The first impression. They say we are already making a quick estimation of another person within 7 seconds of meeting them. The same experience also occurs when viewing a home — before we even enter a home, we judge the outside, what we see from the initial drive up to the driveway, or rather, the curb appeal.

This is an especially important area of focus when trying to sell your home, as potential homebuyers will use those first few seconds to make a quick assessment of how they feel about the home just from viewing the outside. And even if you aren’t selling your home, you may still want to improve our home’s outdoor presence for overall maintenance and upkeep. With a focus on the front entry of your home, here’s 8 easy ways to improve your curb appeal that work with any budget.

1

MAILBOX

At the curb, this is one of the first obvious places the eyes go, especially for someone new trying to find your home. It’s quite easy to overlook since it is separate from the home, but consider the state of your mailbox and the surrounding area. If space allows, you can plant simple flowers or plants to instantly brighten up the curb. If you’re in the market for a mailbox upgrade, here’s some ideas:

2

DRIVEWAY

Pressure washing the driveway is essential if you want to put your home in the best light for selling. You can consider renting a pressure washer through Home Depot here for a budget-friendly way to give your driveway a good cleaning. It’s such an easy way to keep your exterior walkway maintained, especially if you have an older driveway.

3

FRONT STEPS

Another area to consider sprucing up is the front steps and/or stoop, especially if you have an older property. If your front steps to the home are wood or concrete, paint is a great solution — easy and inexpensive, and it can look like you have a brand new front entry! I like Behr’s Premium Paint options like the Porch & Patio Floor Paint and the Granite Grip Paint that works for both concrete and wood surfaces AND comes in custom color options. Really revives an old porch dramatically! Another option is to stain a wood, concrete, or brick porch.

Here’s some great options I’ve linked:

4

FLOWERS/ PLANTS

Adding flowers around the steps or planted in front of the home will add a pop of color that every home needs. And if you have shrubs and bushes planted, a trimming session for any overgrown ones that cover areas of the home will add instant appeal. And if you have a small front entry space, you can simply add a large planter (like the beautiful photo below) at the beginning of the front steps filled with colorful flowers that will equally add the color you want.

Here’s some favorite flower options:

5

FRONT DOOR

Consider a fresh coat of paint or, if you’re more daring, go for a bold color choice like deep blue or a bright blue shown below for painting the front door. It’s an easy way to make your home stand out and make your door look new again. You can also find great paint options designed specifically for the front door, which allows for a faster drier time and non-fading quality. I love the Modern Masters Front Door Paint series because you have such a range of colors to choose from!

6

FRONT ENTRY HARDWARE ACCENTS

Sometimes the little details can have a big impact, like hardware. Updating old hardware like a new door knocker or house numbers can easily help with a dated door area. Here’s some ideas :

7

LIGHTING

How are your lighting fixtures at the front of the home looking? If they have seen better days, a quick update to a new style will elevate your home instantly. I love these outdoor sconce options for the front door area:

8

ADDING STYLE

Last, but certainly not least, is adding in some decor elements that help not only to accent the front space, but also allow you to add some interest and show a bit of your style. While flowers & plants were mentioned previously, consider adding some on the side(s) of the front door, if you have a larger front entry area, and placed in beautiful planters.

You can find a planter style that will work with you and your style and it is by far, the best thing you can do for enhancing the curb appeal because it adds instant life and color to your home. A front door mat is also an easy and worthwhile element to consider, helping to make your door even more inviting.

Shop Style Ideas:

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