How to Increase Curb Appeal by This Weekend

Your guests get their first impression of your home before they ever set foot on the property. As soon as they pull up, they will notice details that you may have grown so accustomed to you don’t even see them anymore. Things like the broken flowerpot at the corner of the porch or the fading paint on your mailbox or the overgrown bougainvillea you have to step around on your way to the front door. 

With a few afternoon projects that won’t take much time or money, you can significantly improve the curb appeal of your home by this weekend. So, whether you are expecting guests or preparing for an open house, consider these small projects that can have a big impact on the first impression folks will have of your home. 

Clear the clutter.
Every time I write about curb appeal, this one is always first on the list. In most cases, this is the easiest, quickest, and most affordable way to quickly increase curb appeal. Decluttering your front yard, driveway, and porch will instantly make your property look bigger, more inviting, and more attractive. 

Take care of basic landscape maintenance tasks. 
Along with clearing clutter, catching up on basic yard care tasks should be at the top of your list to quickly improve the look of your front yard. Pull weeds, mow and edge your lawn, prune bushes, deadhead flowering plants, and remove leaves from landscaping and hardscapes. 

Clear your walkways. 
Trim low-hanging branches and overgrown plants to clear your walkways and make them easier for guests to traverse. 

Refresh ground covers. 
It takes only a couple of hours to head to a local garden center to purchase wood chips, mulch, bark, or gravel, and then take it home to cover areas of bare dirt and spread it between plants. This will instantly make your yard look cleaner, add color and texture, and enhance its overall visual appeal. 

Wash your windows. 
While we usually think of cleaning windows as a way to improve how our home looks from the inside, this is also a quick and easy way to improve curb appeal. 

Paint or replace your mailbox. 
If your mailbox is looking a bit worse for the wear, paint it or replace it to freshen the look of your home. 

Change the color of your front door. 
If you have a bit more time for projects, or your budget allows you to hire a contractor, you can give your home a whole new look by changing the color of the front door. If you are preparing your house to sell, look up which colors are trending for front doors. You can also just go with your favorite color, or you can do a bit of research to choose a color based on feng shui or historic trends. 

Pressure wash your house and hardscapes. 
Pressure washing is a quick way to achieve a deeper cleaning for solid surfaces. You can rent a pressure washer and make this a DIY project, but if you are not experienced with using power washers, it is best to hire a professional. Using the wrong pressure or the wrong nozzle can cause significant damage to your home’s exterior, windows, walkways, or driveway. 

Add color and texture with plants.
Plants are the best way to quickly add color and texture to your porch or yard. You can freshen a border with annuals, plant succulents along your driveway, or place a few well-positioned pots on your porch. Just make sure you do not overdo it and make it look cluttered. 

Go for a walk. 
Take a walk around the block, and as you approach your home, see what draws your attention. Is it your welcoming front door color and your well-manicured landscaping? Or is it the faded paint on your mailbox and the dent in the garage door you haven’t had a chance to repair?

Looking at your property from different angles brings a new perspective on what people see when they approach your home. When you are always walking from your car to the front door or from the front door to the mailbox but never really see your home from across the street, you are missing important information that can help you easily increase your curb appeal.  

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AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, and green living. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.