Affordable and easy curb appeal ideas

All opinions are mine and mine alone.

 

Affordable and easy curb appeal ideas 

 

Trying to create a good first impression for the outside of your home doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. There are lots of clever ways to improve your look. Whether you are trying to sell your house or just want your home to look a little nicer, home exterior expert Peter Bracey shares these ideas on any weekend to spruce things up.  

 

A Little Paint 

While painting the whole facade of your house is definitely not in the affordable or easy category, you can make a real difference with a little touch-up to add new color. Window sills, door frames, shutters and other accent points can be given a new coat of paint to freshen up the whole house. It will be a more dramatic improvement if you change the color too, to draw your eye away from the rest of the walls. Mailboxes, stair railings, light fixtures or even the door itself can also benefit from a new coat of paint.  

 

New Hardware 

Sometimes paint just isn’t enough, and a little new hardware is a better choice to polish up the front of the house. Changing out the door handles with a newer lock set can be an easy chore, switching that tarnished brass for a more contemporary matte black or brushed nickel look. Get a new mailbox or update your house numbers while you’re at it.   

 

Add Plants 

If you don’t already have a thriving garden or landscaped area in the yard, you should consider doing so. Greenery and flowers really softens the outside of a house and brings in some natural elements that improve the look. No green thumb or just not patient enough to wait for things to grow? Go with potted plants instead of a garden. Not only will containers add that touch of green, but decorative pots can be an added bit of beauty to your home as well.  

 

Pots along the walkway, door or deck all work very well and you can also bring the color up a little higher with a window box of flowers too.  

 

Clean Up Clutter 

Nobody expects a yard to be completely free of outdoor “stuff” but having piles of trash, knocked-over garden furniture and discarded tools lying around is not a good look either. Try to get rid of any items that don’t really belong out in the yard, or find a place to keep them hidden (perhaps behind the garage instead of beside it?). This tends to be a more important idea if you are trying to sell your house rather than just improving your curb appeal on a daily basis.  

 

Catch up on Repairs 

Are there are few things that need fixing that you’ve been putting off? One or two repairs are fine but the look of your house is going to suffer when there are broken railings, burnt out lights, or cracked windows marring that first impression. Make a list of repairs or maintenance chores and dedicate some time each evening or weekend to at least one. You’ll have things fixed up in no time.