Boosting your home’s curb appeal is a given when you’re planning to sell it. Nonetheless, you can still implement curb appeal ideas even if you’re staying put and give your home a significant impact that’ll be appreciated by visitors and passers-by alike.
Improving your home’s curb appeal doesn’t have to be costly. There are numerous simple and cheap home improvements that can uplift your landscape’s overall aesthetic, from installing fences, tiled surfaces, and light fixtures to adding a fresh coat of paint to your door or exterior.
Whether you have a small or large yard, these low-cost, curb appeal ideas will help keep your home well maintained, tidy, and one of the best on the street you’re living.
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1. Add House Numbers
Most likely, you last updated your house numbers some time ago, but replacing them is an affordable and straightforward way to increase your home’s curb appeal.
To add a functional and visually appealing touch, use stylish house numbers that are easy to find, legible, and in a font that complements your home’s architectural style.
2. Paint Your Front Door
Make a statement with the focal point of your home’s curb appeal, the front entry. Giving your front door a fresh coat of paint or replacing it when it’s in poor shape can instantly add personality and charm to your home’s exterior.
Choose a contrasting color that stands out, but ensure it coordinates with other colors on your house’s exterior.
3. Install a Picket Fence
A white picket fence can add tons of charm to your yard and is stenographic in the shared imagination of the American dream. You can go for the quintessential classic white color or stain or paint the picket fence to match your home’s exterior.
You can use the fence panels to create an extra barrier from the street, outline a driveway, or flank a pathway. Whichever way you intend to use your picket fence, don’t forget to incorporate some colorful flowers in front of it.
4. Introduce Porch Seating
Dressing up your porch with welcoming furniture will create a haven for fun-filled, hearty conversations. Opt for seats with skids to protect your surfaces and ensure you incorporate end tables, throw pillows, and rugs to add the cozy feel of a living room.
If your porch has limited space and can’t accommodate a couple of rocking chairs, go for a small bench instead; this will act as a resting place and a convenient spot to slip off those dirty shoes.
5. Upgrade Your Mailbox
A mailbox not only serves a practical purpose but also adds charm to your home’s landscape. If your mailbox is by the roadside, you can surround it with beautiful blooms to make your front yard more approachable and welcoming.
For a mailbox attached to the house, choose a style and finish that complements your home’s trimmings. You can also paint the mailbox and post to match your house’s exterior palette.
6. Update Your Garage Door
Make a statement in the neighborhood with an attractive garage door. You can go for high-end versions that mimic the look of traditional carriage-house doors or opt for sectional doors with feature windows in an upper panel.
Alternatively, if a new garage door isn’t on the table, add character with new lighting or a pergola or paint it a contrasting color from the rest of your home’s scheme.
7. Light Up Your Landscape
Your curb appeal should be evident even at night, and there’s no better way to showcase your home’s best features than with landscape lighting. Illuminate pathways with stake lights and add accent lighting to trees and the house. For the best landscape lighting, remember to use various lighting types and fixtures.
Solar fixtures can be handy if you can’t use lights that need wiring. They’re also budget-friendly and easy to install.
8. Create a Walkway
A well-designed walkway will transform your home into a warm and inviting abode. Apply a colored concrete resurfacer to an old walkway and edge it with stone or brick borders for a less labor-intensive upgrade.
Alternatively, replace it with a contoured path made of brick or stone for a dramatic improvement. Brick pavers are sure to offer your home a traditional, classic beauty.
9. Spruce Up Your Palette
Updating your home’s exterior color scheme can make it look like a brand-new house. Keep your scheme limited to two or three colors for a cohesive palette that won’t look busy.
Try coordinating your home’s architectural features, such as posts, railing, trim, front door, shutters, and garage door, to make your home look more refined and well-kept. Keep in mind that this is an expensive project, so ensure you pick a color(s) you’ll want to live with for years.
10. Maintain Your Landscape
Landscape maintenance ensures your home’s curb appeal doesn’t deteriorate. Keep your shrubs at similar heights without obstructing windows for a more polished, uniform look.
Water your lawn, discard any leaves on your front porch, and apply fresh mulch to your garden to suppress unsightly weeds. You can always seek out a landscape designer or landscaping company’s services to assist you with a plan that suits your home’s architecture and your area’s climate.
