Top Curb Appeal Ideas for Any Budget

Curb appeal, which involves designing an appealing image for the outside of your home, is one of the easiest and most effective ways to land a positive first impression of your property. Curb appeal can help your home bring in higher asking prices and selling more quickly by drawing house hunters inside the home. The right kind of curb appeal can have a major impact on both your home’s resale value and the time it takes to sell. If you’re looking to boost your home’s value by investing in curb appeal, consider these different options. 
Landscaping
When it comes to great curb appeal, you really can’t go wrong with simple but elegant landscaping. You want something that feels completely inviting but doesn’t take a lot of work or money to properly maintain. You can get a lot of life out of even simple changes as long as you really focus on clean lines, healthy foliage, and safety.

• No Budget: An easy one to start with is simply keeping your lawn trim and neat. Keep leaves raked, weeds pulled, and gutters clear of debris.
• DIY Budget: Trim your trees and shrubs symmetrically and line walkways with flowers, grass, bushes, or planters.
• Big Budget: Hire a local landscaping professional to design and maintain your lawn. Invite them to add some elements, but really look for styles that reflect the current house-selling trends in your area.

Painting
Climate, weather, and materials all play an important role when you need to touch up exterior paint. For homes with wood exteriors, it could be as frequent as every four to seven years. While it may seem like a big undertaking, ensuring your home’s facade is clean and the paint is touched up can really draw in more potential buyers, as well as improve your resale value.

• No Budget: Give the outside of your home a good, deep scrubbing, as well as tighten up any loose or hanging shutters around your home.
• DIY Budget: Pressure wash the exterior of your house. You can purchase or rent a pressure washer from most home improvement stores. Touch up paint on shutters, flower boxes, and trim where it may have chipped or faded.
• Big Budget: Hire a contractor to paint or repair the exterior of your home. It might be time to replace materials or upgrade to modern colors. This not only needs a professional, but it could also need a team of people to be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Front Doors
Your front door effectively acts as the welcome mat to your home. A front door that is old, damaged, or dingy does not inspire people to open it — let alone imagine opening it every day. Luckily, front doors can be pretty simple to improve.

• No Budget: Don’t have money to spend? That’s okay. Just be sure your front door is clear of any debris and that it’s locks and knobs are fully functional.
• DIY Budget: Paint your front door an inviting color, but not one that is so bold it might turn off buyers. A navy blue door or a deep red door tend to be most broadly appealing. 
• Big Budget: Purchase a new front door, one that seamlessly blends aesthetics with modern technology. A secure door loaded with smart features that’s also sleek and attractive can be a magnet for home buyers.​

Whether you’re looking to make a major overhaul or you just want to liven things up a bit outside, curb appeal is a necessity for today’s housing market. While determining an exact ROI can be tricky, one thing is for sure: curb appeal is your first chance to wow house hunters.

Clara Beaufort reached out from Gardener Gigs to write this wonderful guest blog for us. Clara is a retired business owner, who is currently working in community gardening. Gardener Gigs aims to connect local gardeners with those who need them.
​Thanks Clara.