The first goal of every homeowner is to love their home. The second goal? To increase the property value of their home. Many homeowners don’t know that a few simple changes can seriously affect their home’s value. The right outdoor upgrades can increase curb appeal and help boost property value. Some upgrades require more financial investment, while others require more sweat equity. Let’s take a look.
Outdoor Upgrades for the Entry
People can’t help but notice your home’s entry. Since the entryway is often the first impression, it makes sense to put some effort into the appearance. Start simple by cleaning up the entrance and making any repairs necessary to the railing, steps, posts, or columns. Next, refresh with paint. Choose a complementary color to the siding or brick of your house for the front door. If you have shutters, a fresh coat of paint on these is good too. Consider a new paint color or stain for porch flooring and rent a power washer to get your sidewalk clean. You’d be surprised by the difference a good power washing can make! Finally, updated outdoor lighting fixtures complement your home’s color and style. Upgrading your entry can be a weekend project with massive positive effects.
Install Home Uplighting
Uplighting can elevate your home and show off its best assets. By using high-quality fixtures installed by a professional lighting company (hey, that’s what we do!), you can give your home a high-end look. The key to uplighting is to make sure you use enough lights and space them properly. Uplighting is also a great feature as it can highlight holiday decorations. You can decorate for every holiday and make sure your lights are focused on the wreath or other decorations you have placed. The before and after difference uplighting can make is significant. A home can go from dark to the star of the neighborhood.
Create Outdoor Rooms
An easy update and upgrade to your outdoor living spaces is to create defined areas for different functions in your backyard. Just as the interior of your home has rooms for various functions, so can your outdoor space. How about a designated lounge area with comfortable pillowed furniture? And a dining area adjacent to the outdoor kitchen will make your exterior feel like a home outside your home. You create perimeters with outdoor screening, potted plants to form defined spaces, and landscaping with perennial plants that form dividing walls. Great outdoor lighting can help define areas and create the perfect ambiance.
Plant More Trees
Trees add value and appeal to both front and backyards. When planting in your front yard, be mindful of where you plant. Give plenty of space between trees and hardscaping, walkways, and the home’s exterior as roots can interfere with your foundation or sidewalks. Smaller flowering trees can be perfect for adding color and interest. In your backyard, the shade a tree will provide once grown can be a significant selling point for buyers, especially those with pets or children. Landscaping with mature trees can increase your home value significantly if you can afford to bring in fully grown trees. These homes tend to sell quicker and at a much higher price.
Clean Up The Landscaping
You don’t need to do a major landscaping overhaul to increase your home’s property value. Small changes can make a big difference. Grab some trimming shears and get those overgrown bushes into shape. Spend a weekend weeding, then put down fresh mulch for a drastic improvement. Stick with dark brown or black mulch to create a pop of contrast. Install a few spotlights to show off the best landscaping features at night, like trees or shrubs. These changes can translate into big value when selling, almost 3% higher on average. That may not seem like much, but it can be a big chunk of change depending on the size and value of your home.
Keep Things Neat & Organized
This may seem like a no-brainer, but if toys, sports equipment, or gardening tools are strewn about, curb appeal goes way down. Invest in outdoor bins or garage storage to keep these things out of sight. This can be an excellent task to get your kids involved with, since half of the stuff is theirs, anyway! Use a label maker to make things easier for you to find once sorted and organized. A great organization system also can inspire others to see how the outdoor space can be maintained and kept looking clean and manicured.
Light Walkways for a Welcoming Glow
Another outdoor upgrade that can be inexpensive but offers a great return on investment is pathway lighting. Good pathway lighting beckons visitors to the door and creates a sense of welcome. It also is a safety feature that ensures your guests can make their way to your front door without harm. Walkway lights come in many different styles to complement your home. Stick with traditional pathway lights or add a bit of whimsy and color to your walkway. Whichever you choose, it will add instant value to the exterior of your home.
Increasing your home’s property value through outdoor upgrades can be as easy as a few DIY weekend projects or can involve bringing in professionals to do the heavy lifting and hard work. Whether you implement a few or all the suggestions above, they are guaranteed to elevate the look of your exterior and help you garner interest in your home. The result is getting the most money when and if you place your home on the market to sell! We’re always here to help with outdoor lighting projects to enhance curb appeal and make your home its best. Get in touch today!