7 Easy Ways to Create Maximum Curb Appeal

Ah curb appeal! We know a fantastic house when we see one and stop to stare at it. In just one weekend, you can be the envy of the neighborhood!

Have you ever heard of “positive peer pressure”. My next door neighbor changed out her exterior lights and it made a HUGE difference in enhancing her home’s curb appeal.

That got me thinking about ways I could improve my own home’s curb appeal. One small change made a big impact and I was envying her new lights 😉 It was time for an exterior update!

Defining Curb Appeal 

There are expensive and inexpensive ways to create curb appeal. We are going to talk in-depth about the inexpensive options, but I’ll mention the expensive ones to keep them in mind:

• Exterior Paint Color
• Trim Color
• Landscaping
• Shutters
• Architectural Details – like a front porch or a stone wall

As the say, “eyes are the window to the soul.” I’m here to tell you the front entry of the home are the eyes to a home’s soul!

In our neighborhood, we live very close together and all of the single family homes have a front porch.  This is a neighborhood curb appeal dreams are made of!

But, what makes one home stand out from another? It really comes down to the little details and luckily those details are easy to create! Yes a beautifully landscaped yard, with bushes trimmed just so, and freshly mowed green grass will instantly grab your attention.

Beyond that what can we all do regardless of our home size to create maximum curb appeal?

Curb Appeal on a Budget

The best bang for your buck is to focus on the front entry of your home, townhouse or condo. The front entry tells your guests a lot about you. It provides a little glimpse into your personality.  Having a beautiful front entry makes you want to see what is inside and if you are selling a home it’s a really important feature to set the tone.

Realtors are saying AMEN sister!  Curb appeal helps sell houses for sure.  Even if you aren’t selling your home having a nice front entryway can give you a sense of pride.

After my front porch makeover, I noticed the front entry was showing signs of wear and tear after 8 years. It wasn’t matching the rest of my home, so it was time for a mini-makeover to maximize my own home’s curb appeal. 

The two biggest offenders? My exterior lights and my door lock set. They were looking TIRED and were the original builder grade quality. From the street it really wasn’t noticeable, but once you came up to my porch it was.

The paint on the treads was beat up, moss was growing, the flowers were blocking the walk way, and the cement landing was dirty. 

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7 Easy Ways to Add Curb Appeal

These principles can be used to create a beautiful front entry and curb appeal in any type of home. The bigger the home the more “stuff” you need, but what you can update is relatively the same.

The details at the front entry that can increase a home’s curb appeal:

1. Fresh coat of paint on the door and stair treads
2. Containers of flowers
3. Details like lanterns and outdoor planters
4. Decorative door lock set
5. Updated exterior lighting
6. Metal house numbers (mine have been removed for privacy)
7. Welcome mat

Easy updates right? Luckily I had already tackled some of these projects with fresh flowers in place and a lantern or two plus had a nice black welcome mat. It was time to update the rest! Plus Mick needed a haircut for the photo shoot 🙂

Weekend Projects for Your Front Entry

Here were the items I could tackle in a weekend and you can too! In just a couple of days, you can refresh your home’s curb appeal.

1. Pressure wash to clean up the area
2. Paint the front door and stair treads
3. Install new door lock set
4. Install new exterior lights
5. Add a Welcome Sign

The first thing I did was pressure washed the porch, siding, treads and door. Having a clean surface was important for all of the updates. If you are looking for a new pressure washer for fall cleaning, the one I linked is so affordable and EASY to use for beginners. 

Door Lock Set

I decided to stay with the same type of door lock set, and considered several options ranging from traditional to a bit more streamlined:

Schlage is a brand I’ve installed previously and KNOW their finishes last. The have a finish guarantee, so I stayed with Schlage.

I liked the traditional styling and settled on this door lock set because I only needed the front set and it was budget friendly!

Exterior Lights

Ah, this was tough! In partnership with Progress Lighting, I found some GORGEOUS options. They had SO many beautiful outdoor wall sconces to consider it was hard to decide! The challenge? Do I stay with the same look I currently have or try something completely new?

In my neighborhood, EVERY house has the same traditional black lights. It was time for a change. Since the new theme for my front porch was that “sand in your toes” coastal vibe, I decided to bring that same look into the exterior lights!

This exterior sconce captures the coastal feeling and reflects the design of the other lanterns I have on the porch. Plus I loved the idea of doing a satin nickel finish with the black handle to tie together the other elements I had in my front entryway.

At about $150 each, I thought for the size they were really affordable too – I needed to replace 4 just on the front of my home!

Paint Touch Up

After installing the door lock set, I gave the front door a fresh coat of paint along with the stair treads. Luckily, we had an unusually cool summer day that topped out at 85 and perfect for painting!

Then after installing the exterior lights, I touched up the paint on the siding where I had removed the old bracket. 

Door Paint: Valspar Duramax, Semi-Gloss 5011-2, Very Black

Tread Paint: Valspar Reserve Exterior, Semi-Gloss Valspar White

House Paint: Valspar Duramax, Semi-Gloss 4007-2B, Iron Frost

Welcome Sign

Randomly, while looking for decal letters for another project I saw this welcome sign and had to have it! After the paint dried overnight, I added this fun decal in literally 60 seconds!

It comes in black too, if you have a light colored door!

Maximum Curb Appeal in One Weekend

Here is the final result and I couldn’t be happier! Even Mick got a hair cut, along with the flowers in the pots 🙂 He is forever policing the porch to make sure we are safe.

The stairs look so bright and clean with the new coat of white paint and the door looks revived! A fresh coat of paint makes all the difference in the world – truly.

There is something about that “Welcome” decal that just makes me smile and happy! It’s truly what I want guests to feel 🙂

Shop the Look

Now the door handle, lighting and lanterns all have a beautiful silver hue that brightens up the entire front entryway. 

However, the BIGGEST change and the item that really sets the front entry apart are the new Union Square lantern outdoor sconces from Progress Lighting. They ooze southern charm curb appeal!

The simple design reflects the coastal vibe and complements the rest of the porch better than any other light I could have selected. Plus the full pane of glass reflects the beauty surrounding my home. Loving the Edison bulbs versus using a standard candle style bulb. 

I love my Pier 1 outdoor candles that are on a battery timer lighting the porch every evening.  The porch even has nighttime curb appeal! A little subtle glow welcomes you in the evenings for a glass of wine. 

After the hard weekend of work, I sat on the stoop chatting with my neighbors that Sunday night watching the sunset.

Now they are starting to think about their own front entry curb appeal. Yep, that’s positive peer pressure and I am so glad my next neighbor inspired my outdoor exterior light update. 

Shop the Porch

Stay tuned for how I hung the lights and to learn about what you need to consider when replacing your current outdoor lights.

Plus soon I’ll be sharing a fall update of my sweet southern front porch. So you don’t miss a thing, please consider signing up for my weekly email newsletter!

Until next time…

Porch Daydreamer

Tracey