It’s always a good thing for a house to have some measure of curb appeal even if the homeowner has no intention of selling it. A home with an exterior that catches the eye without being absurd is a pleasure to the passerby as well as a person who may be in the market for a new home. There are even some homeowner’s association who will remonstrate with a homeowner whose house is just too drab for the neighborhood. Here are some ideas for quickly sprucing up an uninspiring home exterior:
Install a Colorful Door
Sometimes a front door painted in a bold primary color of red, blue, yellow or green is all that’s needed to give an exterior some curb appeal. The homeowner should just make sure the color complements or pleasingly contrasts with the other colors of the home’s exterior.
Potted Plants
Potted plants placed strategically at the edge of a flight of steps, on the deck or porch or beside a door are always attractive. Pots do not need to be traditional and plants do not need to be fresh cut. A couple of old milk cans filled with ornamental grasses and spilling branches of eucalyptus can liven up an uninspiring front stoop, as can stone urns filled with moss and bizzy lizzies. Different sized wicker baskets filled with dried flowers, dried berries and pine cones also add interest.
Window boxes full of colorful flowers such as geraniums, gloxinias, petunias and yarrow are also a fantastic way to perk up a dull exterior.
Painted Chairs
Garden chairs not only give family members and guests places to sit outside but come in all kinds of colors. There is no rule that says a row of chairs on the porch or deck need to be the same color. Pastels are popular for chairs now, so the homeowner shouldn’t be scared to paint their patio or porch chairs mint green, sky blue, lemon yellow or pink.
New Vinyl Siding
Vinyl siding comes in many colors and textures. It resists degradation from the sun’s ultraviolet rays, and even if it does crack a bit it is easily fixed. Vinyl is easy to install, costs less than wood, aluminum or masonry and is almost maintenance free.
Adding a bit of interest and curb appeal to the house doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. Sometimes all it takes is one interesting element to make people take a second look at a house.
