Springtime is the perfect time to get outside not just for fun, but also for making your home look as welcoming as you want it to feel. This is especially true if you will be selling your home soon. However, as everyone is still spending more time there, having great outdoor spaces is something that will give very homeowner’s spirits a boost.
Take advantage of the improving weather (we hope) and start cultivating the ultimate curb appeal for your home with these tips.
Add More Lovely Landscaping
Tidy up your existing landscaping. This could mean removing yard debris left over from winter. You might trim the hedges, which can have the added bonus of improving the security around your home. Or maybe it’s pruning flowers to make way for new ones or encourage new growth on your perennials.
Fill in the gaps of your landscaping. If there’s a bed that looks particularly bare, add some visually interesting greenery. Don’t be afraid to play with colors, heights and textures.
Keep things contained and colorful with a vibrant window box, container garden near your door or hanging flowers around your porch. Our local garden centres have some amazing choices to offer and this really is the fastest way to add some cheerful, charming spring colour to the outside of home.
Create a Wonderful Welcome
Repair or add pavers leading to your front door. It’s a touch that welcomes every guest. Plus, it benefits you by keeping shoes clean and mud-free in the house. There’s a range of materials to fit your taste and the style of your home – flagstone, brick, wood or even pea gravel and stone.
When replacing a walkway or installing one from scratch, don’t get trapped into thinking it has to be a straight path. Interesting shapes and designs can add a lot to your curb appeal and keep you looking anything but cookie cutter.
If you have a fence you’re thinking of replacing, either along a path or on the perimeter of your yard, consider box hedges or other fence-like plants as an alternative.
Easy Entrance Upgrades
You can always replace your front door with relative ease if you want to add some wow to your home’s entrance, whether you are selling it or not. But if an entirely new door isn’t in the budget or your DIY skillset, simply paint it.
A new color for your front door can transform the look not only of the door itself, but the entire front of your house. Bonus tip: Before you get started, make sure your HOA, if you have one, doesn’t have restrictions on colour, as some do.
Small in size but big in impact, updating your door hardware can change the look of your entryway in a hurry. You’ll find that local home stores offer a variety of designs and finishes to compliment the style of any home, and with a range of deadbolts from mechanical to electronic, they also fit your family’s security needs.
Depending on the style of your home, you could go a step farther by adding some architectural detail like trim or crown molding. There’s no need to do the entire house either. Simply add this touch at the entryway, and your front door will go from boring to brilliant.
Outstanding Outdoor Living
With new lights, you can change your curb appeal at night, not something we often think about. Strategically placed lighting – along walkways, surrounding your porch, on your garage or driveway – can illuminate your home’s best architectural details. A well-lit home is also an inexpensive way to improve security.
No matter where your mailbox is – at the curb or by your door – a little sprucing might be in order. Paint it to compliment the new style of your front door, redo the house numbers or add a name plaque.
Because of its sheer size, your garage door might be the most eye-catching piece of the curb appeal puzzle. Make sure it’s eye-catching for the right reasons. Whether you opt to paint it or replace it altogether, think about garage doors in a contrasting color to the rest of the house. This is your chance to turn them into a legitimate architectural feature, not just have them blend in with their surroundings.
If you’re going to relax on your front porch, you better have a comfy place to sit. Rocking chairs, couches, swings and even hammocks are the kind of touches that say to guests, “Come and stay awhile.”
Wreaths work in any season, but if you’re ready to retire them until Christmas, you have other options for decorating your door. Hang a basket with some of your favorite flowers, wood cutouts to match the season or a simple chalkboard that you can change from “Welcome” to “Happy Easter” to “Summer Fun Lives Here” are fun and stunning alternatives.