8 Easy DIY Ways To Power Up Your Home’s Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is about your home’s first impression—the face it presents to the world (and to you, when you come home every day). And while you may think of your home’s exterior as something that’s difficult to change without investing a lot of money and time, there are actually quite a few (really simple, DIY) things you can do to enhance your home’s curb appeal—many of them without even picking up a hammer.
Modern, industrial-inspired house numbers are perhaps the simplest way to refresh your home’s exterior—although they can get expensive. Walmart has some great budget-friendly options, and if you’re especially crafty and have some time you can also try this DIY version from Curbly.
On the other hand, have you ever thought about putting your house number on the front stairs? If you have steps leading up to your front door, painting house numbers on them add a bit of quirky charm. Take your cue from Tiffany, who did this DIY to her New Orleans home.
Painting your front door is one of the easiest—and most impactful—things you can do to enhance your home’s curb appeal. Painting the door and the trim in different bright colors, as Emily and Andrew did with their New Orleans home, is especially eye-catching when the rest of your home is painted a more neutral color (like white).
Layering plants of different heights and textures surrounding your front door is a great way to boost your home’s appeal—and works just as well for renters, as well as those who don’t have a yard. Of course, if you do have a yard you can really have some fun with larger plants and trees (like the image above).
Window boxes are a great way to add some cottage-y charm to your house—even if you live in a major city. Even if your vibe isn’t exactly Cape Cod charm, there are plenty of sleeker, more modern window box designs that will make your exterior look more modern than bucolic.
Screen doors are incredibly practical in warmer climates, and they don’t have to be unattractive—just look at this gorgeously painted pale green door from Kristen and James’s Charleston home. This small paint job instantly makes your porch more welcoming and appealing.
Hanging plants are an easy way to add some curb appeal, as well as give your front porch a little more privacy. Even if you have very limited porch space (or none at all), hanging plants might be the only way to put some greenery by your door. Timothy’s decision to add just a couple hanging plants to his New Orleans home is a prime example that sometimes simple is better when it comes to exterior plants.
If your front door isn’t exactly front and center, you can always go ahead and paint your front steps to create a warm welcome home for you and your guests. It’s a much faster and cheaper way to change up your curb appeal than painting your entire house, and gives you more freedom to have fun with color (check out the pink hue Matt and Amanda chose for their Pasadena home!).
This post was originally published on May 19, 2016, and was last updated on May 14, 2019.
