Are you looking to sell your house anytime soon? If so, have you thought about improving your property’s curb appeal before selling? Improving your curb appeal can not only provide a better first impression among prospective buyers but also add value to your property and boost your selling price. Moreover, it can help you sell faster. So, before rushing to list your home on the market or hosting an open house, take the necessary time to make some improvements to your home’s exterior. It will be in your best interest.
The good news is that you don’t need to hire a professional handyman or spend a fortune to improve your home’s curb appeal. You can do all the work yourself and without breaking the bank! Here are 15 simple and effective DIY curb appeal ideas that will give your home an instant upgrade. They are suitable whether you are a homeowner looking to sell your home fast, or a real estate investor looking to boost your return on investment.
Related: 20 Tips for Selling Your Home in 2020
HomeLight Infographic: Curb Appeal Improvements with High ROI
1. Paint Your Front Door
First on our list of DIY curb appeal ideas is to give your front door a good paint job. Your home’s front entry is among the first things potential buyers will look at when they come to your property for showings. A fresh coat of paint on the front door can definitely revive the exterior of your house and give it a whole new look. Pick a bold color to make it pop, but make sure it blends well with the other colors on your house.
2. Paint the Exterior
If you’ve got extra time and money, you might want to consider repainting your entire house. This can be a time-consuming and expensive DIY curb appeal project, but it can add several thousands of dollars to your property value when selling your house. If you can’t afford to paint your whole house, what you can do is touch up any areas where the paint is fading or peeling. Faded and peeling paint can downgrade the aesthetic of your home and quickly turn away property buyers.
Related: How to Add Value to Your Home with an Exterior Makeover
3. Install New Door Hardware
If your front door’s existing hardware is old and outdated, a good DIY curb appeal idea is to replace them with new ones. Research the latest trends in door hardware design and make sure to pick a color that contrasts with the front door’s color. This will give your entryway a clean and modern look. You can also consider adding a matching door knocker for buyers to use when they come to your open house.
4. Update Your House Numbers
Another way you can upgrade the exterior of your home is by removing any old address numbers and replacing them with brand new ones. Choose an aesthetically pleasing font that matches the style of your house, but make sure that it is also legible. After all, you’re a property seller and you want buyers to easily locate your house! Replacing your house numbers is an easy DIY curb appeal job that can be done in five minutes only.
5. Pressure Wash Everything
When selling a house, you want your front porch and entryway to look as clean as possible. A good DIY curb appeal hack is to use a pressure washer to remove all the dirt from your siding and clean up your porch, walkway, and driveway. A good wash can completely rejuvenate the outside of your home. If you don’t own a pressure washer, you can rent one from a home improvement store or simply use your garden hose at maximum intensity.
6. Take Care of Your Lawn
One of the best ways to boost your curb appeal is by having a lush and well-maintained lawn. In a buyer’s mind, a well-maintained lawn is also a sign that a home is well cared for, not only on the outside but also on the inside. To keep your lawn nice and green, you should regularly water it, mow the grass, get rid of unwanted weeds, and rake off any leaves. These DIY curb appeal landscaping practices are a simple way to grab a buyer’s attention.
7. Trim Trees and Bushes
You need to be able to see your house from the curb in order to have curb appeal. So, another good DIY curb appeal landscaping practice is to trim overgrown bushes and plants to below windows, as well as cut tree branches that block the driveway, doorway, and views of the house from the street.
8. Plant Seasonal Flowers
A garden is not complete without flowers and plants. So be sure to plant some colorful annual flowers and evergreens around the house, and don’t forget to tend to them on the regular. You can also put out some cool-looking potted plants on your front steps or next to the front door. This DIY curb appeal trick will give an instant lift to your home’s exterior and create a welcoming entryway for visitors and potential buyers.
9. Add Flower Boxes
To add even more color and charm to your house for sale, you can consider installing flower boxes below the windows, as well as on the front porch railings. Paint the boxes to match the windows and railings, and fill them up with some nice and cascading flowers such as petunias. Flower boxes are relatively inexpensive, but you can still DIY them yourself in a couple of hours.
10. Install Landscape Lighting
There is nothing more unwelcoming than a dark, unlit house. Outdoor lighting not only creates a warm ambiance but also helps safely guide visitors to your main entrance (if you’re hosting an open house late in the evening). So, be sure to add some nice landscape lights all along your property’s front walkway. For an easy and affordable DIY curb appeal lighting, you can hang some porch string lights or even use solar-paneled lights to light up your walkway.
11. Update Porch Fixtures
Old and rusted fixtures often seem unappealing to property buyers. Installing new porch fixtures can instantly boost the look of your home, both during the day and night. So, try to find some nice fixtures with a unique design, ideally made out of copper or brass. If you’re not ready to spend money on fixtures, then you can just clean or repair the existing ones.
12. Upgrade Your Mailbox
Upgrading your mailbox is another easy way to improve your curb appeal. This might seem like an insignificant detail to a property seller or real estate investor, but remember, buyers pay attention to the smallest of details. If your mailbox is worn out, replace it with something new and trendy. If you don’t want to buy a new one, at least try giving your mailbox a facelift with a fresh coat of spray paint and new house numbers. You can also plant some flowers around it to make it more beautiful and eye-catching.
13. Edge the Pathways
Adding a border or edging to your walkway and driveway creates a nice visual display and adds to curb appeal. There are a lot of materials you can use to create a border for your pathways.
You can, for example, use stone blocks or brick pavers. If you don’t have a pathway up to your main entrance, then you can add inexpensive stepping stones over the lawn to create one.
Gravel driveway edging is another great option. The edging for gravel driveways provides durable and clean borders to prevent gravel migration. This not only keeps your driveway looking neat but also helps maintain the integrity of the pathway.
These DIY curb appeal makeovers will make your home or investment property look more upscale.
14. Add Outdoor Furniture
Another way to improve your curb appeal is to add some outdoor furniture on the front porch or yard. Outdoor spaces are a key attraction to homebuyers. So, think about putting in a couple of chairs for seating and a small table with a planter on top for extra charm. You can also consider adding a porch swing. If you can’t afford to buy new furniture, give your current furniture an updated look with fresh paint and colorful cushions.
15. Add Seasonal Decor
Our final DIY curb appeal idea is to add seasonal decor to your home’s exterior, depending on the time of the year. For example, if you are selling your home on Halloween, hang a simple fall wreath on your front door and decorate your front porch with some pumpkins and potted mums. These simple touches can add a warm and homey feel to the exterior of your home. But, don’t go overboard with decorations!
Related: How Halloween Can Help You Sell Your Home
There you have it, DIY curb appeal on a budget. The projects above cost as little as a few hundred dollars to free and most of them can be done in a few hours. If you’re looking to sell, giving your property’s exterior a facelift will go a long way toward attracting potential buyers and boosting offers.
Ready to sell? List your property for free in the Mashvisor Property Marketplace! There, it will be viewed by thousands of real estate investors looking for off-market properties for sale.