With the surge in home prices and the low supply of homes across the country, it is safe to say that you can ask top dollar for your home if you’re considering a sale.
However, just because the demand is high, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to increase the value of your home by adding curb appeal for cheap. While some projects are more affordable than others, adding curb appeal to your home can be beneficial in many ways.
Today, we will share with you the best curb appeal ideas to keep in mind when looking to add value to your home or make it the best looking on the street! But first, what is curb appeal anyway?
First, what is Curb Appeal?
Curb appeal is what is referred to as the first impression by others when they see your home! Put another way, what type of appeal does your home offer from someone standing on the curb?
Curb appeal generally refers to things like your lawn, landscaping, and the exterior of your home! Aesthetics matter when you are selling, looking to maintain your home's value, and updating it.
The street view of your home will often indicate what to expect when you look on the inside!
14 Curb Appeal Ideas to Seriously Consider
Below you will find a quick list of common items used to spruce up the exterior of your home while adding that coveted curb appeal!
1. Fix that lawn!
Perhaps the first and most important step when it comes to adding curb appeal is making sure your home’s lawn is looking great. While this is sometimes easier said than done, a lush green lawn is one way to make your home stand out. However, this might mean you need to use a few of your weekends to get it in tip-top shape!
According to James Moeller of Moeller’s Lawn Service, you can follow these simple steps to make your lawn look great:
- Step 1: Be sure to keep grass 3.5-4 inches long to keep it greener in the summer
- Step 2: Water one time a week for about an hour to encourage more vigorous root growth
- Step 3: Use a pre-emergent and post-emergent weed control in the spring
- Step 4: Be sure to aerate and overseed in the fall
2. Make your door pop!
Simply adjusting the color of your front door or even replacing an old door is an effective way to increase your home’s curb appeal. You can paint your door yourself for under $45 or even have someone else do it for under $100.
If you think it is time to update your door and replace it, be sure to always check with your HOA for painting and door replacement guidelines! Also, be sure to check out #4 below for adding door appeal!
3. Consider updating siding & gutters
Depending on the age of your home, you might want to consider addressing the siding and gutters seriously.
With so many new technologies, such as fiber-cement siding and alternative siding, you can add more color and durability to your home with ease. While replacing your siding is a little pricey, if your home is approaching that 25 year plus mark, it might be time to consider remodeling to update the exterior seriously.
The cool thing about gutters is that they now come in countless colors, and you can estimate gutters online. Out of all the possible exterior remodeling updates - gutters, siding, windows, doors, and roofing - gutters are by far the least expensive. You can re-gutter your home for under $1,200 on average.
The trend right now is a blue or white siding with black gutters!
4. Add some door & window decor
Adding a few garden boxes to your windows if you live in a condo or townhome is a cheap way to add color to the outside of your home, thus creating some more aesthetics. Additionally, you can make or find cheap wreaths for each season or door decorations to hang on your front door.
With so many holidays and seasons, decorating your doors and windows is a simple way to spruce up the front of your home.
5. Remove overgrown trees & bushes
Overgrown trees and bushes don’t add to your home’s appeal. They take from it. Whether you trim down your trees and bushes or remove them, opening up the front of your home will give your home more appeal. Just like the trends inside of your home that change, landscaping styles do too. Be sure to stay with the trends and to keep your plants trimmed, or take them out!
6. Don’t be afraid to paint!
Anything you can paint on the outside of your home is a simple way to add some street appeal to your home. So whether you repent the fascia boards, trim around your windows/doors, or, as we stated, the doors themselves - you can add some quick appeal with a few paint strokes.
A fresh coat of paint on the trim is a good idea on any home over ten years old as a general rule of thumb. If your home is under ten years old, be sure to check out numbers eight and nine below!
7. Replace your windows.
On the list of curb appeal ideas, perhaps the most expensive option would be replacing your windows. The reason being is often, window replacement isn’t covered by insurance (unlike a roof) and is more of a cosmetic upgrade. However, just because it is expensive doesn’t mean upgrading your windows isn’t smart.
Pros to replacing your windows include increasing your home's energy efficiency, updating the window styles, and adding tons of flare as far as curb appeal goes! New window colors, frames, and styles are expensive but worth considering!
8. Spray paint your shutters!
You can spray-paint your shutters, and it is a quick way not only to add curb appeal, but it is one of the cheapest options too! Buying spray paint isn’t that expensive, and you can add some flare to the outside of your home by simply spicing up your shutter colors!
