5 Cheap Curb Appeal Fixes

Curb appeal is one of the most important factors of your home, especially if you are trying to sell it. The first glance of your home can sway a buyer from checking out your property to moving on. And if you’re not in the market to sell, curb appeal is still a great asset, as great curb appeal can add equity into your home.

Some people think that having a home with great curb appeal is pricey, but there are cheap projects you can do that make your home much more attractive without costing a fortune.

1. Install some outdoor lights.

Outside lighting can be an easy and cheap fix to your home. Most hardware and home improvement stores have sales on outside lights, and you can even pick up some solar powered lighting for only a couple bucks.

Not only do lights help make a home look attractive, but they can also make your home safer to people who are entering your home late at night, and it can keep thieves from breaking into your home if you’re away, as outdoor lighting can make a home feel occupied.

Place your outdoor lighting in different areas. Light up your porch or walkway, but don’t forget to add some accent lights on beautiful trees or shrubbery. Plus, you don’t always have to stick with white lighting. Adding a bit of colored light bulbs to the mix can easily make your home more attractive.

2. Update old hardware.

If your outdoor fixtures are dated, give them a facelift or buy new ones. Door handles, locks, mailboxes and old light fixtures can look worn over time, which makes your home look unattractive. If you want to replace everything, opt to buy matching sets, or at least choose the same finish in order to give your home some consistency.

If replacing everything would be too costly, you can always give these items a facelift with a bottle of spray paint. Simply choose a color that you like, and paint everything to make it look new again. You’ll be surprised at how much one or two cans of spray paint can do for your home.

3. Plant a potted garden.

Go to a nursery and buy some colorful flowers that are on sale. Then, either find some fun pots and plant them, or you can even opt to purchase a ready-made pot if you’re not much of a gardener. Use these pots to line your entryway or add some color to an otherwise bland home.

The best thing about potted gardens is that you can place the pots anywhere you want, and you really don’t need to have any rhyme or reason to your designs. Just be sure to remember to water them, as dead plants will not provide your home with any curb appeal.

If you want to be frugal, purchase plants at the end of the season this year and plant them into pots. Take them inside your home and care for them all winter, and then place them back outside next spring. Not only will it provide you with instant curb appeal next year, but buying plants at the end of the season always means you’ll get a discount.

4. Add a few extras.

If your windows look a little boring, spruce them up with some window hanging pots or some shutters. If you already have these items, try giving them a facelift with new plants or a new paint job on your shutters. Sometimes, even a nice new paint job on your window trim is all you need to give your house a new look.

5. Remove weeds.

If you have weeds growing in your yard or dead plants taking up your garden, get rid of them. Even if you don’t do anything else to your yard, removing anything dead or harmful to your yard will easily give your home a much-needed facelift.

So before you think that curb appeal will involve tearing out your yard and starting over, realize that you can easily spruce up your home without spending a fortune.

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Stella Brown lives in Dallas and likes to do home design.  She recently replaced her counters with brand new Tucson granite countertops.

Tagged as: DIY, Home, Outdoors