Have you ever thought about how your home, as a whole, actually looks from a neighbor’s point of view? It would be the same view a potential buyer would have if he was to approach your property for the first time. It is important to make your home’s curb appeal as impressive as possible. How can you achieve this? By making sure that everything outdoors matches the exterior of your house. This creates continuity and harmony that makes the overall look breathtakingly pleasing. It may seem vague and complicated at this point but let’s break it down to make it easier to understand and apply.

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Great Tips for Creating the Perfect Curb Appeal for your Home

Dress up or Replace Entry Door

simpson glass entry door - 6468The main entryway is usually an important curb appeal focal point so you have to make it as pleasing as possible. You may want to paint a different, but still complementary, color than the rest of the house for it to make a statement. Make sure to choose attractive entry doors, well-polished and durable hardware, and knobs for front entry doors. Also, add some decorative features such as door knockers or something that would give hint of your home’s interior style… such as a colorful wreath for a country ranch home.

Revamp your Doorstep

It may just be something your guests would step on to bring them closer to the door. But it is definitely something that makes a huge impression on anyone approaching your door. So, why not resurface it? Staining an outdoor floor is the same as how to stain interior concrete surfaces. It may just probably require more sealers to keep it protected from outdoor damage, but it will definitely make your entryway a lot more elegant. You can also opt to have tiles or pebbles installed, depending on your preferences and what works well with the rest of the house’s exterior.

Add a Patio or Garden to Enhance Curb Appeal

Adding a garden area does not have to be something grand or well-thought out. An instant garden is as attractive but a lot more attainable especially for busy people. Make sure to choose plants that complement your home’s exteriors. Strategically place them on certain points on your patio or on both sides of your doorway to create an asymmetrical arrangement that is pleasing to the eye. If you have a concrete patio installation done at the front or rear area of your home you can still have a garden using pots and other plant containers.

You can also choose to have window boxes added to your home to create a traditional and charming look. Made from wood, iron, copper or anything that coordinates with your exterior windows. Make sure to choose the right plants that thrive in the lighting conditions of each window box.

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Install Arbors, Fences, or Garden Gates

While they may be something you think is not necessary, they actually add much-needed value and curb appeal to any outdoor space. The fence does not even have to go around the whole property. Adding a fence just in areas where it could accentuate a certain flower garden or any section of your outdoors that you think needs revamping works. Small garden gates installed on the path leading to your patio add a nice touch.

There are a lot of concrete patio design ideas that recommend gates and arbors especially for wide and long outdoor spaces. These provide a necessary break, thus, making the property more interesting.

Mind the Driveway

It may just be something your car would roll up on but driveways are a huge part of your property. Therefore important to make it look as attractive as the rest of the house. Resurfacing concrete driveways is also necessary to repair any cracks and damages the surface has acquired throughout the years. There are concrete driveway coatings and staining options you can choose from to make it more durable and beautiful. If you want a more textured surface, have bricks installed or your concrete stamped to look like real bricks. The possibilities are endless.

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Renew Your Home’s Curb Appeal with a Fresh Coat of Paint

Nothing renews curb appeal of a house more than a fresh paint on the exterior walls, trimmings, and doors. Choose the same color you had before, only fresher, or opt for a new color theme for a dramatic change. Just make sure to coordinate with a paint specialist. Check out some color swatches so you can choose the right shades that would be most appropriate for your house.

Replace Old Rain Gutters and Downspouts

Dents, rust and damage on the rain gutters or downspouts are especially noticeable. If neglected it can lower the value of your home. Make sure that anything that needs a repair is fixed and anything that needs replacing is replaced. These are also essential features of a home that, if left unattended, could ruin other areas of the house. You don’t want to face more things to worry about, do you?

Maintain and Manage your Lawn and Garden to Maximize Curb Appeal

Gardens require maintenance so if you can’t manage it, hire someone who could. If you can’t afford one, opt for a low maintenance garden that could thrive despite minimal care. Lawns, on the other hand, need moving when the grass is reaching a height that does not look well-kept anymore. Overgrown plants and lawns can hide the real beauty of your home and devalue the real potential of your property. These may be quite a handful but the benefits are something you will never regret.

Guest post author John Kapp
Edited by M Hill.