Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top TipsYou never get a second chance to make a first impression. So, what does your home’s exterior say about you? Naturally, improving curb appeal is essential if you are selling your house. But, it also makes coming home so much nicer for those who live there! Here are our Top Tips to boost the curb appeal of your home:

Greet them at the Front Door

Your home’s front door offers the world an instant clue to the person who lives inside. Is it bright, cheery and welcoming? Traditional and imposing? Completely quirky?

While choosing a color for the exterior of a house can be a major (and pricey) decision, choosing a front door color requires only an inexpensive quart of paint and some imagination. But, there is a little bit a psychology behind color choices. Although color preference is dependent on personal experiences, there are some universal reactions:

  • Blue. A top choice amongst men. The many variations can be coastal (pale blue), traditional (Colonial blue), or contemporary (sapphire).
  • Green. Can be soothing in darker or muted hues such as sage or funky in brighter shades, such as lime.
  • Red. Considered daring, bold and exciting. Looking at the color red actually speeds up the heartbeat.
  • Yellow. Yellow sparks creativity and is seen as a sunny, optimistic, and happy color.

Don’t forget a wreath or other seasonal door decoration. Some of my faves are from Commercial Silk International. This is a leading manufacturer of artificial plants. They have a huge selection of premium quality pieces, made for both indoor and outdoor use.

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Create a Lush Landscape

If you are fortunate enough to have a yard, and enjoy gardening, utilize that space to create a welcoming feeling by adding vibrant flowerbeds or borders. Not inclined to dig in the dirt? No garden? No problem. Even if you live in the city, with nary a blade of grass in sight, you can create the lush feeling of a garden oasis using strategically placed containers. Here are a few tips to get you started:

  • Size matters. Choose large enough containers since plants continue to grow. Resist the urge for “instant fill gratification” when potting.
  • Remember the H2O. Don’t forget to water frequently, as dead flowers certainly won’t add ambiance! Don’t just wet the top of the soil. Instead, continue until you see water dripping out from the holes at the bottom of the pot.
  • Use proper soil for potting. Do not use “garden soil” as it may be too “hot” for your flowers. I swear by Miracle Grow Potting Soil with Moisture Control.
  • Group your containers. Uneven numbers are the most appealing. And, pots or containers need not all be the same. Vary the height and type of flowers for the best look.

Looking for foolproof flowers for container gardens? I love coleus and impatiens, which are practically impossible to kill.

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Add Garden Structure

If you have a charming front porch, patio or interesting roofline, count your blessings! My two-story colonial, unfortunately, has a very flat front with no architectural details of note. So, adding structure is an absolute necessity.

One of my favorite tricks is to install charming window boxes. This is an easy, fast and effective way to add personality to a home’s exterior. Fill them with colorful annuals in the spring and summer, harvest bounty in the fall, and fresh evergreens with striking red berry accents during the holidays. Window boxes are available in many sizes, colors and configurations. Try wrought iron for a French country home, rustic cedar for a cabin, or raised panels in crisp white for a beach house. Stunning!

Other easy structure additions include garden flags (great for camouflaging eyesores like electrical boxes), garden gates, trellises, birdhouses mounted on posts, and arbors.

Finally, make it personal. Enhance your curb appeal with items that speak to you, from wooden wine crates, to lanterns and birdcages, to little red wagons filled to overflowing with flowers and pumpkins.

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

Improving Curb Appeal: Our Top Tips

 

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Named one of the Top 50 Beauty Blogs in the World by RebateZone, Susan Said… WHAT?! is your guide to a life filled with style. From must-have fashion, handbags, jewelry and accessories, to gorgeous gardens and gardening tips, stunning interior design, plus the latest products for chic parties, you’ll find it here. 

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