impression on neighbors and visitors, it's important to keep your garage door in good condition, whether constructed of wood or metal. Nothing beats a new coat of paint when it comes to the visual attractiveness of a building. Try coordinating the paint color with your front door and window shutters to make your home's exterior look more put together.
11. Install a Bird Feeder
Having a variety of local birds stop by your house regularly might make it feel more welcoming. Putting up a bird feeder on your porch is a great way to attract beautiful birds to your yard. While you may certainly buy a brand-new feeder, you may also consider making one of the many inexpensive DIY bird feeders available online.
12. Make Sure the Lawn Is Cut Regularly
Keeping the lawn neat is a simple method to improve your home's curb appeal. If you don't keep your lawn in check, it will seem untidy and uncared for, making others wonder if the rest of your house is the same way.
13. Spread Some New Mulch
Shredded bark from specific trees such as eucalyptus is the most common source of mulch. It comes in various colors, from natural to red to black, and may be used to draw attention to certain plants or create a stylish border around your garden. Mulch can be purchased in bags and is a great way to dress up your front yard garden.
14. Set up a Prefabricated Trellis
Use a cheap arbor or trellis to structure your front yard and draw attention to your plants. Build your frame if you want to potentially save money without sacrificing curb appeal. Then grow a blooming vine up the trellis to create a stunning living wall.
15. Repair Any Damaged Fences, Gates, or Gutters
Ensure you repair loose or missing gutters, so your house seems properly cared for to potential buyers. Clean, repair, and repaint any rusty iron gates or railings; paint or stain any wooden gates that require it, replace any broken hinges.