The Simplest Ways to Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal

What does your home’s exterior say about you? You may think it’s unfair to judge a book by its cover, but naturally, it’s what humans do. If someone were to pass by your house, how would what they see the impact what they believe about you? A large house with a well-manicured lawn and not a thing out of place might represent someone who is rich, clean and pays attention to detail. A warm-looking house with garden statues, flowers, a welcome mat, and a few trees and shrubs gives off a down-home, country, family-oriented vibe.

On that same note, a house with patches of brown grass, unruly trees and shrubs, garbage and tools everywhere, and cars all in the yard, sends a very different message. It sends negative vibes that perhaps that you don’t care too much about your home or your belongings.

Knowing that you don’t want to give off a negative vibe, maintaining your home’s exterior is just as important as keeping the interior up to par. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a ton of money or hire contractors to get it done. Below, is a look at a few simple ways to improve your home’s curb appeal.

Clean Up

Dirt, debris, and clutter are the worst things you can have collecting around your home. If you don’t do anything else to boost your property’s appeal, keeping it clean should be at the top of the list. Pick up any garbage and place it in the right cans for disposal, gather all gardening and yard tools and place them in the shed or garage, grab a ladder and clean the gutters, and sweep the porch, deck, walkways, and sidewalk.

Since your home can also collect a lot of dirt and debris once you’re done those tasks it’s a good idea to power wash your home. The high-pressure water will remove all the gunk and grime from your house making it look as good as new.

Remove Patches

Now that winter is totally gone for most of the world, is your lawn looking a bit patchy these days? Are there parts of the lawn that are lush and green and others that are brown or completely bare? After a hard winter, you can find areas of grass that have died or maybe the edges of your driveway are ripped up from snowplows. You don’t have to go through the trouble of tilling the entire yard, investing in a ton of sod, and redoing the entire lawn (unless you have the money, resources, and knowledge to get it done). There are so many easy and DIY products to help with your lawn care as summer approaches. Spreads from companies like Scott's and Ironite can be used a few times a year for general fertilizer and lawn maintenance. If you need to totally replant check out sites like Nature’s Seed or SuperSod to find tons of options for seeds that will grow wildflowers, grass, or anything in between.

Painting

It’s amazing how simply painting can make an item or space look as good as new again. As the exterior of your home takes a beating from the rain, wind, snow, and sun, you may notice that some of the paint on the house is peeling or chipped. This is especially true around windows and doors. You can easily remedy the problem by removing the old, chipped paint, and replacing it with a fresh coat. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for a nice pop color to make your house stand out from the others on the block. If necessary, you can also paint the stairs, deck, patio, wooden furniture, banisters, and railings to bring them back to life.

Plenty of Lights

Outdoor lighting helps to illuminate your property in the evenings. It can work as a spotlight to shine brightly on fancy features or serve as extra security. Either way, you can’t go wrong with installing some lights around the exterior of your place. You can install a flood light or motion light over the front door for added security. Solar landscape lighting kits are very affordable and easy to install along walkways and near lawn and garden features like flowerbeds or gardens.

Decor

The final thing on the list to improve your home’s exterior is to add some decor. The decor is where your personality really gets to shine. You could add just a few small things like a few colored planters and lawn furniture and give a minimalist vibe or go for broke with ornaments, statues, fountains and more. Try to make sure that your decor matches your home’s exterior just as well as it does your personality.

When you pull up to your home every day, what you see matters. You want to walk into a home that’s clean, welcoming, and a direct reflection of your personality and interests. Not one that has been barely cared for and seriously beat down by the various weather elements. You can easily change the image of your home’s exterior by simply using the steps such as those described above.