Five Curb Appeal Tips to Give Your Home that Wow Factor
Enhancing your home’s appearance starts with the outside. The five following curb appeal tips will make a dramatic difference that you’ll enjoy every time you pull into your driveway.
1. Color Scheme: Paint. Just like the inside of your home, the quickest and easiest big impact change can be a gallon of paint. If painting the house is not in your budget, simply paint the front door and trim or shutters, depending on the condition of these areas. Paint adds brightness to your home and gives it that REFRESHED look no matter what the age of your home is. Maybe try a different accent color for the trim and shutters.
2. Landscaping: This is a great time to look at the condition of your yard. If you are having trouble growing grass, hardscaping may be your answer. Creating flower beds or planting a flowering tree for a pop of color may be the solution for areas where you just can't keep the grass looking good. Flower boxes to focal windows or plants hanging on a front porch will also enhance your curb appeal. Buy hardy plants. Look for low maintenance plants. Ferns tend to do well in these areas. I find they don't require a lot of work. Fountains, birdhouses and even a new mailbox can give your yard that extra special touch that increases curb appeal.
Making a courtyard area is another way to bring your landscaping up a notch. A gate or fencing can accomplish this if you have an area near your front entry. If you have a porch in front add new appropriately-sized furniture. If you have a large porch then you can have a seating area with a couch and chairs, or rocking chairs. If you have a small porch, then accessorize with the right size furniture.
3. House Numbers: Looking for a quick and simple way to refresh your curb appeal?Add decorative house numbers that are bold and easily visible. Lighting them at night time is always a great idea and helps to welcome guests. Also, another quick fix is to put in new hardware in the front door area.
4. Lighting: There are so many choices for lighting now that you can easily replace your existing lighting with decorative ones that match the style of your home. In entryways, try the new exterior chandeliers. I love them and they make quite an impression. Measure the back plate so the new fixture will easily cover the area where the old fixture was. If you are painting your house and then adding new lighting it is not a problem.
5. Driveways and Walkways: From simple changes to decorative pavers your driveway and walkways can enhance your existing home. Coordinate the colors of your roof, house and trim so that the driveway blends with the home rather than standing on its own. If your home has a red roof make sure there is red in the pavers you are choosing. Same follows for black, gray or brown roofs. The way the driveway and walkways are laid can make them a piece of art. You might want to consider edging the driveway also with brick, paver or stone. It gives it a crisp look.
Remember, curb appeal isn’t just something to think about when you’re moving. It will bring a smile to your face every time you pull in your driveway.
