Top 10 Tips to Freshen Up Your Curb Appeal For Spring
By Shane Inman, Houzz
Life is all about first impressions, and this is as true of homes as it is of people. Your home’s positive physical appearance from the street is called curb appeal. What does your house say to those passing by? Try these professional designer tips to heighten character and charm while you increase resale value.
Cardea Building Co, original photo on Houzz
1. Sugar coat. Apply decorative siding and detailed moldings that accentuate your home’s period for immediate eye candy that will keep heads turning. But remember, less is always more.
2. Avant-garage. Glass garage doors can take any home from traditional to contemporary in a flash. Don’t fret about unruly organization inside — a variety of window options are available that can control the degree of light and privacy.
Westover Landscape Design, original photo on Houzz
3. Groundbreaking event. Dig up the first layer of your front yard and install continuous flagstone steps from the sidewalk to the house for an eye-pleasing path. Go the extra mile and design an adjacent patio out of the same stone.
4. Picture perfect. The classic brick paver sidewalk, combined with a fence and impeccable flower beds, provides timeless charm.
Charlie & Co Design Ltd, original photo on Houzz
5. Architectural eyeliner. Forgo over-the-top flower beds, pots and plants, and stick with classic and timeless shrubbery. This look will outline your architectural elements rather than camouflage them. Neat and orderly never looked so good.
6. Fashion your driveway. Get the hottest look straight out of a magazine with this fashionable driveway of grass and concrete pavers. Your haute driveway will have people talking.
Traditional Entry, original photo on Houzz
7. Light up your life. Illuminate the entrance to your home with a pendant light and matching sconces for that designer feel. Nothing says, “We’re home” like a fully lit porch.
8. Flower power. Flowers are one of the least expensive ways to make the front of your house blossom with curb appeal. For those with a green thumb, sprucing up your home will never be so fun.
Michael Sisti, original photo on Houzz
9. Focal door. Place the emphasis on the entrance of your home by painting your front door a contrasting color from your house — it’s the easiest and most inexpensive way to improve the exterior of your home. Bam! Instant character.
Woodburn & Company Landscape Architecture LLC, original photo on Houzz
10. Shutter in anticipation. Install functional or decorative shutters to your home’s windows for an instantaneous change. Paint them a contrasting color to the exterior and watch as your mature home becomes new.