DIY Tips To Increase Curb Appeal

Karin Carr, REALTOR®
Published on July 21, 2021

What happens – or doesn’t – between the curb in front of your home and the home’s front door is known as curb appeal. It makes or breaks the potential buyer’s first impression.

It’s that important.

But, it’s the area around the front door that’s considered the focal point of the exterior of the home. While they may not be conscious of it, this area will be the potential buyer’s first impression.

Many homeowners are quite successful in taking the DIY route to stage this area for maximum appeal. We’ve gathered some tips from the experts to help you get started.

Understanding landscape design is important

One of the principles of landscape design, according to the experts at Environmental Landscape Associates (ELA), a Doylestown, PA landscape architecture firm, is to ensure the landscaping near the entry area matches the home’s architecture.

For instance, while a free-flowing cottage garden in the home’s front yard may be the perfect choice for a Tudor cottage, when planted in front of a modern home it creates confusion and appears chaotic.

“Is your home a traditional colonial or a casual contemporary? The style of your home should trump your personal style preferences for the greatest curb appeal,” caution the pros at ELA.

Staging the exterior of the informal-style home

Informal-style homes, such as bungalows, ranch-style, Craftsman, and cottages demand informal landscaping. Here, you can be creative in your use of hardscaping and plants. The aforementioned cottage garden works well.

Additional ideas to help you update the front of an informal-style home include:

  • Line the walkway with flowers or evergreen plants to help draw the eye to the front door.
  • Place lanterns near the front door.
  • Add a coordinating doormat.
  • Change the door hardware and house numbers to compliment the home’s architecture.
  • Check all the lighting to ensure the covers are clean and the bulbs function.

DIY Tips To Increase Curb Appeal

Tips for spiffing up the exterior of a formal-style home

Popular formal-style designs include colonial, Georgian, and Greek revivals. To coordinate and compliment the home’s exterior, landscaping should rely on organization and symmetry.

An excellent example of this is a carefully staged entryway with “two of everything,” according to the experts at betterhomesandgardens.com. Identical planters holding identical plants on either side of the door create symmetry and balance.

Consider well-manicured boxwood shrubs, grown as a hedge, to line the walkway.

The key to a formal home’s success is avoiding over-staging the exterior entry area. Keep it sophisticated and simple.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to increasing curb appeal. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have.

Consider going green

Adding some new greenery and flowers is one of the most visible (and impactful) ways to improve curb appeal. Don’t worry if you don’t have the money or the time to invest in a garden; you can achieve the same effect by including planters and window boxes.

Plants can be used to accentuate and frame key visual areas such as windows and entryways, and if you don’t have enough space for a standing planter, hang one. Even a single lovely plant arrangement can drastically improve the appeal of your home’s outside.

Redesign your mailbox

Replace an outdated mailbox with a more fashionable one. It’s a simple effort that can make a subtle but noticeable change in the curb appeal of your property. Depending on what kind of mailbox you require (standing or connected to the wall), expect to spend between $50 and $200 to repair it.

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