Curb Appeal Front Yard Landscaping Ideas on a Budget
Every smart real estate agent understands the importance of curb appeal in getting the most out of a home sale. Simply by viewing the exterior of a property from the sidewalk or as they’re driving by, a lot can be determined by potential buyers. No matter how beautifully designed the interior of the home is, if the exterior looks uninviting or poorly maintained, you can say farewell to the majority of high offers. Landscaping can be expensive – especially if a seller has just spent thousands of dollars making interior improvements. This leads people to wonder about how to add custom curb appeal on a budget.
There are several obvious ways to instantly boost curb appeal: fresh exterior paint or siding, new windows, adding a new garage door, etc. However, these aren’t always budget-friendly curb appeal ideas when so much has already been spent. Here are a few great budget-friendly ways to freshen up a home’s curb appeal, so both the buyer and seller can be proud of their investment.
Stay Organized
An organized and well-thought layout isn’t just important to the inside of a home. It’s just as important that the outside of a house does not look chaotic. For example, if your house has no outdoor storage, consider installing some. If there isn’t a way to hang your garden hose, your curb appeal suffers. Make sure the hose is wrapped up neatly and out of sight if possible. If your landscaping is cluttered or off-balance, clean it up. Do you have twelve different pots each with a different plant variety growing randomly around the front yard? Get matching pots, focus on 2-3 plant varieties and then strategically place them so they’re visually pleasing.
If your plants are overgrown and uneven, chop them down. If a buyer is under the impression there are a thousand small details they’ll have to fix on a home, they’ll keep walking. Reduce the overwhelm for potential buyers by making the outside (and inside) of your home as organized as possible. The best part of this hack is that it’s free!
Curb Appeal Mailbox Landscaping
If your home has a mailbox or post with address numbers or lettering, a simple way to make a big difference is by updating these numbers and letters. You can freshen up a drab mailbox with a fresh coat of a popular paint color and new address numbers. Consider replacing your mailbox with something more charming and watch your curb appeal skyrocket. You can also consider planting fresh flowers with easy-to-maintain shrubbery around the base of the mailbox or address post to spruce it up with some color or greenery.
If the address isn’t affixed to a mailbox along the street, but rather on the house itself, the same concepts apply. Search for lettering that is easy to read from a distance, but original enough to be noticed by those walking by. You can consider placing some new planters on the ground below or flower boxes on the house to draw attention to your new address numbers too.
Update Lighting Fixtures: Front Yard Curb Appeal
Of course, lighting has a huge impact on curb appeal. A quick update of the fixtures on a front porch will certainly elevate the curb appeal of an entryway, but good lighting also affects how safe potential buyers perceive the property to be. Illuminating key areas like the front door, large trees, and entry points will quickly boost curb appeal. Installing solar path lights also adds to the feeling of safety for a property and can be purchased for under $100. Remember it’s not always necessary to buy brand new; your old fixtures might just need a fresh layer of spray paint to make them stand out more.
Curb Appeal Landscaping Ideas: Plant Simple Fresh Flowers and Greenery
Nothing invigorates the feel of a house more than fresh plants! Flowers are always inviting, and well-kept greenery gives shape to flat and otherwise simple houses. Flower boxes are cheap to purchase and even cheaper to DIY. Give yourself a couple of hours on a weekend to make one yourself or head to your nearest outdoor store to find one that fits your home. Choose a paint color that suits your house, but also makes it stand out. If you can’t afford to install new windows, flower boxes hanging just below your existing ones are a perfect way to revive the look of some old windows. Additionally, flower boxes, whether they be attached to the house or on stilts, is a great response for how to add curb appeal to a drab house.
Paint the Front Door
Go ahead and give your front door the pop of color it deserves! Another affordable way to instantly boost the curb appeal for front yards is to give your front door a custom paint job. Most available exterior door paint will cost you $35-$40 per gallon and a couple of hours. You’ll want a bold color that makes your home stand apart from the neighbors, but that doesn’t completely clash with the overall feel of your home.
Pressure Wash…Everything
It is truly amazing what giving concrete surfaces and dingy siding a good scrub can do for curb appeal. Pressure washing old patio furniture, your garage door, shutters, decks, etc., can be a great way to get a “brand new” look for things that are traditionally expensive to replace. A word of caution – if you’ve never used a pressure washer, make sure to pay close attention to a tutorial before turning the hose on.
Curb Appeal Before and After
The before and after valuation of a home can be drastically different based on how much attention is paid to curb appeal. Boosting the value of your home doesn’t have to come with a major price tag. Quality curb appeal is achievable, even on a budget.
If you’re looking to buy or sell in Brevard County, Supreme Title can provide some guidance to the sometimes tricky process of real estate transactions. Call today!
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