If you’ve been working on home projects you may have tackled a number of rooms in your house already- but don’t make the mistake of forgetting the outside! Your house’s “curb appeal” is the first impression people have of your home and it ties your property together so that it looks beautiful on the inside and out. You might be surprised how a few upgrades can change your home’s exterior. If you’re just starting out, check out these curb appeal tips.
The first action to take your curb appeal up a notch is to get rid of the “clutter” in your garden. Trim back trees or hedges to show off the front of your home and allow light to shine on it. You can try to take on this project yourself, but if you have any doubts (such as how to deal with large trees), hire an expert to advise you.
“Walkways can start to take a beating during the winter months.”
Walkways can start to take a beating during the winter months. If your walkway is uneven, a contractor can raise sunken slabs for a few hundred dollars. Once the pathway is even, you can add a stamped concrete overlay to add a brick, slate, or a natural stone look. Another budget option is edging; digging a narrow trench along your pathway, to give the entryway a more streamlined look.
You might not want to take the time to keep up flower beds and container gardens, so try using a planter box. This is an easy way that still creates a full and lush look. Try putting smaller planter boxes around the front door as well for an extra pop of green. Consider varying planter boxes by height, size, and style, and including a diverse grouping of greenery and flowers. Planters are excellent budget-friendly curb appeal updates, because they don’t require a major financial investment, and if you don’t like them, you can move them somewhere else.
You might want to forget about a grass lawn and go for a lower maintenance alternative. Replacing a grass lawn is a major endeavor, and keeping it up with mowing adds to the work. If your lawn has seen better days, you can replace it completely with a rock garden, or add rocks where the lawn is bare, using landscape edging to define a border, and then filling rocks in to take up the space.
Utah’s weather extremes might leave you wondering what types of plants you can add to your curb appeal that can stay strong all year long. With some expert tips, you can create a beautiful garden all year: Windbreaks, large rocks, or landscape walls can protect your plants from the elements. Some plants you might want to consider are evergreen holly, which is hearty enough to withstand the winter and is also drought-resistant for our arid summers. Bergenia is another option, as it transforms depending on the season with brightly-colored flowers in spring and red-bronze foliage in winter, and green when the temperature rises again.
By giving some love and attention to the front of your home, you can give it a whole new look that will welcome your guests and make you love coming home!
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