The front of your home is one of the first opportunities you will get to make an impression on visitors or potential buyers. It is also one of the things which can seriously improve the asking price of your house if handled correctly. If you are trying to sell, or even if you are just wanting to create a welcoming home, you need to make sure that the curb appeal of your home is up to scratch. Here are some of the best things you can do to elevate your curb appeal.
Repaint
If you have wooden siding at the front of your home, when was the last time you painted it? Take the time to sand it down and give it a new lick of paint. If your homeowners’ association will allow it, consider a bright colour to make your home pop.
Peeling paint never looks good, and it really gives the impression that you don’t care about your property. Repainting siding can be quite the undertaking but it is necessary for protecting the wood underneath and making your home look as beautiful as it deserves to be. If you don’t think you can handle a project for yourself, for example, if the siding is up quite high, you might want to find a decorating company who can handle it for you.
Your front door is another place which needs attention. If your HOA won’t let you have bright siding then they might be more lenient about having a bright door. A bright door is the perfect entry point to your home and you can pick from any number of beautiful colours. Reds, blues, and greens are classics, but yellow will always be warm and welcoming!
Replace Your Windows
Another place which can look tired if neglected is your front-facing windows. While these are some of the priciest things you could replace, they really help to transform your home and make a stunning impact.
As well as deciding which windows you would like for your replacements, you need to make sure that you find the best window replacement company to properly handle the job. American Vision Windows have installed over 975,000 windows and all of their installers follow a strict code of practice to ensure that your new windows are installed correctly. For more information about their services, click here – www.americanvisionwindows.com/
Find a New Mailbox
Many people don’t think about their mailbox but this is one place which can be neglected in favour of other home renovations. However, it is incredibly easy to fix! If you have weeds growing around your mailbox, remove them and put some weedkiller down to try and stop more growing back.
Depending on how old your mailbox is, you might have to find a new one or you could restore the one you have. For example, if it is just the post that is broken, you can either make a new one or find one online. If the mailbox itself is too rusty, just clean it down!
If you just want to get a new one entirely, there are plenty of styles out there on the market for you to take a look at. You will be easily able to find something classical or something which is more of a novelty depending on what sort of tastes you have. Take a look to see what is available to you!
New Paths
Your path and driveway are also places where you can show a little stress. What sort of paths do you have? Tarmac is one of the easiest materials to take care of. All you need to do is watch for cracks and other issues. Repairs should be easy enough to handle for a handyman or a driveway specialist.
If you have crazy paving, flagstones, or some other path or driveway which has cracks in it, you need to make sure that you have an adequate way of taking care of it. The first thing you will need to do is be prepared to clean the plants out of it regularly. Whilst you might like an overgrown look, others won’t and it can look very unsightly.
You should also have a way of being able to wash the driveway and paths down. A power washer is often a great option here but double-check that the stone used is durable to stand up to the force that comes from the washer first. You don’t want to accidentally wear down your flagstones using something too aggressive. Most of the time, an ordinary garden hose and a good, stiff brush might be all you need to keep things looking neat.
Plants
A massive part of curb appeal comes from the plants you have in your front garden. Even if you do not have that much space, you can still improve your front yard a little bit to make your space look more inviting.
If you have grass out front, make sure it is kept neat and trim at all times. Try to get into a regular routine of mowing in those months where the grass grows faster so you know that you will always be on top of it. If you aren’t much of a gardener, opt for some low-maintenance plants that you can learn to take care of. A more desert environment is perfect for cacti and other plants like this. If you live somewhere greener, you might want to take advantage of shrubs and other easy-to-manage plants.
Not everyone wants to deal with flowerbeds, so take a look into hanging baskets and plant pots. If you haven’t got much space out front but you have got a porch, this might be the perfect way for you to inject a little greenery into the front of your home and raise your curb appeal nice and easily!
Check the Roof
One of the final places you should take a look at when trying to improve curb appeal is at the roof. Loose shingles and plants growing up-top is another thing which is likely to turn people away when they visit your home.
Not only does this damage your curb appeal, but it can also raise some questions about the structural integrity of your home. Loose shingles on the roof can, unfortunately, lead to leaks in your property and serious water damage that could be very expensive to fix. If you have any doubts about your roof, make sure you get a specialist over to check them out as soon as you can. While you are at it, check your gutters and drainage systems. These are all key things which can cause damage to your property if left untreated for too long.
Curb appeal is one of the most important factors in selling your home. Even if you do not want to sell your home, curb appeal helps to welcome people to your property even before the front door has been opened. Everyone wants a nice home but people so often only focus on their interior design. Give your exteriors some much-needed TLC today and use the tips above to boost your curb appeal. You might be surprised at the difference a few small changes make!
