Painting your front door adds immediate curb appeal

When you need some instant curb appeal to sell your house quickly, consider painting the front door an eye-popping color like red (others have had good luck with colors like a vibrant coral, bright blue or turquoise, dark blue, yellow, raisin or cinnamon as well, to name a few) or something else that matches your already existing trim.  Or, maybe painting the trim is in order instead of the door — or the banister if you have steps leading up to your porch or front door. Either way, once you’ve done the painting, what else can you do while waiting for the phone to ring? We turned to the pros to get a reliable list together for you; come take a look:

Square up the front: the front door, the front walkway, the house numbers, etc…

The front of your house is what potential buyers will see when they take their first drive-by peek, so make sure that area is spruced to the max — especially the front porch and front door region. From there, you can work your way out, ensuring every inch of your front yard is in order from the doorstep to the actual curb. Consider these ideas as you go along:

Door hardware: make sure it’s in great condition, matches, and makes your door pop

Porch lighting fixtures and landscape lighting: Make it subtle, attractive, and guiding

Make sure it lights up your house number for anyone doing a quick real estate peek during the evening hours. Landscaping lighting should be subtle and attractive but bright enough to guide a guest to your doorstep if need be. Want to draw attention to a new patio or deck you’ve add on? Highlight it with landscape lighting after dark to make sure it pops.

Add a new welcoming doormat

Add something to let your guests know you thought of them and they are welcome in your home (add another one inside if you want them to take their shoes off upon entry).

Add a few birdhouses to attract songbirds, doves, and other colorful feathered friends

Give a little thought to the size, placement, seeds, and geography of your birdhouse so you can anticipate what kinds of birds might be attracted to it. Songbirds, sparrows, mourning doves, and birds with colorful plumage are always fun to watch out for. And remember — squirrels may steal the seeds of you place it within their reach!

Add potted plants and trees of different heights, colors, and textures

Before purchasing potted plants or planting trees, consider the space each will need to grow and how symmetrical you can get it all to look. Can you fit two or more of each type of plant or tree into a nice arrangement, vary the heights, play with color? Also be careful to find plants and trees with a similar need for sunlight if you’ve placed them together. Try planting larger potted plants or trees to frame your walkway or porch if you have room.

Add a seating area or some chairs to your porch or a rustic old-school porch swing

Nothing beats finishing off the day with a leisurely lounge on a front porch swing. Make sure it’s sturdy enough to fit at least two adults and take a minute to make sure it matches the rest of the porch. It always looks great if you toss a pillow or two on, or hang a nice blanket over the back of it for a bit of style as well.

Add a tasteful wreath to door, regardless of season

Who said wreaths were only for holidays? Mind the season, but consider putting up a wreath regardless of whatever holidays are (or aren’t) coming up. This simple white one shown above is perfect for an understated quality approach to door decor when there’s no holiday in sight.

Put in window boxes or flower boxes

These are gorgeous for any home and can easily be made within a quick trip to Lowe’s and the nearest garden center. Choose from vines as shown for a dramatic look, or try anything from marigolds to pansies to geraniums. We’ve even seen some pretty ones made with sunflowers (just not the extremely tall kind).

Add some outdoor art like water fountains, bird baths or wind chimes

Consider the space you have available and which items can fill up a sufficient part of that space without seeming tacky. You’ll want to feel like you’re accessorizing the landscape. And once again, as mentioned in the birdhouse section, do consider which animals and birds might be attracted to each piece before determining its proper place in your yard.

Mind the gutters and downspouts

Clear them out, replace them, do whatever you can to be sure they’re sparkly clean. The gutters and downspouts essentially constitute the edges of your house frame and can make a very big difference in  how your curb appeal works out (or doesn’t.) Take your time to sort through all the different colors and types available to find the best match for your house.

Find the best mailbox for your home’s look

Decide if you want to replace the whole mailbox or just the numbers. You could also simply repaint it if you like the way it looks but it just needs a quick refreshing.

Power-wash any areas necessary and/or cover boring cement walkways with new stone or brick

Power-wash dreary stairwells or walkways or replace with natural stone tiles, brick, or cobblestone. You could even take some of the extra bricks (or get a little more) and make a matching ground floor patio area for grilling out, laying out poolside, or having guests over for cocktails.

Just a few of these ideas can spruce up your curb appeal and get folks interested in a tour of your home. Be sure to try out just one or two at a time to make sure they’ll work for your house before you overspend. Most importantly, have fun, be creative, and enjoy taking your home to the next level!