• Posted 8 months ago
• in Blog

First impressions matter and when it comes to your home, the exterior sets the tone. Whether you’re just looking for ways to make your home look better or you’re getting ready to sell, these tips for boosting curb appeal will give your aesthetics a refresh.

1. Prioritize landscaping

If you do a lot of yard maintenance but haven’t landscaped your yard, it’s time to get serious. A professional landscaping job can make a massive difference in your yard’s aesthetics. For example, enhancing curb appeal in Los Angeles often involves adding colorful flowers and a well-kept lawn. But you need to do some landscaping first to make it stick.

There’s a difference between landscaping and yard maintenance. Landscaping begins with an intentional plan for how you’ll segment areas of your yard. This might include planting new trees and shrubs, creating division between the edge of your lawn and the walkways, sectioning off areas dedicated to mulch, planting a different type of grass, and more. Yard maintenance is what you do to maintain your space.

Once your yard has a general shape to it with designated areas, it’s much easier to manage. For example, you won’t have to deal with weeds taking over your entire yard when it’s neatly sectioned off. It will be harder for them to grow in certain areas and you can easily cut them down before they get big.

2. Upgrade exterior lighting

A well-lit exterior is safe and beautiful. Lighting can be used to highlight the architecture, trees, or other special features of your home to make it look stunning in the evening. Motion sensor lights placed along walkways and driveways can prevent accidents and make visitors feel secure. With the right LED fixtures, you’ll get bright light with lower energy costs.  

Good lighting creates a high-end ambiance and can boost the perceived value of your home, attracting more potential buyers and higher bids.

3. Replace or repaint the front door

Your front door is a focal point and a great opportunity to upgrade your home’s aesthetics and can provide a 46.7% ROI. If your door is lacking appeal, either replace it or repaint it. Bold colors can make your home feel more upscale, like rich blues, reds, and even black depending on the rest of your color scheme. Add some sleek handles, beautiful locks, and a polished knocker and your front door will make your home look elegant.

4. Power wash for a simple makeover

Sometimes all an exterior needs is a good wash to start shining again. Power washing your home’s exterior will remove built-up grime and dirt, mildew, and other bits of debris that make siding, brickwork, and concrete look dull. It will brighten your walkways and patios and make outdoor surfaces look newly installed. 

If you’re planning on painting, power washing ahead of time will help that first coat of paint adhere properly. It’s a low-cost improvement that makes an immediate impact on your exterior aesthetics.

5. Upgrade your siding or add accents

Siding in poor condition will drag down your home’s perceived value and make you feel “blah” when you drive up after work. It’s crucial to repair cracks, holes, and faded or peeling areas to make your siding look cleaner. If that’s not possible, you might need a full siding replacement. 

When replacing your siding, opt for durable materials. For example, fiber cement and engineered wood last longer than most other options because they resist weather damage better. Reports indicate that fiber cement siding can recover 76% of the cost at resale. 

If you don’t need to replace your siding, consider adding stone veneer accents or other textured panels for a more interesting look. 

6. Fix your garage door

Whether your garage door has dents, scrapes, or just looks bad, that can be a deal-breaker for buyers. Sure, it’s not hard to replace a garage door but buyers don’t want to move into a property that needs a lot of work just to feel like home. 

If replacing the door is in your budget, choose a style that complements the rest of your home’s aesthetics and architecture and consider adding windows to improve visual interest. When possible, choose an app-centered opener to increase appeal to tech-savvy buyers.

When replacement isn’t an option, consider panels that attach to your existing garage door that make it look completely new.

Invest in that first impression

Exterior upgrades are strategic investments in your home’s value. Whether it’s a small fix like a new paint job or something bigger like new siding, enhancing curb appeal will attract more buyers and make you feel better about living in your own home.