Be sure to take down your shutters and add 1-2 coats of spray paint to each shutter. Once they are fully dry, put them back on your house! If you ever watch the hit HGTV show, Good Bones, they often use spray paint to make the shutters look updated!
9. Pressure wash the outside of your home
You keep the inside of your home clean by vacuuming, dusting, mopping, and even going as far as shampooing your carpets, so why don’t we always keep the outside of our home clean?
Pressure washing the exterior of your home is something you can do yourself or hire a contractor, but it is vital to complete every few years. Mold, algae, grime, and organic buildup can appear on your walkways, driveway, siding, roof, and windows. Depending on the size of your home, you can pressure wash your home in just a few hours. Be sure always to know the following things first:
- Never pressure wash your shingle roof.
- Know the proper PSI per surface type to prevent any damage
- Do your research before ever renting a pressure washer
10. Update your outdoor light fixtures
If you don’t have the money to get new siding, replace all your landscaping, or the time to paint your door - you can consider updating your outdated outdoor light fixtures. Outdoor light fixtures are easy to replace, and simply updating them can quickly add some curb appeal.
11. Ask insurance about your roof!
One of the most common homeowners insurance claims happens to be roof claims when storms impact shingles. Knowing this, simply having your roof inspected might mean you can get it replaced for filing a claim.
Now, you might be wondering why this is advantageous. A new roof typically has one of the highest returns on investments for starters, but new shingle styles look great. In addition, there are more color options and styles to choose from than ever before.
12. Complete the minor to-do list
Right now, I have a goal of touching up the trim around my front door, pulling the weeds in my yard, painting my shutters, and fixing one screen on a window.
This simple to-do list is nagging, but it is necessary when enhancing the outside of your home. So whether it is replacing lights, making those minor tweaks, or just moving some things elsewhere - go ahead and set out to complete your to-do list one weekend!
13. Add some color to your landscaping
Adding color to your landscaping with the help of some perennials is a cheap way to make your yard pop. The flowers you decide to use will mostly depend on a few factors:
- Where you live
- The season
- Climate and weather conditions
14. Declutter the outside of your home
A simple and effective way to add curb appeal that costs $0 is to make sure your home and yard are decluttered. Consider these easy and quick ideas:
- Keep trashcans on the side of your home or in a garage
- Kids toys and bikes should be in your garage or the backyard
- Old cars, boats, and other vehicles can be stored elsewhere
- Garden and landscaping tools shouldn’t be in the front of your house
- Take everything that is clutter off your porch
- Be sure your windows are clear for viewing and not blocked by boxes on the inside of your home.
Not only will these ideas save you money, but they will also add value to your home simply because of a cleaner, less cluttered appearance!
The Verdict -
The process is simple when it comes to adding curb appeal - do it! First, consider selecting one or two from this list, implementing the strategy, then picking another. For example, perhaps you can start by:
- Fixing landscaping
- Painting your front door
- Getting a quote on your siding or roof
Tackle all the free curb appeal ideas first, followed by pricing out the others. Then, set a goal to do one or two curb appeal projects per year (one in the spring, one in the fall), and you will create a habit of continually adding curb appeal to your home.
This is a lot easier than waiting to sell and trying to do everything all at once. Trust me on this one!
Curb Appeal FAQ:
Does adding curb appeal have to cost money?
No! You don’t have to spend a fortune adding curb appeal to your home. There are ways to add free curb appeal, including mowing your grass, trimming your bushes, cleaning out your mulch bed, spray paint your shutters, wash your home, and trim back your trees! Of course, anything else you can paint/clean will help too!
Can you charge people for curb appeal?
Suppose you happen to own a landscaping company, exterior remodeling company, or even want to do curb appeal for others as a side hustle. In that case, you can charge money for your services. One of the best side hustles is landscaping. Adding curb appeal through landscaping is often the cheapest service homeowners will elect to go with too!
This post originally appeared on Your Money Geek.
About the Author:
Josh Hastings writes about ways to make money, pay off debt, and improve yourself. After paying off $200,000 in student loans with his wife in less than four years, Josh started Money Life Wax and has been featured on Forbes, Business Insider, Huffington Post and more! In addition to being a life-long entrepreneur, Josh and his wife enjoy spending time with their chocolate lab named Morgan, working out, helping others with their debt and recommend using Personal Capital to track your finances.
