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If you own a home, it’s never a bad time to be thinking about its curb appeal. That’s a given when it’s time to sell, but making a series of smaller upgrades over time will leave you with less to worry about once it comes time to list it, at which point you’ll probably be more focused on interior renovations. Plus, that way you’ll get to enjoy coming home to a prettier, well-kept exterior every single day until then.
The math around the cost of improvements and their potential return on investment is always complex, but less so when the upgrades don’t cost much to begin with. You can handle a lot of projects yourself in a few hours on the weekend, and with modest budgets (often less than $100). Here are a dozen of the best ways to boost your home’s curb appeal without draining your bank account.
Add a coat of paint or stain to beautify your front door
The front door of your house is one of the first things people see, and it has a huge impact on the home’s perceived value. Installing a new front door can have an ROI of almost 200%, but if the average cost of about $2,300 is a bit too rich for your blood, simply painting or staining the door can add thousands of dollars to your home’s value at a cost of less than $100 in materials, and a few hours of your time.
Add an awning over the front door
Installing an awning over your front door or other entrances isn’t an expensive or difficult project, and it can add both beauty and practicality to the exterior of your house, protecting you from rain and drips from your roof line. It also makes your front door more welcoming to guests, who won’t have to stand in the elements waiting for you to answer their knock.
Patch and seal your driveway before small cracks become a big problem
Your driveway should be considered part of your landscaping, because its condition is part of the first impression people form about your house. A cracked, crumbling, stained driveway says all the wrong things (and is a warning of a big repair bill coming sooner rather than later), so cleaning it up and sealing it will go a long way.
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Sweep away dirt and debris
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Clean thoroughly with a power wash (you can use dish soap and your garden hose in a pinch)
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Fill in cracks with a quality crack filler product for asphalt or concrete.
The total cost will be around $300.
Hang exterior art to make your home stand out
An easy, affordable way to make the exterior of your home stand out is to hang some outside wall art. For just a few bucks (this dog-themed piece is just $16, for example) you can give the exterior of your home a bit of your personality, eliminate boring blank space, and make your outdoor spaces more visually interesting. That will prompt guests or potential buyers to think of those spaces as finished, and invite them to imagine themselves using those spaces.
Plant some trees to increase your property value
An easy way to spruce up the exterior of your home is to plant some trees—and trees definitely add to your home’s curb appeal and property value. Trees provide shade, which makes outdoor spaces more comfortable (and can even help keep your interior cooler by blocking some of the sun), and they make an outdoor space feel organic and comfortable. It can even be a $0 investment, because many cities and towns offer free tree programs, so if you’re willing to put in the sweat equity, the project doesn’t have to cost you a thing.
Upgrade your mailbox
If your house has a mailbox on the edge of your property, upgrading it has a lot of advantages. For one, a larger mailbox can accommodate packages, meaning fewer crushed items and “we missed you” slips. And a new, stylish mailbox will be a little boost to the overall curb appeal of the house.
While you’re at it, consider creating a mailbox garden, if there’s space for it. Building a simple raised garden bed around the mailbox and filling it with native flowers or spreading plants will enhance the mailbox and extend the influence of your landscaping.
Refresh your garage door with new hardware and paint
Your garage door is literally a huge aspect of your home’s curb appeal—typically anywhere from 50 to several hundred square feet of exterior space. If it’s looking a bit dingy, no amount of landscaping or other tricks will make your house look good. Luckily, upgrading your garage door doesn’t require an expensive replacement, as long as the door is in good physical shape. A coat of good-quality exterior paint can do a world of good. And you can also give your garage door a more lux look by adding some faux hardware whether permanently attached or using magnetic versions. Doing both will come in under $100.
What do you think so far?
Add or replace your exterior lighting
If your front door is a dark and gloomy place, adding some lighting (or replacing what’s there) will make your home seem a lot more inviting. You don’t need to spend hundreds of bucks and hire an electrician, either—you can pick up a battery– or solar-powered exterior light that installs with a few screws. Not only will this make your exterior a little nicer, it also means not fumbling with your phone’s flashlight when you get home late and can’t quite see your keys.
Replace your house numbers with something stylish
If your home’s address is difficult to read, it can be hard to find. And if your home’s address numbers are faded or rusted, it reflects poorly on the rest of the home’s curb appeal. Replacing those numbers is pretty easy—and you have an incredibly wide range of styles to choose from, so you can really match or augment your home’s exterior style. You can get custom address plates made, of course, but you can find address numbers that attach via screws or adhesive if you’re not in the mood to break out the power drill.
Install window plant boxes to hide your outdated windows
Whether your windows are brand new or a bit weathered, you can easily upgrade their look (and thus the look of the whole house) with the addition of window garden boxes. They extend your landscaping up onto the vertical space, creating a unified, cohesive look, and they help frame your windows with color and architectural interest. You can just place freestanding boxes on the sill if there’s room, or install something more permanent for a more upscale look.
Install ornamental shutters to add visual interest
Just like wall art, shutters can fill up the empty space on your exterior walls and create visual interest. They also imply a certain fanciness (that’s a technical real estate term) that can make the whole house look and feel a bit more expensive. But, secretly, they’re an inexpensive and easy upgrade: You can buy a pair of durable, paintable vinyl shutters for under $100, and they install easily, instantly transforming your exterior look and feel.
Paint your gutters to make them pop
If your gutters are the standard white, they’re an opportunity to make your home’s exterior pop a little more—because you can paint your gutters as easily as anything else. Choose a strong accent color, pick an exterior paint that’s appropriate for your gutter material (plastic or metal, typically), and transform them by spending a few hours painting (being super careful if you’re on a ladder, of course).
