8 Steps to Mastering Curb Appeal on a Budget

Do you appreciate driving by those properties with beautiful landscaping and exterior decoration, complete with manicured lawns, trimmed bushes, beautiful flowers and other embellishments? It makes a house look expensive and landscaping seem out of reach. The good news is you can actually master curb appeal on a budget if you know where to start.

The outward appearance of your property is absolutely vital, especially if you’re planning to sell your home in the near future. You can think of your home’s exterior as the foot-in-the-door factor that will get buyers to look twice at what you’re offering. Curb appeal will catch their interest and draw them in.

We’ll walk you through simple strategies for beautifying your curb appeal on a budget. You’ll see it’s easy — and even fun — to manage your property when you follow a few easy tips. 

Curb appeal ideas:

1. Lay Down Mulch and Hardy Plants
2. Plant Honeysuckle Near Walkways
3. Replace Your Door’s Hardware
4. Paint or Refinish Your Door
5. Replace Your Garage Door
6. Decorate Your Front Porch
7. Fix Up the Flower Beds
8. Make Repairs Where Possible

1. Lay Down Mulch and Hardy Plants

Bringing your front yard from bland to beautiful is often as easy as buying mulch and drought-tolerant plants. Just set down a layer of fresh mulch and add some ornamental grasses, salvia plants or lavender. The contrast between the bright flowers and dark mulch provides an eye-catching pop of color.

More than that, you’ll find a long list of drought-tolerant plants within your price range. They’re affordable and low-maintenance, making them an excellent addition to your property that won’t drain your funds. Mulch will also help to keep down weeds and fill in any bare spots in your lawn, so there’s less maintenance required over time.

You don’t need a green thumb to start landscaping successfully. Native plants, regular trimming and hardscaping can create a low-maintenance landscape that still boosts curb appeal and ultimately saves you money on watering and plant selection.

2. Plant Honeysuckle Near Walkways

In addition to grasses, salvia plants and lavender, you can draw attention with honeysuckle. It’s a strong plant which is heat-tolerant, thriving in both the sun and the shade without difficulty. Whether you need it as a bush, vine or ground coverage, honeysuckle can add instant curb appeal for next to nothing.

Planting the honeysuckle along your walkways is often the best option. The fragrant smell is pleasant to visitors, leaving a strong first impression as they enter your house. Hummingbirds like honeysuckle as well, and you can expect far more of them around your property with this small addition.

3. Replace Your Door’s Hardware

Your front door is one of the most prominent features of your home’s exterior. You want it to look perfect, and new hardware can help. Depending on the restrictions of your budget, you may see the benefits in keyless entry, an increasingly popular option for its simple design and ease of use.

Concerning the cost of your changes, you can usually find quality hardware for around $100. It may seem like a steep price to pay, but the modifications are well worth the investment. When a visitor or buyer walks up to your front door and sees the changes you’ve made, these tiny details will stay with them.

4. Paint or Refinish Your Door

On the subject of your door, you don’t have to stop at new hardware. Painting or refinishing your front door is another way to improve the visual appeal of your property. When you think about the alternative — an old, peeling or weather-beaten door — it’s easy to understand why this kind of renovation is so effective.

As for the color you should choose, consider a vibrant shade that coordinates with the exterior colors of your home. Make sure it’s within the guidelines of your homeowner’s association if you belong to one. With a bit of searching, and as little as $20, you’ll make a big difference for a relatively small investment.

5. Replace Your Garage Door

Your front door isn’t the only entrance that matters for your home’s curb appeal. While many homeowners may overlook its importance, a stylish garage door can also boost home value —to the extent that you can recuperate a little over 90% of the initial investment.

The best way to approach this project is to think through the style you’re going for. Some homeowners look for a pop of color or a contemporary upgrade to create a more modern abode. Others prefer matching classic, coordinated garage doors to their home’s architectural style.

Either way, upgrading from the basic garage door can add visual appeal easily and effectively — and while the replacement is a bit more expensive than planting flowers, this impact still makes it a budget-friendly project in the long term.

6. Decorate Your Front Porch

Do you have a front porch that’s looking a little bare? Your porch is prime real estate, and it’s one of the easiest places to spruce up for curb appeal on a budget. No matter the season, a little decoration can draw the eye to a homey outdoor living space.

Invest in sturdy porch furniture that can survive a few changes of season. Planters and hanging pots can show off porch plants, bringing a little more nature to your home at a low price. Finally, find a welcome mat or two that speaks to you. Your front entrance will already look more enticing.

7. Fix Up the Flower Beds

You don’t have to be an expert gardener to achieve any of these curb appeal tips. You do, however, have to make sure your garden beds look nice and clean. Consider cleaning up and edging your flower beds for your next warm-weather DIY project.

8. Make Repairs Where Possible

When the average homeowner hears the words “curb appeal,” they often think about adding something. They may decide to plant flowers, replace hardware or renovate an aspect of their property, and while this is perfectly fine, it isn’t the only course of action. You can also make repairs.

It’s often far less expensive to fix something you already own than purchase supplies for a new project. If you want to improve your curb appeal, look at existing elements of your property and ask yourself, “What needs attention?” It’ll give you a good idea of where to go next, whether you aim to fix up your roof, paint your fence or deep clean your decking.

Curb Appeal on a Budget

You have no shortage of options for boosting your property’s appearance. Whether you add mulch and drought-tolerant plants to your front yard, clean up your entranceway or follow another suggestion on the list above, you can feel confident in your home’s exterior.

Whatever you choose, you’ll find it’s easy and straightforward to improve your curb appeal on a budget.