Update your front yard, porch, and entryway to greet your visitors with a beautiful first impression. Check out these simple, low-cost curb appeal ideas for improvements you can make in a day, week, or month. If your home looks great at first glance, everyone (including potential home buyers) will want to see what's inside.
Curb your charm in one day: Replace old hardware
jason donnelly
Street addresses, front door locksets, wall-mounted mailboxes, and light fixtures are all elements that can add style and interest to a home's exterior curb appeal. However, if it's dirty or in need of updating, your home may not convey the beauty you think it has. These curb appeal ideas work best when they work collectively, rather than in combination. An oiled bronze finish is suitable for traditional homes, while brushed nickel is suitable for more contemporary homes.
Limit your appeal in one day: Install a window box.
adam albright
Window boxes are a curb appeal idea that offers a quick and easy way to bring color and charm to your home. For a traditional look, choose a box made of copper or iron. For example, the lattice detail on this Better Homes & Gardens Metal Window Box ($16, Walmart) adds texture to the display. For a cottage-like feel, choose painted wood. Mix and match flowers and plants depending on whether they receive full or partial sun and the color scheme of your home.
Reduce charm in one day: Paint your front door
A home's front door is the focal point of its curb appeal. Express your personality by painting your front door or installing a custom wood door. Clean the dirt around the knobs and polish the door hardware with metal polish. Your entry should also reflect your home's interior, so choose keepsakes, flags, or wreaths that reflect your style.
Curb your charm in one day: Create perfect symmetry
julie sofer
Symmetry is not only pleasing to the eye, but it's also the easiest layout to arrange. A symmetrical composition of light fixtures and front door accents is a curb appeal idea that creates a welcoming entryway. There are two sidelights on the sides of this door. Lantern-style sconces guide visitors safely to the door and coordinate with door hardware and urns.
Keep glamor in one day: Dress up your porch with chairs
david rand
Pull out a chair with cozy porch furniture and let them stay a while. Look for a chair with non-slip features to prevent damage to surfaces, like this woven chair from Better Homes & Gardens ($97, Walmart). Add a cozy feel to your living room with rugs, cushions, and end tables.
If you don't have space for a rocking chair or two, adding a small chair or bench to your porch can serve as a resting area or a convenient place to take off your dirty shoes. Comfortable outdoor seating is a curb appeal idea that encourages everyone to mingle with their neighbors and participate in activities on the street.
Limit your charm to one day: Install outdoor lighting.
hedrich's blessing
Low-voltage landscape lighting provides safety and security while greatly impacting your home's curb appeal. Add accent lighting to trees or homes, or illuminate walking paths. For the best landscape lighting, plan to incorporate a variety of fixtures and lighting types. If you can't use lights that require wiring, install solar power fixtures. Solar outdoor lights (like these Better Homes & Gardens LED lights, $19, Walmart) are budget-friendly and easy to install.
Curb your charm in one day: Give your mailbox a makeover
Crisada Panichiguru
A mailbox should complement the home and express the homeowner's personality. If your mailbox is attached to your home, choose a style and finish that matches your home's decor. If you install a mailbox near the road, surrounding it with a beautiful flowering garden will instantly make your front garden more comfortable and welcoming. Consider painting your mailbox and mailbox to match your home's color scheme or customizing your mailbox with a vinyl decal that includes your address.
Reduce charm in one day: Renovate your planter bed
laurie black
Shape up your garden flower beds by pruning growth, pulling weeds, and planting flowers. Add new mulch to restore colors that have faded from sunlight or harsh weather. If stones or bricks border your bed, consider cleaning and replacing any stained or dislodged areas. If you need to update your border or give it a more modern look, try upgrading to a stone or decorative cast concrete edging system to improve curb appeal.
Curb your charm in one day: Create an instant garden
Aaron Menken, Hatch & Mars Collective
Container gardens are a quick and affordable way to add inviting ambience and color to your home's exterior for curb appeal. You can buy ready-made containers at garden centers or create your own containers with your favorite plants. Pots come in a variety of materials, including terracotta, wood, and plastic. If durability is important to you, look for ceramic planters that are less likely to chip. A staggered, asymmetrical arrangement is perfect for most landscapes and can create a dynamic setting.
Gardens for curb appeal: taking it to the next level
Take your landscaping to the next level with these easy curb appeal ideas.
Install an attractive and inviting gate to welcome visitors into your garden. The arch marks the entrance to the vestibule, giving it a focal point and instant charm. Installing a fence with perennials and annuals in the corner of your garden will instantly create a sense of space and create a welcoming color palette. A small garden of drought-tolerant plants around your mailbox is the most visible way to increase curb appeal. A bench that is visible and accessible creates a visual point that invites visitors into your garden. Placing containers along paths and stairs will greatly enhance the color.
Curb your weekend appeal: Make a grand entry
robert brinson
Even if you're on a tight budget, there are curb appeal ideas to draw attention to your front door or entryway. Create an attractive focal point on your front porch by adding a few carefully selected and beautifully placed plants. Moldings are architectural details that add contour when applied to the sides and top of a doorway. Notice how the white door casing makes this door stand out.
