Real estate professionals speak of the curb appeal of homes. They often offer suggestions for sprucing up your place if you want to sell it. However, you do not have to be putting your house on the market to want it to look nice and welcoming on the outside for your friends and family who come to visit. If you have guests coming over, you want your home to make them feel welcome from the moment they arrive. Here are three ways to leave that good first impression on everyone before you even invite them inside your home.
Clean Up Your Sidewalk
The access path to your home should look great and be in good repair. Whether you have a concrete sidewalk or stepping stones, it should be free of debris, toys and other things. Making a few repairs such as fixing mortar joints in flagstones or mulching the edges of the sidewalk draw attention to the path that leads to your home. Cracks and uneven areas are often easily fixed with sealants and mortar as a DIY project. A shepherd's hook on each side at the end of your sidewalk with hanging pots filled with seasonally appropriate blossoms are very welcoming. The end of the path is your main entrance door, and a clean mat placed on the floor at the door that says "Welcome" is a clear signal to your guests.
Add Warm Outdoor Lighting
Cold lighting has that bluish tint to it. Many outdoor lighting products, especially older LEDs, cast a bluish light. Warm lighting is welcoming. The cool, bluish color cast of some outdoor lighting products is not visually welcoming. It is sterile and, in some cases, foreboding. Fortunately, the newest generation of outdoor low-voltage and solar landscape lighting that utilizes high-efficiency LEDs is available in warmer colors. Switch out any bulbs for outdoor lighting on your porch when you are creating an inviting entryway with ones that cast a warm glow. The entryway of your home should have the same color cast in the evening as you see during the evening golden hour of a sunset. It is a warm yellowish glow that is iconic for being associated with feelings of peace and welcome.
Manicure and Paint
No, this does not mean your fingernails. Instead, this is in reference to manicuring the outdoor area surrounding your main guest entrance. You vacuum the carpets and dust the furniture before friends come over to visit. You should trim plants, fluff mulch, pull weeds and cut the grass outside in the areas that your guests will see as they approach your home. Fix the things that can be distracting to your home's welcoming look by getting rid of pests like fire ants using professional fire ant control. If your front door or porch railing needs painted, take some time to get it done. Even old things that are in need of being replaced look amazingly better after a coat of paint is applied.
Take a critical look at the path leading to your main door. It should present a picturesque look of a friendly place rather than looking more like a haunted house. Adding little touches such as an appropriate seasonal wreath to your door or bows to wall sconce lighting on your porch are welcoming. Blooming container plants or topiary trees at your entrance are visually appealing as well. Every step from your driveway to your doorway should be visually appealing and welcoming to your guests. Cute, whimsical items that generate a smile or laugh also put your guests at ease before they even enter your home.
