Whether you’re looking to list your house soon or revamp your home’s exteriors for your own enjoyment, boosting your curb appeal is an excellent return on investment.
Think of your exteriors as the first impression for buyers and visitors alike. When people pull up to your house, they’ll notice right away if you have faded or chipped paint, rotted roof shingles, dead or overgrown landscaping, and yard clutter.
Realty experts agree: High curb appeal significantly impacts potential buyers. Studies suggest that houses with spiffy exteriors typically sell 7% higher than similar listings that aren’t as visually appealing.
There are many ways to increase your home’s curb appeal with or without spending wads of cash. Here are eight renovations to fix up your exteriors and boost your market value.
1. Upgrade Your Exterior Paint and Siding
Step back and take a look at your home’s siding. How’s it looking? If you notice chipping or dulling, or can no longer see a contrast between the siding and trim, it’s probably time to give it a fresh coat of paint.
Paint can deliver a significant wow factor to your curb appeal and make your home stand out. A 2018 Zillow analysis found that contrasting exterior colors drew potential buyers in, such as a crisp, lighter siding with a darker door and shutters. Homes with black or charcoal gray front doors sold for $6,271 more than the asking price, as well.
However, the front door might be a great place to showcase some of your personality. If you’re not interested in selling your home, a pop of bright color that reflects you and your family could make all the difference.
On average, painting the exterior of your home will cost between $1,900 and $6,900; yet, much of the expense depends on where you live, the siding condition and material, prep work, and labor.
2. Pour a New Driveway
The driveway serves as a welcome mat as visitors pull up to your house, and pouring a new one is a surefire way to impress potential buyers and increase your market value.
Weathered cracks and holes or aged stains can turn many people away. Of course, a new driveway is a costly project, ranging anywhere from $2,511 to $6,846, so you may want to leave it up to your realtor to determine if it’s necessary.
If concrete isn’t your taste or too expensive for your budget, you may have several cost-effective alternatives. For example, loose materials like gravel come in various colors and organically mesh with the landscaping.
Chip-seal (also called tar-and-chip) driveways or pavement are other options that may help you stay under budget while delivering a beautiful, smooth surface to pull your car onto.
3. Spruce Up Your Landscaping
If your landscaping and garden beds are looking a little dreary or somewhat overgrown, it’s about time they get a makeover. Fixing up your yard is one of the best ways to enhance your curb appeal. Better yet, you can do so without running up a high bill.
Border your garden beds with pavers, transplant flowers, and layer the soil with fresh mulch to really elevate their look. Opt for native plants which match your climate to ensure they thrive and complement the surrounding biodiversity.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) offers a unique tool to help you discover your area’s plant hardiness zone for suitable flowers and plants.
If your yard is somewhat splotchy and brown in certain areas, consider resodding or fertilizing for a healthy, luscious, green lawn. If mowing your lawn yourself isn’t an option, a professional service usually charges between $50 and $200, depending on the size of your lot.
4. Swap Out Windows
Replacing the windows in your home is undoubtedly a high investment; however, it can do a lot to transform your curb appeal and the energy efficiency of your house.
HomeAdvisor values window replacements between $300 and $2,100, but there are a lot of cost factors you should consider, including:
- Type of windows — single or double-hung, casement, sliding, storm, bay, etc.
- Frame materials — vinyl, wood, fiberglass, etc.
- Size, and whether standard or customized
- Energy efficiency
Particularly in older homes, heat gain and loss account for 25-30% of residential energy consumption. Replacing windows with energy-efficient alternatives can help you or potential buyers save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
5. Replace Your Garage Door
Let’s say you’ve painted your home’s siding, swapped out a few windows, and trimmed up your overgrown garden beds, but there’s still something not quite right. Then you may want to think about replacing your garage door next.
Replacing your garage door enables you to better complement the rest of your home’s new design, upgrade with a modern style, or give a nod to the house’s original look.
When choosing a new garage door, you have plenty of options to consider. Perhaps you’ll choose a different color, vertical or horizontal lines for visual interest, or something with windows this time around.
The average cost to replace your garage door is $1,200, with some projects costing upwards of $2,300. The size, number of doors, type, material, design, and labor also influence expenses.
6. Update Your Roof
On average, your roof’s lifespan is about 30 years, but that may depend on weather conditions in your area and the quality of materials used.
Many times, the need for roof repairs is obvious. Maybe you’ve had leaks in your house or attic, or perhaps curling shingles are apparent to the naked eye.
Roofing is a large-scale renovation with a high price tag. However, if you’re looking to sell, you could see a financial return of 68.2% for new asphalt shingles, according to Zillow. Even if you don’t recoup all the money you spend, buyers are more likely to make a full offer and you’ll spend less time on the market.
Although not everyone likes how they look, solar panels could boost your curb appeal and your home’s value, as well. If you’re replacing your roof anyway, you might consider adding a solar panel system right away.
7. Tidy Up Your Entryway
Sometimes all your curb appeal needs is a little tidying up. Sweep your walkway leading up to the front door, edge the grass along the border, and fix up your entryway. Whether you have a concrete slab or a gorgeous wrap-around porch, there are many ways you can enhance the space.
Consider hanging a seasonal wreath, placing a welcome mat on the ground, or adding flower boxes under the windowsill. You might even have enough space to include a small bistro set with a table and chairs.
This is an inexpensive way to make your house look and feel welcoming without heavy labor.
8. Install Lighting
We spend so much time, money, and resources on boosting the curb appeal of our house we may overlook its nighttime appearance.
Outdoor lighting accentuates your hard work without going overboard and sets the mood in a bold and dramatic manner. You might want to highlight trees and bushes, steps to your porch, walkway, or driveway, unique yard decorations, architectural features, and flower beds.
Regardless of whether you incorporate solar lights, you should invest in LED lighting for your outdoor space. Outdoor lighting consumes ample energy; however, you can shed 50% of the energy costs with LED technology.
The Nicest Front Yard on the Block
The work you put into creating an eye-catching front yard could make all the difference for your curb appeal. Even minor changes can have a significant impact on your home exteriors. When you invest in making your property more attractive, it adds substantial value and shows you take pride in where you live.
In case you have any architectural, structural, and MEP design including fire sprinkler design requirements, or need your home renovation design including structure, and HVAC design, feel free to contact us. We provide you with the full permit set design + T24 for your request.
Author’s Bio:
Rose is the managing editor of Renovated. She’s most interested in sharing home projects and inspiration for the most novice of DIY-ers, values she developed growing up in a family of contractors.