11. Plant Year-Round Foliage
Xeriscape plants have been a norm in most mid-century modern homes, gracing their front yards with various sculptural plants that don’t need regular watering, unlike a green lawn.
These plants, and even trees, look good year-round and will prevent your landscape from looking bare and drab once winter and autumn arrive.
12. Take Size Into Account
The size of your front yard and house is essential when designing landscaping and hardscaping to enhance your home’s curb appeal. Smaller homes may require narrow pathways and small plants to keep things cohesive and within scale.
On the other hand, larger homes may need larger plants and broader sidewalks to balance things out. Take advantage of small, fast-growing ornamental trees like Japanese maple, river birch, or redwood to add dramatic interest without waiting for years for them to get established.
13. Utilize Flower Boxes
Window boxes add a touch of natural beauty and present an opportunity to showcase seasonal blooms, bringing color and charm to your home. Install your flower boxes below the windows or along your railing.
Window boxes are relatively cheap, or you can DIY them in your free time. Choose painted wood for a cottage feel or select boxes made from iron or copper for a traditional look.
14. Embrace Container Gardening
Container gardens are another curb appeal idea that will quickly and affordably infuse your home’s exterior with a welcoming feel and color. You can create your own containers or buy ready-made ones at garden centers.
Don’t stop at the surfaces! Suspend some planters and fill them with trailing vines and colorful blooms to create a beautiful visual display that draws the eye upward. Look for chip-resistant ceramic planters for durability.
15. Power Wash Your Home
Take the weekend off and give your home’s exterior surfaces a good spit-shine and polish. If you don’t own a pressure washer, you can rent one and clean your wood decks, concrete sidewalks, and vinyl, wood, or aluminum siding.
NB: You may have to use a degreaser to remove oil stains before pressure washing your driveway.
16. Replace Old Gutters and Downspouts
Drooping, rust spots, and peeling paint are some of the problems that indicate your home is suffering from poor gutter maintenance and you need to repair or update the system as required.
If you’re on a tight budget, you can install vinyl gutter systems yourself, but they become fragile and crack over time in cold weather. Copper gutter systems are high quality and convey a pretty curb appeal, although they are pricier. Hire a professional to install gutters for the best results.
17. Build an Arbor
Adding an arbor at the beginning of your walkway will create a cozy, welcoming entrance, not to mention a backdrop for a bounty of blooms. A standalone arch will still deliver splendid results even if you don’t merge it with your fence.
Arbors are available in prefab sections or easy-to-build kits that you simply join together. For best results, paint or stain your arbor with the colors already in your house.
18. Update Railings
Porch and stoop railings play an essential role in a home’s exterior aesthetic, reinforcing its style. However, if neglected, these architectural features can become worn out quickly.
To improve curb appeal, replace railings that are past their time with quality wood or metal components. Just like other home improvements, ensure the material, design, scale, and color are compatible with your home’s main features.
19. Tile Your Entrance
Up the curb appeal with a permanent welcome mat of tiled front steps. Choose tile that’s rated for outdoor use and slip-resistant. You’ll need to grind the surface down if installing tile on sealed concrete to ensure the thin-set mortar bonds.
20. Decorate with a Wreath
A wreath is a simple way to make your home’s exterior feel more welcoming, whether placed on your front door or beside it. Most importantly, wreaths are ideal for all seasons; your porch will have a year-round charm!
21. Introduce Some Symmetry
Symmetry is one of the most straightforward ways to design a layout, and it’s also pleasing to the eye. You can use light fixtures, plants, and other front-door accents for your symmetrical compositions and create a welcoming entryway.
22. Paint Your Porch
When in doubt, grab a can of paint and give your entire front porch a completely new look. Paint is one of the most affordable and accessible curb appeal ideas, making an entrance feel clean and well-maintained.
Pay a little extra attention to high-traffic areas and give them a mini refresh every now and then to combat wear and tear.
23. Make Use of a Trellis
If your siding has too much blank space, a trellis or two with vining plants can give form to your home’s architecture and introduce some color. Build your own DIY trellis to make this curb appeal idea even more economical.
