5 Things You Can Do Now to Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal

Improving the curb appeal need not be something that you think about only when planning to put up your home for sale. A house that leaves a good curb impression is going to be easier to sell, but it’s also more inviting for you while you’re living in it.

Contrary to what you might think, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to make your home more welcoming. Here are some ways you can transform the looks of your home with very little effort and expenditure.

1 - Frame Your Driveway

If your driveway is blending in too much with the rest of the front yard, it’s time to make it stand out a bit more. You can give it a sharper look by outlining it with an edging.

Various materials like brick, paving stone, Belgian block or river rock can be used to make the edging. Depending on the length of your driveway, it can be an inexpensive DIY weekend project, or a more elaborate one. A good border keeps the driveway looking neat by preventing chipping of edges and grass encroaching onto it.

You have the option of making it a flat border in a contrasting color for a visual separation from the lawn, or a raised border to keep the vehicles and the grass to their own sides. A double row of edging is a great idea, particularly with flat edging.

If you are not one for hard landscaping, you can still frame your driveway with flowerbeds on either side. Dark colored mulch along the edge would make it low maintenance while adding more visual appeal.

2 - Brighten It Up With Lighting

There’s nothing like good lighting to improve curb appeal. With the wide variety of inexpensive solar lighting available now, no one has a valid reason to live with a dark front yard. A well-lit driveway is not only an invitation to visitors but a deterrent to the undesirable kind.

Lights can flank the driveway at regular intervals or you can go for random placing among the flowerbeds. Trees or bushes with fairy lights, tiny lights embedded in the driveway, lighting directed towards the house, there’s no limit to what you can do with them. There are light fixtures that look great during the day too.

3 - Add Lush Greenery

Lush plantings of flowering and foliage plants make a house very inviting. Break the monotony of lawns with islands of color. You can find plants to suit any microclimate and light conditions, be it hot and sunny areas or dark and dry corners. Add large-leaved plants as accents and fill up the space in between with flowers or tall grasses. Create vertical interest by growing flowering climbers over trellises or pergolas.

If your lawn has stubborn bald spots in spite of your constant pampering, stop fighting it. Dig up those areas for flowerbeds or for perennial bushes. Or plant small trees with striking foliage color. Unsightly areas around the base of trees should be planted over with shade-loving plants or covered with mulch of a suitable color.

4 - Spice Up the Façade

Take a good look at the front elevation of your house. Is it looking bare or shabby? Is your porch bight and bold enough? Minor changes in the façade can transform the feel of the house. That includes things that you have always wanted to do and those you never thought of before.

If the walls look too drab, cut on the work and expense by painting just the trim. Give the front door and window shutters a coat of paint, preferably in a bright color. Or get new light fixtures and door handles. Add window boxes with brightly colored flowers in a carefully chosen color scheme. Hang large-sized flags from upper windows. Instead of many small potted plants, place large, brightly painted or chrome-plated pots with large bushes or conifers by the door.

5 - Have an Eye-Catching Element in the Yard

Something beautiful and striking that instantly draws your attention is a great asset to any front yard. It can be anything from a large birdbath to a vine entwined pergola, or a striking sculpture to an arrangement of rocks, depending on your taste and the style of your house.

If there is a large tree with beautiful structure, it can be made the focal point by having raised planting or a seating arrangement around it. If an old chair or wheelbarrow overflowing with flowers is too old fashioned to your liking, grow climbers on a tepee or construct garden art with recycled materials.

So you see, a lot can be done with just a little creativity, minimal expense and manpower, to make your home look its best. Remember, everyone benefits when your home has a welcoming curb personality.