Curb Appeal Fixes
There are a lot of ways to spruce up your home. There are a lot of ways to improve your curb appeal. In big business, offering ways to make your house look more aesthetically pleasing is a certain money-maker. Who pays though? Well, we do. It is not secret that updating, upgrading, and “prettying up” your house is usually very expensive. Get a quote to paint your home’s exterior. Typically it will be in the thousands, not hundreds when all is said and done. Sod, cement, brickwork, carpentry, just to name a few are all ways to improve the look of your house, but they are all costly. I always look up helpful blog subjects, this week I researched ways to improve your curb appeal that don’t cost an arm-and-a-leg.
Decluttering is the best immediate improvement for those of us who have clutter in the front of our homes. Organizing or putting out of sight your water hose, trash cans, basketball hoops, wood piles, kids’ toys, and anything else you may have sitting in the front yard is a great way to start. There are a few questions though. To truly declutter, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices. The trash man is waiting. What stays? What goes? And what about all the stuff you don’t use but can’t get rid of? These are decisions you have to make in the name of curb appeal. Good luck, but at least it’s free.
Removing and sprucing up your existing exterior fixtures is also a good one. Light fixtures, door knobs, trim, and any other easily removable fixtures can be taken down and cleaned, painted, sanded, and or any other method of making them look better. Metal can be brushed or painted to make it look either newer or even aged. It depends on your preference and what colors are already on your home. Wood trim can be sanded and painted also. These accents certainly make your house look as if it is being attended to and draw attention to the details. Door knobs, window frames, even drain gutters can be highlighted. Exterior lighting can show these features off if you aim them the right way so that even at night your house has that extra zing. A front door kick-plate can be a great accessory also. They are relatively low in cost, easy to install, and easily recongnized. Another quick and easy is to install new house numbers. Match them to your newly updated trim or light fixtures. A little goes a long way.
Simply wash the exterior. Using a pressure washer or good old strong water hose is a great way to get the front of your house clean. Spider webs, dust, and dirt get everyone’s exterior. Sweeping the cement, bricks, or any other walkways (especially pressure washing) gives your property that clean feel. Just like your car, if you wash the front of your house, there is a notable difference that you see immediately. A good trim on your lawn combined with washing the driveway gives your home that neat and precise feeling. The psychological benefits of a really clean home are immense, and you’ll feel virtuous for doing it.
A final item that is low cost and makes a big difference is a plant. New plants dress up your home’s porch and garden and give great curb appeal. You can start plants from seeds in spring or in a greenhouse (although here in So Cal, we don’t really need one). In autumn, dig a few of the more vigorous and prolific perennials from your garden or a friend’s and install them in pots. Ivy, a pest in gardens, looks cool trailing down sides of planters, for example. Your local garden store or nursery may have a half-price area from which it sells cast-offs. Often, watering and care is all they need. Colors or just green plants really do a number on the eye when you look at the front of a home.