Make Buyers Look Twice with These Fantastic Curb Appeal Updates

   Your home's front exterior—the lawn, landscaping, siding, and front door—is what passersby see from the street. It's called curb appeal, and it's a key factor in promoting the sale of your home. Curb appeal is the first impression a potential homebuyer will have of your home and the first quick assessment they will make before they even step foot inside the door. Use these ideas to make your home stand out and catch buyers' attention.

Freshen Up Your Front Door
Make your front door livelier with a fresh coat of paint. Choose black paint for a classic, elegant mood; white for a fresh, crisp appeal; red for an energetic, inviting appearance; or blue for an uplifting, calming feel. Hang a seasonal wreath on your freshly painted front door, and add a shiny door knocker, kick plate, and door handle as finishing touches. Replace an old doorbell with a modern substitute, and exchange small, faded house numbers for large, bold replacements.

Frame Your Windows
If you want to set apart your home's curb appeal from similar real estate listings, it's all in the details. Framing your front windows with chic shutters adds charming character. Coordinate your shutter selection to complement the architectural style and existing color of your home. Install rustic board-and-batten shutters to enhance a French country style, or mount traditional black shutters to add classic vibes to a white farmhouse design. Window boxes full of beautiful greenery and flowers all heighten the visual appeal.

Redo Your Front Porch
Updating a lifeless front porch will add energy and create much-improved curb appeal for your home. Paint an aged concrete porch with paint designed for outdoor porches and floors. White will brighten up space, while gray is an alternative neutral that shows less dirt and scuffs. Hang an inviting porch swing from the ceiling of a large, covered porch, or add a stylish bistro table to a smaller porch. A pretty outdoor area rug adds comfort, texture, and color. Hang a few robust plants from your porch ceiling or posts for gorgeous, natural accents. If your overhead light outside your front door is outdated, choose a stylish alternative to give your front porch a modern appeal.

Real estate listings with great curb appeal get more buyer interest and usually sell for more. Evaluate your home's curb appeal and use these tips to upgrade and revamp the areas that need improvement.