Curb your weekend charm: Create a new planting bed
laurie black
Add contrast and color to your home's exterior with new planting beds. The main places to improve your curb appeal are at the front corner of your yard, along your driveway or sidewalk, or right in front of your home. When creating a new garden, choose features that surround your home rather than cover it. Choose stone or precast concrete blocks for the edges of the bed. For best results, mix and match plant sizes, colors, and textures.
Curb your weekend charm: Add shutters or accent trim
richard leo johnson
Shutters and trim are curb appeal ideas that add a welcoming aesthetic to your home. Exterior shutters can be made of wood, aluminum, vinyl, composite materials, or fiberglass. New composite materials such as PVC resin and polyurethane make trim details durable and low maintenance.
Curb your weekend charm: Replace gutters and downspouts
Greg Scheideman
If your home has an older gutter system, the gutter may be poorly maintained. Problems like peeling paint, rust, or sagging are signs that repairs or updates are needed. Replace old gutters and downspouts with new gutter systems.
If you're on a budget, a vinyl gutter system that you can install yourself may be a good option. However, it becomes brittle and cracks over time in cold climates. Copper systems are more expensive, but convey an unmistakable quality appearance and beautiful curb appeal. For best results, we recommend having your gutters installed by a professional.
Curb your weekend appeal: Add an arbor or fence panel
edward golick
Arbors, garden gates, and short sections of decorative fence panels are curb appeal ideas that enhance your garden and increase your home's appeal. These simple additions provide a backdrop for lush blooms. These are available in kits or prefabricated sections that are easy to connect and build. For best results, paint or stain these items with colors you already have at home.
Curb your weekend charm: Add outdoor art
Ginny Wyler
Add a bit of whimsy and curb appeal to your yard by adding weather-resistant artwork. Choose items that complement your home's natural tones and exterior elements. Birdbaths, metal cutouts, sculptures and wind chimes are suitable for outdoor decoration. Water sculptures serve as garden art. The rumbling sound is soothing, making you feel cool even on hot days. Place the fountain on flat ground in a location that is optimal for hearing and acoustics.
Curb your weekend charm: create a garden along the street
Stephen Cridland
Planting colorful flowers is a sure-fire curb appeal idea that will enhance the beauty of your home. Use bold, bright colors to create a big impact in a limited space. A colorful garden in the parking lot (between the road and the sidewalk) welcomes guests. For a simple streetside garden plan, feature native plants such as asters, baptisia, and purple coneflower.
Reduce your appeal in one month: Upgrade your railings
robert brinson
Porch and stoop railings can quickly deteriorate if not properly cared for. If your railing is past its prime, look for high-quality wood or metal components to replace the existing material and increase curb appeal. As with any improvements installed directly to the home, make sure the color, scale, design, details, and materials are compatible with the home's main features. Porch railings provide an essential part of your home's exterior beauty and help enhance your home's style.
Curb your charm in one month: Update your paint, siding, and trim.
helen norman
Exterior updates (new paint, siding, or trim details) automatically change the look of your home. Regular exterior maintenance is the surest way to keep your home and its curb appeal looking great. Obvious defects such as cracks or rotten materials can reduce the aesthetics and quickly turn prospective home buyers away. Once weaknesses are repaired, look for ways to add personality with color, trim, or shingles.
Curb your charm in a month: Tile your front door.
John Bessler
Upgrade your front step to create a permanent welcome mat. Installing tile, pouring new concrete stairs, and painting your porch floor or front door are curb appeal ideas that can dramatically change the look of your home. If you choose to go the tiled route, choose tiles that are non-slip and suitable for outdoor use. If you are installing tiles on sealed concrete, you will need to sand the surface before you start so that the thin set mortar will adhere.
Curb your glamor in a month: Dress up your driveway
helen norman
If your driveway is cracked, dirty, or overgrown, you can easily clean it or resurface it. First, repair cracks and dirt (kill weeds), and dress up the concrete by staining it and pasting paving stones. To create more space for moving cars and parking, add stones, bricks, or pavers to the sides of your driveway to make it wider. Establishing a crisp, distinct transition between paved and unpaved surfaces will help your driveway stand out and increase curb appeal.
Reduce appeal in one month: Build sidewalks.
Matthew Benson
A well-designed walkway is an attractive curb appeal idea that will make your home feel warm and inviting. A dramatic improvement to a straight concrete path is to replace it with a contoured walkway made of stone or brick. For a low-effort upgrade, apply a colored concrete resurfacing to your old sidewalk and edge it with a brick or stone border. Brick paving brings traditional, classic beauty to any home landscape.
Reduce charm in a month: apply stone veneer
Michael Partenio
Nothing has more lineage and permanence than stone. Perfect for dressing up exterior areas such as concrete foundations, column foundations, and other masonry details. Natural stone and engineered stone can be expensive options for large areas, but both are affordable and suitable for use as accent materials. A faux stone patio is an attractive idea to add longevity to your home's curb appeal.