Spring Cleaning Curb Appeal

You see your house every day, so it’s hard to tell when it needs a boost to its curb appeal.  View your house from a new angle, walk across the street and take an objective look at your home exterior and landscaping. 

Keep pen and paper in hand to take notes to turn in to a to-do list - even better, make it a honey-do list.  Each project will cost under $100 – or  not cost a thing.  Try these budget friendly landscaping and curb appeal projects to spruce up your exterior.

Do any repair or yard maintenance work first.  Keep your pen and paper handy, and the other projects will spring up naturally.

  • Pressure wash or hose down siding, decks, walkways and porches.  Cost -  free or up to $40 for the pressure wash rental
  • Clean exterior windows, gutters and screens  Cost - $5 for window cleaning supplies
  • Mow lawn, weed gardens and kill growth in sidewalk cracks.  Cost - $10 in supplies, an extra $10 for the neighborhood kid to take care of it.
  • Store garden implements and tools properly – hang a piece of pegboard in the shed or basement, use peg hooks to hang tools up and out of the way.  Cost - $15 for supplies
  • Rake and bag any leftover leaves. Cost - Free
  • Mow the lawn. Get rid of weeds. Cost - Free

Petty projects you’ll notice as you go along will include:

  • Paint your front door and replace the exterior door knob for instant impact. Cost - $20
  • Foundation plantings – if you don’t have any border plantings at the base your home, you’re missing out on a big boost to curb appeal.  Plant evergreen shrubs to ground the home and add interest.  Boxwoods, Mountain Laurel, or Arborvitae are options.  Fully grown shrubs can cost $40 and up apiece.  If you’re landscaping on a budget, consider younger shrubs, they can be purchased for $20 and less.  Cost - For five shrubs, you can stay under $100 easily for this project.
  • Pair annuals with your shrubs to add color to your landscaping – two flats of annuals run about $35 – group them together for impact.  If you have a shady spot that needs brightening, use Impatiens or Begonias, they love shady areas. Cost - $35 + $5 for garden soil - $40

Plan to do two projects per weekend – just a few hours each day, makeover your landscaping and add curb appeal to your home.