12 Inexpensive Weekend Projects That Will Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal

People tend to focus on interior renovations, but the outside matters too.

If you own a home, it's never a bad time to be thinking about its curb appeal. That's a given when it's time to sell, but making a series of smaller upgrades over time will leave you with less to worry about once it comes time to list it, at which point you'll probably be more focused on interior renovations. Plus, that way you'll get to enjoy coming home to a prettier, well-kept exterior every single day until then.

The math around the cost of improvements and their potential return on investment is always complex, but less so when the upgrades don't cost much to begin with. You can handle a lot of projects yourself in a few hours on the weekend, and with modest budgets (often less than $100). Here are a dozen of the best ways to boost your home’s curb appeal without draining your bank account.

Add a coat of paint or stain to beautify your front door

The front door of your house is one of the first things people see, and it has a huge impact on the home’s perceived value. Installing a new front door can have an ROI of almost 200%, but if the average cost of about $2,300 is a bit too rich for your blood, simply painting or staining the door can add thousands of dollars to your home’s value at a cost of less than $100 in materials, and a few hours of your time.

Add an awning over the front door

Installing an awning over your front door or other entrances isn’t an expensive or difficult project, and it can add both beauty and practicality to the exterior of your house, protecting you from rain and drips from your roof line. It also makes your front door more welcoming to guests, who won’t have to stand in the elements waiting for you to answer their knock.

Patch and seal your driveway before small cracks become a big problem

Your driveway should be considered part of your landscaping, because its condition is part of the first impression people form about your house. A cracked, crumbling, stained driveway says all the wrong things (and is a warning of a big repair bill coming sooner rather than later), so cleaning it up and sealing it will go a long way.

Sweep away dirt and debris

Clean thoroughly with a power wash (you can use dish soap and your garden hose in a pinch)

Fill in cracks with a quality crack filler product for asphalt or concrete.

Seal the concrete or asphalt with an appropriate product.

The total cost will be around $300.

Hang exterior art to make your home stand out

An easy, affordable way to make the exterior of your home stand out is to hang some outside wall art. For just a few bucks (this dog-themed piece is just $16, for example) you can give the exterior of your home a bit of your personality, eliminate boring blank space, and make your outdoor spaces more visually interesting. That will prompt guests or potential buyers to think of those spaces as finished, and invite them to imagine themselves using those spaces.

Plant some trees to increase your property value

An easy way to spruce up the exterior of your home is to plant some trees—and trees definitely add to your home’s curb appeal and property value. Trees provide shade, which makes outdoor spaces more comfortable (and can even help keep your interior cooler by blocking some of the sun), and they make an outdoor space feel organic and comfortable. It can even be a $0 investment, because many cities and towns offer free tree programs, so if you’re willing to put in the sweat equity, the project doesn’t have to cost you a thing.

Upgrade your mailbox

If your house has a mailbox on the edge of your property, upgrading it has a lot of advantages. For one, a larger mailbox can accommodate packages, meaning fewer crushed items and “we missed you” slips. And a new, stylish mailbox will be a little boost to the overall curb appeal of the house.

While you’re at it, consider creating a mailbox garden, if there’s space for it. Building a simple raised garden bed around the mailbox and filling it with native flowers or spreading plants will enhance the mailbox and extend the influence of your landscaping.

Refresh your garage door with new hardware and paint

Your garage door is literally a huge aspect of your home’s curb appeal—typically anywhere from 50 to several hundred square feet of exterior space. If it’s looking a bit dingy, no amount of landscaping or other tricks will make your house look good. Luckily, upgrading your garage door doesn’t require an expensive replacement, as long as the door is in good physical shape. A coat of good-quality exterior paint can do a world of good. And you can also give your garage door a more lux look by adding some faux hardware whether permanently attached or using magnetic versions. Doing both will come in under $100.

What do you think so far?

Add or replace your exterior lighting

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