How to Create Curb Appeal

Everybody wants to add some curb appeal to their front yards. By adding some curb appeal to your front yard, you can make your home more appealing to potential buyers and sell it for a better price. A great entrance design includes a clear path to the front door, good lighting, and attractive plantings, but the details are up to you!

In the featured image above, a central staircase and straight walkway form a stately approach for this gracious Colonial house. Designed by Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio (the same designers behind the Home Outside online landscape design service), this entryway is traditional, yet thoughtful details make it stand out. The curving stone walls at the base of the stairs soften the formal design, while the stairs grow wider towards the base, seeming to beckon visitors in.

Now, let's go more into the value of increasing curb appeal for your home and our best tips on how to do it!

How does curb appeal add value to your home?

Curb appeal can increase your home's value by encouraging potential buyers to take a closer look and eventually offer higher prices. Curb appeal is the attractiveness of your house and property to strangers. Residences that look good from the front lawn, street, or sidewalk make a good first impression and help people imagine living in them.

Top ways to improve your home's curb appeal in a day 

Along with getting a better price, knowing how to improve your house's curb appeal can help you sell it faster. Here are some of the top ways you can increase curb appeal with usually just a day of work:

Replace Old Hardware

The hardware at the front of your home can make a big impact on curb appeal. This often includes:

• House numbers
• Doorknobs and locks
• A light fixture
• A wall-mounted mailbox
• A glass door

If these items look worn or outdated, people may not want to buy your home because this hardware needs repair or replacement. These elements look best when they match each other, so it's a good idea to replace several things at once. A bronze finish looks more traditional, and brushed nickel has a more contemporary style.

Paint the front door

The front door is one of the first things potential buyers notice, and painting it is quick and easy. Choose a bright color for a modern, eye-catching look. A darker shade can help your home look more sophisticated.

Experiment with bold and beautiful colors

You can also select a bold, bright shade for your home's siding. Darker, more neutral colors are popular as well.

Install outdoor lighting

Installing lights for your front yard, sidewalk, and driveway makes going outside at night safer. It also helps people see your home after dark. Some types of landscape lights kill mosquitoes as well, making your yard more comfortable for visitors.

Update porch fixtures

Add some comfortable, inviting seats, a small table, plants, and a bird feeder. For a more modern, high-tech look, install a smart doorbell camera. 

Do a mailbox makeover

Since many mailboxes are right next to the street, it's easy for people to get close looks at them. Paint your mailbox a bright color for an eye-catching look. Planting some flowers or plants around the base can make it more appealing as well. A vinyl decal could make your mailbox more unique.

Transform Your Entry with Containers

^{Above:  From New Landscaping Ideas That Work by Julie Moir Messervy (The Taunton Press, 2018). Left image: Design by JMMDS. Photo by Susan Teare. Right image: Design by Janet Lohman Design. Photo by Mark Lohman.} 

Sometimes a single, striking plant is all that is needed to make a big impact, as with the paddle plant (Kalanchoe) in the elegant ivory containers pictured above. For a formal entry, choose matched pots on both sides of the front door. For a more casual, relaxed style, use a single container or an odd number, asymmetrically arranged.

For example, the citrus tree shown above lends a cheerful, rustic charm to a casual back entrance. There are containers available in a range of materials (stone, clay, lightweight resin, concrete, metal) at every price point to match any style of architecture. The landscape designers of Home Outside collect ideas on Pinterest—check out their Planters & Containers board for inspiration!

If you don't want to care for real plants, you can also opt for artificial decor. 

Install a decorative door knocker

Many interesting, decorative door knockers are available. Some look like farm animals or pets, and others have abstract shapes and modern styles. Knockers that look like letters, stars, seashells, and many other items are for sale as well.

Add a rug or doormat

A rug or doormat is a great way to cover up a worn or dirty floor in front of your door. For a stylish look, match it with your front door and the other items on your porch. 

Maintaining landscaped yards

Landscaping increases curb appeal by helping front yards look neat, tidy, and fun to spend time in. Trim grass often, rake up debris like pine cones or leaves, and keep walkways well-kept.

Refresh your outdoor furniture

Outdoor furnishing starts looking worn after spending time in the rain and sun. Check your furniture often and repaint it or replace cushions when needed. Replacing some items could be a good idea as well.

Get new house numbers

New house numbers can help potential buyers find your home. To help the numbers stand out even more, pick a bright color or a shiny, metallic finish. 

Curb appeal in a weekend: replace gutters and downspouts

Replacing the gutters and downspouts is more of a weekend project than a day project, but it can still make such a big difference in curb appeal and home maintenance. Gutters and downspouts are essential for protecting your roof and foundation. Replacing them helps your house look well-maintained, and it can prevent water damage and many other issues.

The Welcoming Zone

^{Above: Your entryway conveys the first impression visitors have of your home, and, by extension, your personality. Design by: JMMDS. Photo by Susan Teare.}

Landscape designer and author Julie Moir Messervy calls the front of a property the “Welcoming Zone.” People yearn for a beautiful entrance that makes them happy to arrive home at the end of the day—and one that looks inviting to family and friends. How welcoming is your entrance? Try imagining that you’re a guest arriving at your home at various times of day or evening. Is there a clear approach to your front door? Does it express your style and personality? Lighting and plantings are as important as pathways and stairs for guiding people into your home, safely and beautifully.

Dress up the driveway and increase privacy and security by adding a gate. Wrought iron provides a sophisticated look, and wood can make your yard look more rustic. A brick or cobblestone driveway and some attractive flowers or hedges will improve your curb appeal as well. Bricks or cobblestones also last longer than concrete or gravel.

Vertical Elements

Above: Sketches featured in Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love by Julie Moir Messervy (Taunton Press, 2013).

Home Outside landscape designer, Bethany, created this sketch to illustrate how tall, columnar trees anchor the house in the landscape and make it appear larger. A repeating element, such as the blue containers, helps to balance out the design and call attention to the primary entry point. A no-mow groundcover right up to the sidewalk’s edge looks good year-round and makes maintenance a snap.

Curb appeal upgrades for your windows

Windows increase curb appeal while adding more light and great views to your home's interior. Here are some ways to make your windows look better:

Add shutters or accent trim

Shutters have multiple uses, from protecting your windows from exterior damage, but also highlighting your windows, and you can use bright colors for a beachy look. White shutters often match well with darker siding. Dark green provides an earthy style that helps plants stand out. Accents like stylish shades or curtains increase houses' appeal from inside and outside.

Replace old windows 

Inspecting older windows to find any cracks or gaps in insulation to determine if your windows should be replaced. Drafty windows can increase your energy bill, and they may be less secure than newer options. Replacing your windows can fix condensation, drafts, a rotten window frame, or a window that's difficult to open or close. 

Large, modern windows are more attractive to potential buyers, and they can even prevent delays with home inspections before closing. Bay windows are popular for their big, curved shapes, and they look excellent in rooms with high ceilings and lots of natural light. 

Clean your windows

Overlooking a dirty window is easy, but potential buyers could notice and decide to choose homes that look cleaner and tidier. Cleaning the interior and exterior parts of your windows also makes views more appealing.