6 Inexpensive Ways To Increase Curb Appeal

Are you in the process of putting your house up for sale? Or are you just looking for ways to spruce up the exterior of your house and increase your curb appeal? We have sold four houses in the last eight years, so we’ve had a bit of experience finding inexpensive ways to increase curb appeal and sell our houses faster.

What Not To Do

To start, here is a great example of what not to do… 

This was our first house the day we bought it. There was a dog fence in the front yard, long grass, weeds all over the place, chipping paint on the house, so very dirty, and just generally not taken care of. If you can look past all that it was a great house, but was very much lacking in curb appeal.

Here are six inexpensive ways to increase curb appeal, all of which Tony and I have implemented for our own houses.

1. Clean the exterior of your house

Take a pressure washer to your whole house. Scrub that siding, get rid of spider webs, clean your windows, get rid of garbage and clutter. Buyers want to know that you take care of your house; nothing makes it look more well-taken care of than just cleaning it. This is the least expensive way to increase curb appeal. All it costs is time and some elbow grease.

2. Mow the lawn and weed gardens

If you’re selling in the summer, make sure to mow your lawn and weed the flower beds. Again, it shows that you care for your home and makes a great first impression. Often buyers don’t notice when it is done, but when the lawn isn’t mowed or there are obvious weeds in the garden it can look scraggly and unkempt. Yes it takes time, but again it’s an inexpensive way to keep the house looking tidy.

3. Add window boxes or planters with flowers

If you have windows that are suited for window boxes, these are a great way to add some curb appeal. If not, you can buy or build some wood planter boxes. All you have to do is add some brightly colored flowers and an instant pop of color is created!

4. Plant flower beds around your house

If you don’t have flower gardens around the front of your house, it’s a good idea to plant some. I find that gardens really make a house look like a home. They soften the line between the foundation and the lawn and add beautiful texture to the front of a house. If you’re not great at gardening and don’t enjoy taking care of plants, invest in some shrubs, low-maintenance perennials, and mulch to keep the weeds down.

5. Paint the front door and shutters

If the weather has faded your front door and shutters, or if they are an out-of-date-color, one can of exterior paint will go a long way to improve the look of your house. And while the shutters are off the house for painting you can clean all the bugs that have made nests in behind (I know this from experience!)

6. Upgrade exterior lighting

There are so many options now for exterior lighting for any budget. Light fixtures are fairly easy to install and won’t break the bank to add newer or larger light fixtures. If you can’t afford to install new ones, a can of spray paint will work to make it look clean and updated.

So there you have it, six inexpensive ideas to spruce up the exterior of your house. Have you implemented any of these ways to increase curb appeal? Do you have any others that have worked great for you?