Creating Curb Appeal

We all know you never get a second chance to make a good first impression and that first impressions are indeed lasting ones.  So, when it comes to finding the best way to showcase your home, creating curb appeal is always a good way to start.

WARM & INVITING ENTRANCE

Everyone wants to feel comfortable approaching a home, so the warmer your entry, the better.  The days of merely having a seasonal wreath on the door are long gone as homeowners look for new ways to spruce up their entrances from attractive stamped concrete to fantastic doorways and beautiful landscape and lighting.  This spring is a great time to think about replacing a cracked sidewalk or overlaying it with some beautiful concrete that can be stained to complement your home and give guests the red carpet treatment.

Making sure that your sidewalk is properly lit is another big consideration for homeowners who need to ensure that guests safely reach the front door.  While solar lights are very popular as accent lighting options, other outdoor lighting options are used as well.  Outdoor lighting can not only help you create a great entry point into your home, they can also afford homeowners some added security.  It is also a very simple way to beautify your front landscape while creating a sense of festivity.  A well-designed lighting plan can help make a dramatic change to the overall entry of your home and can be accomplished fairly simply.

Great landscaping is crucial to creating curb appeal. The best way to get the perfect landscaping is to work with a landscape architect who will assist you in colors, plant foliage, drought resistance and more.  Sometimes we may love a particular tree or plant but it may not necessarily work in your yard.  You also have to know how much time you are willing to care for a yard filled with flowers.  Gardening requires time and care.

THE DOOR

Your door is the first part of your home that people see when they pull up and in a subdivision or neighborhood.  The sad truth is that many doors look very similar!  Take time to really choose a door that fits your home’s style.  Currently, iron doors are a huge trend as well as solid wood and glass doors.  Make sure you know how the climate will affect your door selection.   If you have a home that faces west exposure, your door will be hit by direct sunlight and and will take a beating from the heat in the summertime.  The same goes for rain.  You want to select a door that is durable in any climate.