28 Jan Inexpensive Ways to Add Curb Appeal
Homeowners don’t worry about taking out a second mortgage to make a good first impression if most of your savings went to remodeling your home’s interior. Enhancing curb appeal doesn’t have to break the bank.
Deep Clean
A coat of fresh paint can make a house look like new, but if you have vinyl siding or the paint isn’t peeling, an exterior paint job may not be necessary. Instead, get a power washer — either borrowed or rented — and deep clean the outside of your house. Take care to put the pressure to everything: the siding, porch, deck, stairs, foundation, patio, sidewalks, driveway and even the doors.
Front Door Makeover
Applying a coat of paint to your front door can be a quick and inexpensive way to improve curb appeal. Choose a color that complements the trim on your house or go with a vivid accent color in high-gloss. Replace the hardware on your door, updating the knob and adding a tasteful doorknocker. You also can extend the front door alterations to the kick plate, door hinges and even get a shiny new doorbell and replace the house numbers next to your door. A new welcome mat and a seasonal wreath are inexpensive and pleasant aesthetic touches to complete your front door makeover.
Shape up the Yard
Your front yard is the frame that showcases your house. A cluttered, messy and neglected yard can take away from any effort you put into improving the outside of your house. Spend an afternoon tidying up outside. Clean up trash and litter on the sidewalk and curb as well as any that’s blown into your yard. Seed patchy spots on your lawn and don’t let your pets use it as a latrine while your home is on the market. Keep the grass mowed and edged and trim the bushes and shrubbery. Pull weeds and take out any dead or sickly plants and flowers and fill in the gaps with ground cover or large plants and flowers so you don’t have to wait for them to grow in.
Exterior Lighting
Prospective buyers drive by homes for sale any time of day or night. Update your home’s exterior lighting to give it a welcoming look. Even if you don’t get a new porch light, at least put fresh bulbs in your existing light to ensure they won’t burn out at an inopportune moment. Adding decorative solar pathway lighting along the sidewalks or around flower beds is another effective way to feature your home during twilight hours.
Upgrade Your Mailbox
An old, rusty mailbox in front of a beautiful home is like a blemish. Touch up peeling paint and rust spots or repaint the entire thing to give it some new life. If your mailbox is old and obviously not worth the effort, replace it all together. Basic mailboxes are pretty inexpensive and you can add paint, decals or other custom touches of your own to jazz it up.