The exterior of your home offers a first impression of your
house and your style. Make the most of those initial seconds
by maximizing your home's curb appeal. This holds true whether
you are selling your home or plan to live in it forever.
1) Clean up. The most important way to enhance your curb appeal
is to clean up. Trim or remove overgrown bushes and shrubs.
Eliminate all weeds. Cut the lawn. Spartan is better than messy.
Repave or reseal your driveway. Fix anything that is broken.
Power wash or paint stained concrete. (There are specially
formulated paints for concrete.) And if a concrete stair or pad
is sinking, have it raised or replace it. Make sure your roof is
in good condition and that your brick mortar is well tuckpointed
and your siding freshly painted. You wouldn't want to meet
people in dirty, torn clothes; don't greet them with the housing
equivalent.
2) Landscaping. Simple landscaping can go a long way. Arrange
plants, trees, and shrubs in odd number groups using a variety of
colors, heights, and textures. Be sure to leave room for growth.
I've seen many a landscaping job look great for the first three
years, only to be overgrown soon thereafter. If you know about
perennials, plant those in a variety to provide blooms throughout
the warmer months. If your knowledge of perennials starts and
ends with hostas, planting annuals is as an excellent way to add
color in spring and summer.
3) Shutters. I view windows as the eyes of your house. Shutters
are a very easy way to make your home more welcoming. There are
very few styles of homes that won't benefit from shutters. They
should be the height of your window from the sill to the top
trim. When shutters were functional instead of decorative, they
were to be half the width of the window so the pair would cover
the entire window in bad weather. Now, just make sure the width
is fairly proportionate to the window, and never less than 12"
wide. Your shutters can be any color but pick a scheme that
complements your siding, brick, and trim. My personal favorite is
deep hunter green, but black nearly always works. I prefer wooden
shutters so you can paint them any color you wish, but if you get
vinyl, be sure to replace them if the color begins to fade.
4) Door. If windows are your home's eyes, then the door is the
mouth. Make it inviting. Stained wood doors are most favored now
in woods like cherry, mahogany, and even oak. Today you can get
simulated wood doors made from fiberglass that look like wood
from a distance, are very durable, and much less expensive. In
many ways, I still prefer painted doors because of the endless
possibilities of color for accent. You can paint the door the
same color as your shutters, but I usually prefer a complementary
color, often a shade of red - anywhere from burnt red brick to a
deep red that's almost plum. It all depends on your ...
5) Color. A house with curb appeal has color. Several
complementary colors. Most paint manufacturers offer groups of
colors that work well together. This can give you some good
ideas. I personally like to see siding, trim, shutters and doors
in different colors. Typically I prefer the trim to be the
lightest color with the shutters and doors providing the greatest
accent. However, some houses are stunning when the trim is the
most vibrant color. And with a "painted lady" Victorian style
home, you can use several different colors all to accent various
architectural features of the house.
6) Distinctive mailbox and numbers. Make a statement with your
mailbox, especially if it's on your house instead of the curb.
These can get a bit pricey, but will really add appeal to your
front elevation. Some single nail up address numbers will do the
trick, but there are many more options these days. There are
ceramic tile. Brass plates. Custom painted ceramic signs with
flowers. Engraved stone if your house is stone or brick. When we
were selling remodeled homes, our realtor always got us a custom
painted ceramic address sign. It incorporated the colors of the
house and added a truly charming element when people walked up to
the front door. Have your mailbox and address welcome your
visitors, not simply tell them this is the right house.
As you can see, there are six easy ways to enhance the curb
appeal of your home. The key is to remember that the front of
your house is typically the first thing visitors see. Make a good
impression with a well maintained, landscaped home offering those
little details and coordinating colors that add richness and
luxury to your front elevation.
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