People’s first impression about your home matters; that’s why adding curb appeal is one of the most popular home improvements.
Here’s a three-step plan to enhance your home’s view from the street with projects that take an hour, a day and a week to complete. Start with the project that takes the longest time and work your way to the fastest task, or go in order.
Either way, if you follow each step, and tackle the bonus projects, your home will look its best!
1. Spruce Up the Front Porch (1 Hour)
Here’s an easy formula to improve your front porch’s appearance: furniture, plants and wreaths.
Front porch furniture — like gliding, lounging or rocking chairs — welcomes guests and invites them to sit, take a load off and enjoy some conversation. You can find nice furniture at a thrift store. Just shop around for something that looks good but doesn’t require refinishing.
Plants offer a nice break from your home’s hard features (such as windows, doors, roofing and siding). To add texture and soften your home’s exterior appearance, purchase plants at the home and garden center and place them in pots made for outdoor use.
Who says door wreaths are just for winter holidays? Make any door look great with a year-round wreath. Embellish the wreath based on the current season and add or remove accessories — such as a large initial of your family’s last name — as needed.
Scan the web, shop around and purchase these items in advance and you can move them into position and dress your front porch in less than an hour!
2. Paint the Entry Door, Trim and Shutters (1 Day)
Want to know the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to curb appeal? Paint anything that needs painting. For most homes, that includes the entry door, trim and shutters.
If your home has wood siding, it may be due for fresh paint, but that’s a bigger job that you might want professionals to tackle, depending on the size of your home.
For now, clear out a day to first pressure wash and then paint the smaller things — those details matter, too!
More Information:
3. Install Concrete Borders (1 Week)
Lawn borders contain your mulch and define your flowerbeds and pathways, giving your landscaping a finished look.
It doesn’t cost much to install concrete borders — expect to pay an estimated $ 2 per linear foot — but does take more time and labor than the other two projects.
Expect to dig a trench, build and install wood forms, pour in some gravel and then top that with concrete mix. Add just a few extra steps if you want to color the concrete mix, and give this project about three days to cure.
In a week, your flower beds will look better than ever and your front yard will have a sense of order to it — all thanks to a simple border.
More Information: How to Build Concrete Lawn Borders
Which projects would you recommend for doing in an hour, a day or a week?
Tell us in the comments!
