How to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home

We all heard it growing up: it is what is on the inside that counts. While that certainly holds some merit, where homes are concerned, the outside often can be just as important, especially if you are thinking of listing your home. After all, I am sure that wise sage doling out advice on looks also told you that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Homeowners know this equates to curb appeal. In today’s blog post, we look at some simple ways to increase your home’s curb appeal without busting your budget!

Easy Ways to Add Curb Appeal

While it is true that first impressions are everything, adding curb appeal to your home is about more than just making your home look nice for first time visitors – it is about making the home’s exterior appealing every time someone (yourself included) sees it. Nothing is worse than pulling into your driveway and realizing your home has become ugly or unappealing – whether from lack of home maintenance or design choices.

Like fashion, home design has a season and what was hot or looked great to you a few years ago, may seem old and outdated now. Below are some simple, yet highly effective, ways to add curb appeal to your home.

Cover Up the Flaws

Air conditioners are great and you certainly would not want to live without one, especially if you live in an area that gets muggy like North Georgia. However, they are not designed to be pieces of art, and as such, can detract from your home’s exterior beauty. The same can be said for electric panels and utility boxes.

There are some steps you can take to make these eyesores blend into the background, fortunately, with a little bit of ingenuity. For air-conditioning units, a few well placed, non-leafy plants can work wonders in terms of hiding the system. Another option is to hide it behind a lattice-work fence. Electrical boxes and piping can be painted – preferably the same color as your home. This will help them blend into the background and not stick out as much.

Lawn Maintenance

This is a simple one: maintaining your lawn will do wonders for your curb appeal. This is about more than mowing the lawn every week. Proper lawn maintenance involves weeding gardens, replacing dead plants and flowers, trimming bushes and trees, and caring for your grass and plants. Adding mulch as needed and pressure cleaning any statues or stone pathways should also be part of your lawn maintenance plan. You would be surprised how much a little TLC can make – or break – your home.

Spruce Up Your Entryway

Literally. While you may not want to add a giant spruce tree, you could add, say, a wreath to your door and a couple of potted plants to the entryway. A brightly colored door adds a little pop to your home and some warm, soft light makes the porch of your home more welcoming, even during night time hours. Cliché as it may sound, welcome mats, statues and even a small sitting bench are great accents that fancy up the area.

Finally, when all else fails, installing a whimsical door knocker not only adds a nice flair, but can be a terrific conversation piece as well!

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