When driving down a residential street, have you ever noticed how some houses just seem to have it all together? That quality is often called curb appeal. From a real estate standpoint, curb appeal makes a home more valuable and easier to sell. For a homeowner, it inspires pride. Whether you’re thinking about selling your home or just want to spruce it up, here are some ways to improve curb appeal:

Clean up- This is often one of the least expensive yet most significant things you can do to improve the look of your home. Simply picking up the front yard and putting away unused items can make a world of difference.
Prune and plant- Cleaning up your landscaping is another relatively easy step. Start by pruning trees and shrubs to enhance their beauty. Then do some planting.
Wash the siding- If you can work safely from the ground or a ladder, this is a job you can do yourself; otherwise, call a handyman or professional pressure washing service. If doing the cleaning yourself, protect stone and brick walls, patios, and plants with plastic sheeting.
Paint – If cleaning doesn’t revive your house’s paint job, painting will give you plenty of bang for your buck, transforming your house with an entirely fresh, new look.
Green-up your lawn – Because a front lawn often carpets much of the front yard, its condition is critical to how a house looks from the street. You can start with regular mowing, raking, edging, weeding, and watering.
Create visual interest – Front yard gardens, fences, arbors, water features: These are just a few of the elements that can add style, character, and visual interest to your front yard.
Punch up the path – The walkway and/or steps that lead to your front door can do more than provide safe passage—they can set the tone for your home’s style, from casual to informal, simple to stately.
Focus on details – Small things can make a big difference. Your mailbox, house numbers, front light, potted plants on the porch and a nice front door all present a relatively inexpensive but highly influential opportunity to project style and excellence.
Light the way – Outdoor lighting is very effective at highlighting your home and yard’s features after daylight hours. Your front yard should have a functional path and front porch lighting as well as accent lighting to help create dramatic effects.
Garage your cars – Many of us turn our garages into storage rooms and park our cars in the driveway where they clutter the view of the house. If this is the case with your household, maybe it’s time to make room for the cars.