7 Incredible Ways Improve Your Curb Appeal

As one of, if not the single, largest investments you make during your lifetime, your home deserves proper care and you deserve to love every inch of it. Interior remodeling is a great way to make your home feel personal and cozy, but exterior remodeling is the way to improve your curb appeal.

HomeAdvisor suggests that the average kitchen remodels in the United States is between $12,567 and $34,962. A small kitchen remodels can be as affordable as $4,000 while a more luxurious remodel can cost upwards of $50,000. Rather than spend money on a kitchen that might only need work for cosmetic purposes, why not invest in your exterior and improve your curb appeal?

When you improve your curb appeal, you add perceived value or actual value to your home, making it a more attractive property to potential buyers should you decide to sell. Not sure where to start? Check out these seven tips to help you improve your curb appeal.

 

1. Redo Your Driveway

Your driveway may not be the first thing you think of when you are looking for ways to improve your curb appeal, but an aesthetically pleasing driveway is a practical way to boost curb appeal. The driveway is the entryway to your property, so if your current driveway is cracked or eroded, it can immediately make a bad impression.

If you are looking for a way to improve your curb appeal, get in touch with local residential asphalt paving experts and find out how you can quickly and easily add value to your home. There are a number of choices available for redoing your driveway from various materials to sealants, and an experienced and reputable paving company will help you select the items that work best for the needs of your specific property.

Not only will a finished and polished driveway look better and improve your curb appeal, it actually is an investment in your home. Asphalt is an excellent choice for a beautiful driveway because it is more durable than concrete, especially if you live in an area where the weather goes to extreme climates. Asphalt contracts and expands, allowing for a longer life than concrete which will crack over time due to elemental exposure.

To complete your driveway, consider adding planters or lights along the driveway for additional visual interest and appeal.

2. Check Your Foundation

 

Even the most meticulously cared-for home exterior will not truly help improve your curb appeal if your home has structural or foundation problems. As your home ages, a normal amount of deterioration is to be expected. From inadequate foundation drainage and water damage as a result of a flooded basement to poor soil compaction, there are a number of contributing factors as to why you might need residential foundation repair.

How can you tell if your foundation is in need of repair?

It can be difficult to know whether or not you have an issue with your foundation, but fortunately, there are several things you can check and test to see whether or not you need to call in professionals. First, test your doors and windows. Sometimes, windows and doors can be finicky, but if you notice a few of your windows or doors are difficult to open and close, it might be due to a foundational issue.

You can also check for sagging floors. A slanted floor is a telltale sign of foundational issues, so if you think your floor might be slanting, take a level to monitor your floor every so often. This will allow you to track any progression, making it easier to tell if the slant of your floor is worsening over time so you are aware of foundational issues.

Because moisture protrusion is such a danger to the foundation of your home, it is imperative to check out any musty smells or areas of mold. While mold and mildew may not seem that threatening, over time, they can cause wood to rot and deteriorate, leaving you with major structural issues.

If you still are not sure about whether or not you need to repair your foundation, call a local company for an expert opinion. When it comes to your foundation, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

3. Make Sure Your Roof is Secure

Your roof is not only an important aspect of the style of your home, it is also the first line of defense your home has against inclement weather and other environmental threats. As such, it is imperative that you keep an eye on your roof and ensure it is in good shape.

Sometimes, it is easy to spot compromised sections of the roof, such as major storm damage or a significant amount of missing tiles. Other times, the indication of roof damage can be very subtle and easy to miss. The best way to ensure your roof is working at maximum capacity is to call a residential roofer for an inspection.

Many professional roofers offer complimentary roofing inspections, and even if the company you choose does not, paying for an inspection is far more affordable than replacing a roof that you didn’t know was damaged. In the event that you need to make repairs to or replace your roof, a professional residential roofer will know just what to do.

A functional roof may not seem like the most obvious way to improve your curb appeal, but with the right materials, you can create a seamless exterior design between your roof and the rest of the home.

4. Check Your Home’s Exterior

 

One of the easiest things you can do to improve your curb appeal is to take a good look at the condition of your home’s exterior. It is far too easy to let a little bit of dented siding or outdated paint go without remedy, but if you truly want to improve your curb appeal, it is time to address these issues.

