Spring is outdoor season and real estate season. If your house is going on the market, you want to do everything you can to give it an edge. Improving curb appeal is a great start. Or, perhaps you just want to make your home more appealing for your own sake. It’s a great summer project. Improving curb appeal not only makes your home more enjoyable, it might even make your neighbors like you more, too.
Freshen Up for the Season
It’s out with the old and in with the current. Put away the worn-out wreath and the half-dead plants and bring in new, vibrant, fresh elements.
Here are some ideas:
- Put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and shutters.
- Add a seasonal wreath to the front door.
- Add planters to the front porch or along the walkway filled with in-season, blooming flowers.
- Trim all bushes and shrubs and clean out dead leaves and debris.
- Add a fresh layer of mulch to beds and planting areas.
- Update your porch light fixture and rug.
- Check all outdoor lighting fixtures to make sure they are clean and functioning.
Improve Curb Appeal with Great Home Uplighting
If you do one thing to improve the curb appeal for your home, make it this one. Home uplighting will get eyes on your home, but make sure it’s done correctly. Poorly installed home uplighting will create shadows and dark spaces. It’s important to use enough fixtures, to space them at the right distance from the house, and to make sure the angle and intensity work to highlight your home and features. Read more about the keys to great home uplighting.
When it comes to adding residential uplighting to improve curb appeal for your home, remember to enhance what you have. Don’t copy what others are doing. What works for a big two-story brick won’t work for a sprawling ranch. Use uplighting to highlight and display the best features of your home and landscape.
Bring Attention to the Best Landscape Features
To improve curb appeal, you need to help people notice the best features of your home and landscaping. Unfortunately, these features can go unnoticed if you don’t help them pop visually.
Clear out leaves, debris, grass clippings, etc., that make any area of the yard look cluttered and messy. Trim tree branches and prune bushes that block the line of sight. Then stand back and scan your yard from across the street; what catches your eye? If it’s a distracting element–like a trashcan or woodpile–move it, cover it, or straighten it. Install spotlights to bring attention to beautiful towering trees, flourishing flowerbeds, or other landscaping features after dark.
Stage Your Outdoor Living Spaces
If you’re selling your house, staging it for photos and walk-throughs is key. You’ll rearrange furniture, clear out clutter, and get professional help to make your home’s interior look its best. You can do the same for the outdoor living spaces, from the front porch to the back patio.
Start by clearing all the clutter. Outside clutter can be bulky, so clear some storage space in your garage or shed if possible. Find a place for the trash cans, gardening tools, and sports equipment.
Imagine each outdoor space as its own functional living area. What’s the main function for each area? Perhaps the front porch is deal for sipping a cup of coffee and chatting as you start the day. Add two rocking chairs and a small table, and highlight with gorgeous flowering plant. Maybe the back patio is great for family gatherings and quiet evening dinners outside. Arrange patio furniture to show off the area, and add outdoor lighting to create the right ambiance.
Light Paths, Walkways, and Hardscaping
Use both traditional path lighting and minimalist path lights to show off paths and walkways in front of and around your home. Minimalist path lights are a more sleek, modern version of path lighting. While traditional path lights stand out of the ground, minimalist path lights are set almost flush with the ground or walkway. They provide a bar of light along the path, and bring a very modern, updated feel. You can also use outdoor lighting to highlight different parts of your hardscaping and outdoor areas. Light up the stairs to the deck, the small waterfall feature, the poolside patio, or that cute bench tucked under the maple tree. People will see what you show them, so use well-placed outdoor lights to show your home’s best features and improve curb appeal.If you’re ready to add a professional outdoor lighting system to improve home’s curb appeal, get in touch. We’ll come out to your home, provide a custom quote, and do a demo so you can see how the lights will look before we install. Our customers love us–you will, too!
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