How to Add Curb Appeal

Whether you are considering selling your house or just want to spruce up your property to better reflect your tastes and personality, it is easy to add curb appeal to any house. With thoughtful consideration, you can quickly give your home the facelift it deserves.

What Is Curb Appeal?

Curb appeal is your home’s first impression on visitors or prospective buyers, literally how the property looks when seen from the street. Good curb appeal can serve several purposes, depending on whether the house is for sale or you just want to showcase your home to its best advantage. Curb appeal can…

• Provide a friendly welcome to visitors and guests.
• Entice and impress potential buyers or renters.
• Showcase the property’s key features and style.

When enhancing curb appeal, consider what purpose you want to achieve to make the best choices. While curb appeal is subjective to everyone’s individual tastes, you may want to use different tactics if you are hoping to welcome guests to a holiday party versus if you are planning to sell your property and want to encourage higher offers.

Easy Ways to Add Curb Appeal to Your Property

From projects that take just a few minutes to few hours to weekend undertakings, there are many easy ways to add curb appeal to any property. Depending on the house, its condition, and what updates it may need, popular curb appeal enhancement can include…

• Making Basic Repairs
  Any exterior damage will stand out and hurt your home’s curb appeal. Look for broken windows, sagging gutters, loose shingles, burned out bulbs, broken railings, missing soffit, and other incidental damage and make those repairs to immediately boost curb appeal.
  
  
• Cleaning Up
  A basic cleaning can go a long way to improving a property’s curb appeal. Consider pressure washing a driveway, walkway, deck, fence, or roof to remove mold and stains that detract from the overall appearance, and wash windows or touch up paint to refresh the property quickly.
  
  
• Decluttering
  Along with basic repairs and cleaning, decluttering the home’s exterior can make it look better instantly. Put away unneeded tools or outdoor toys, remove some clutter from a porch or deck, and slim down garden accessories to a few tasteful accents instead of too much busyness.
  
  
• Hiding Essentials
  Essential equipment that cannot be removed can detract from curb appeal, even though it is necessary. Move trash cans or recycling bins out of sight, and consider screening or fence panels to hide an air conditioning unit. Painting a junction box can help conceal it without difficulty.
  
  
• Trimming the Landscape
  Pruning overgrown trees, trimming hedges, and tidying the lawn can instantly boost the look of any property. Patch thin spots in the grass, remove weeds, add appropriate fertilizer to green up the turf, and refresh with new mulch to make the landscape stand out in a positive way.
  
  
• Adding Color
  A pop of fun color can instantly draw the eye and enhance a property’s curb appeal. Repaint the entry door, add flowering porch pots, plant border flowers along the driveway or walkways, add a seasonal wreath, or install flower boxes for cozy color visitors will appreciate.
  
  
• Updating Easy Accessories
  Changing out worn accessories is a fast and easy way to upgrade a property’s look. Consider updating porch lights, mailboxes, entry door hardware, door knockers, house numbers, hose holders, and gate latches, and even adding faux hardware to a garage door for an extra touch.
  
  
• Lighting It Up
  Many people may first see a home in the evening, and adding appropriate light is a great way to improve curb appeal. Add a porch light if there isn’t one already, update security lights, add solar landscape lighting, string café porch lights, or even add a lamppost for whimsical flair.
  
  
• Creating a Frame
  A symmetrical frame is pleasing to the eye and attracts positive attention to a property. Add colorful shutters to front-facing windows, line a concrete driveway with decorative pavers, or add an arbor to a front walkway to frame the home beautifully.
  
  
• Adding Welcoming Touches
  Be welcoming to all guests and visitors with comfortable porch rockers or a porch swing, a fresh welcome mat, a welcome sign, or other touches. Similarly, welcome nature by adding a decorative bird bath or colorful bird house to the landscape for even more appeal.

There are many options to quickly add curb appeal to any property, and just a few simple projects can have a dramatic impact on a home’s appearance. By paying careful attention to your curb appeal not only can your home look better, but you’ll feel more pride of ownership and enjoy your property all the more.