If you feel like getting your hands dirty rather than paying professional power washing experts, you can go to your local home improvement store to rent a power washer for a day. Most power washer rentals run between $50 to $150 per day, making it an affordable investment that will provide significant progress to improve your curb appeal. Alternatively, you can hire professionals to do the job for you, or buy your own power washing machine if you want to make cleaning the exterior of your home a more regular occurrence.

Another way to improve your curb appeal is to pay attention to the windows in your home. Not only do outdated windows lack visual appeal, but they can also cost you money in the form of higher-than-necessary energy bills. Energy loss through windows can cause your heating and cooling bills to skyrocket, so paying attention to your windows is important for your wallet, as well as the curb appeal of your home.

A professional residential window repair company will be able to inspect your current windows, then suggest areas for improvements. You might just need to add more weather-tight sealing or a storm window, or you may need to completely replace some windows. Either way, getting window repair or replacement is an excellent and cost-effective way to improve your curb appeal.

5. Repaint Your Home

Even with a great power washing, sometimes your home just needs a refresher. One affordable way to instantly improve curb appeal is to get in touch with reputable paint contractors and have them repaint your home. If you are confident in your abilities, you can also make repainting your home a DIY project.

If you plan on painting your home’s exterior and residential garage doors, it is crucial to power wash everything first. Why? Even if your home does not appear unsightly, dust and debris build up on the exterior and can make painting difficult or even ineffective. After power washing, take a look at your exterior and make note of any damaged surfaces, then make any necessary repairs prior to repainting.

When your exterior is clean and minor repairs are taken care of, it’s time to scrape away any loose paint. To get optimal results from repainting your home, you will also want to fill any gaps between windows and your home with exterior caulk and a caulk gun. When you inspect your home for any minor repairs that need to be made, you will also want to take note of any stains or visible wood knots. Why? These areas will get their best results if you apply a stain-blocking primer to them before you actually paint your home.

Before painting, make sure all your windows and doors are properly covered and protected so you don’t end up with paint in places you don’t want it. Paint the exterior first, then focus on trim and doors as the finishing touch.

6. Think About Your Lawn

 

How you care for your lawn can have a significant impact on the overall appearance of your home, so if you want to improve your curb appeal, taking good care of your lawn is a must. Make sure your grass is always kept at a reasonable level of growth, and consider organic lawn care products to boost the color and lushness of your lawn.

As you are refreshing your lawn, pay attention to any areas with mulch. Due to elemental exposure over time, mulch can become thin and lackluster, so it can benefit you to apply two to three inches of fresh mulch in your planting beds. You could also consider a garden sprinkler system to help keep your lawn healthy and attractive.

You will also want to pay attention to any trees or large shrubs on your lawn. Make sure to keep your shrubbery trimmed and remove any loose branches from your trees regularly.

7. Care for Your Garden

 

Landscaping services are a great way to improve your curb appeal. Whether you have an organic vegetable garden or a beautiful flower garden, tending to it regularly is necessary if you want to maintain curb appeal.

If you are just now planting a garden, the first thing you want to do is carefully inspect any plants or flowers before buying. For best results, make sure to choose plants with a strong set of roots. You also want to pay attention to what each specific plant needs. Choose plants that will thrive in your climate and where you intend to plant them. For instance, a plant that requires a lot of natural sunlight should not be planted if it will be in the shade most of the time.

When planting, or tending to, your garden, it is important not to crowd your plants, and you want to make sure to prune damaged areas to prevent additional breakage. Other ways to care for your garden to improve your curb appeal include regular weeding and watering.

Pay attention to the method of watering you choose and how much water you give to your plants. Too much water can suffocate the roots of your plants and promote the growth of root-rotting fungi. Additionally, the manner in which you water your plants is important to improve your curb appeal.

For the most appealing garden, avoid watering using the overhead sprinkling method. It might be the most convenient since you can spray and go, but it is not the most effective. You want to water in a manner that targets root absorption while minimizing the amount of water on leaves.

When you want to improve your curb appeal, there are so many options to choose from. You can do something as simple as power washing your exterior and keeping your grass cut, or you can make a more significant investment with a roof repair or replacement.

A cohesive, clean, and cared-for exterior makes the most impact on your curb appeal, so spend some time taking care of the outside just as you take the time to care for the interior of your home. Improve your curb appeal in the ways that feel most relevant to you and the architectural style of your home, and do not forget to add personal touches that make your house your home.