Everyone wants their guests and family members to feel at home and welcomed when they visit their Waterloo Region home.
When you're ready to sell, you also want your house's exterior to appear its best.
Any prospective buyer will focus on it, and what they see as they come up the steps will give them their first impression of the house. Given that those first few minutes of a viewing are when most buyers 'make up their minds' impressive curb appeal is a must.
Therefore, whether you intend to stay in your Waterloo Region for a few more years, have found your forever home, or are getting ready to sell, these inexpensive curb appeal ideas will result in a stunning exterior that everyone, you included, will love.
The good news is that depending on the brands you choose to buy, most of these curb appeal ideas are straightforward jobs that can be completed for less than $150.
Additionally, they might even raise the value of your house, which is, as we've mentioned, fantastic if you ever decide to put it on the market.
Declutter and Organize Your Outdoor Space
Before planning any project to enhance curb appeal, it helps to start with a blank canvas. Trim back any overgrown bushes or plants around the exterior of the home. Mow and edge the lawn to give it a manicured, well-maintained look. If your home landscape is too much to handle, consider hiring a landscaper to help. They can have your front yard looking great in no time.
When you take the time to clean up the landscaping, you’ll get a better idea of other changes that will improve your home’s appearance.
Illuminate Better and Smarter
One of the easiest methods to brighten your home's exterior and improve curb appeal is with outdoor lighting.
Outdoor lighting is one of the easiest ways to increase your home’s curb appeal while brightening your home’s exterior. Most homeowners shy away from projects involving electrical work, but if you’re up to the task, adding outdoor lighting can be straightforward, especially if you are familiar with standard safety precautions. If you are not comfortable with this type of work, consider hiring an electrician to assist you.
Choose outdoor lighting fixtures that are appropriate for your home style and décor – many stores sell attractive fixtures starting at around $30. Turn off the power, install your new outdoor lights, and prepare to be delighted by this improvement once the sun goes down.
Not only can lighting fixtures add curb appeal to your home’s exterior, but they can also highlight any garden beds or other plants in your front yard. Install recessed lighting fixtures near your plants to further elevate the appearance of your home at all hours of the day, as potential buyers can now marvel at your brightly-lit landscape after the sun sets.
Give Your Front Door a Makeover
It can seem scary at first to step up and paint the front door in a contrasting color if it has always blended into the exterior of your house. But by doing so you can make a huge difference, in a very good way.
A gallon of exterior paint costs about $25, but a striking, bright front door makes your house stand out and adds to its welcoming atmosphere. This creative curb appeal improvement idea gives your front door a splash of color and gives your home's exterior some personality without going over the top.
Update Your Exterior Hardware
Does your door hardware, such as knobs, doorbells, knockers, and house numbers, date back a couple of decades? You can express your home’s personality and style with small, relatively inexpensive hardware upgrades. Do you appreciate a modern look even though your home is anything but? House numbers with clean lines might be perfect for you. Check online for stores that sell these items to find something that speaks to you. These new decorations will give your home an instant curb appeal boost.
Make Great Use of Nursery Plants
A trip to the local plant nursery can help you make a real difference to your Waterloo Region home's curb appeal. Flowers add a welcoming touch to any setting. Whether you set them next to your front door, on the front porch, under a window, or along your walk, flowers and plants add a burst of color and design.
Choose flower pots or window boxes that fit your style and personality – contrasting colors also work well here. Plant brightly colored annuals to add curb appeal and invite anyone passing by to take a closer look and help keep your home looking great all year long.
Give Your Waterloo Region Home a Good Bath
When you wash the exterior of your home – which most of us don’t do often enough – you remove dust and grime that give your home a dirty look. You might even be surprised at the real colour of your siding!
In most cases, a regular garden hose with a high-pressure nozzle will do the trick. You might need a power washer if the home hasn't had a 'bath' in years, though. You can rent a power washer, but be careful when you power wash your home, as extra pressure can damage trim and siding and cause the paint to flake off.
If you’ve never used a power washer or are concerned about damaging your home’s exterior, consider hiring a team of professionals to take on the task. They can get the job done quickly, and there is no risk of damaging your home’s exterior.
Your home's windows need closer attention, though. Windows are among the main focal points of any house, and no one likes to look through spotted and streaked windows. You’ll be amazed at how much cleaner and brighter your home seems when your windows are spot-free. This is an easy and budget-friendly curb appeal idea.
If you have tilt-out or crank-out windows, wipe them down with warm water, vinegar, and dish soap to have them sparkling in no time. Rinse and thoroughly dry with lint-free towels, microfiber towels, or even newspaper, which many swear by. If you have large or hard-to-reach windows, use a window washing company that can assist you in making your windows look brand new.
Consider an Entryway Garden
If you’re looking to spruce up your home exterior with plants while avoiding the hassle of maintaining garden beds, a small container garden can do the trick. With the help of a few inexpensive ceramic pots, you can have a low-maintenance garden on your patio or at your front door. You can arrange or replace the plants to fit your style and create instant curb appeal on a budget.
Getting ready to sell your Waterloo Region home? Looking for that perfect place to call home by buying a Waterloo Region property? Team Pinto can help. Contact us today and let's talk about just how we can help you.