First impressions matter. What you tell someone about you in the first few minutes of meeting them sets a tone. Job interviews and blind dates have succeeded and failed based on first impressions. So what is your house telling people when they walk up to it for the first time?
It’s worth taking a closer look.
One of my favorite ways to change the look of your home is to change your front door.
I’ve seen so many beautiful doors around town, I was actually inspired to do a photo shoot of some of my favorite ones.
Go ahead and have some fun with your front door. Color experts say the color of your door can actually send a message. A red front door means you’re not afraid to say what you think. A blue door says you’re easy going. Green suggests you have traditional values, and black means you’re probably consistent and reserved.
Address numbers pack an amazing punch if you want a quick, and cheap way to make a good impression. Be brave and try a modern funky font like art deco. If you need ideas, a quick search on Pinterest will turn up hundreds of options!
Your mailbox is another way to add a little interest to your home. A little paint to plain black box or the mail flag can show off your personality. Some mail posts make a real statement incorporating stone, wood or metal into almost art-like displays. Some homeowner’s associations might restrict mailboxes to one particular style or color. In that case, you can plant flowers under your box for a pop of color.
You can also add color to a front porch by adding a colorful chair, flowers or art. A welcoming front porch is a happy front porch.
Framing your yard with a picket fence or metal gate (depending on the style of the home) also adds a visual punch. Appraisers will add value to a property when the fence is in a good condition. Fences appeal to families with kids and pets and also provide extra privacy in neighborhoods where the houses are close together.
Lighting might be one of the most overlooked ways to improve your homes first impression. Those standard builder lights over your entry way can be a little blah. Consider showing off all the time you spend in the front yard with some landscaping lighting along the sidewalk or around your front door. Solar lights are super easy to add. Fun string lights, tiki torches or funky retro bulbs might be just the thing you need to liven up your back deck. You can bet the people at your next cookout will notice! Plus good lighting improves the security of a home.
If you are selling your house, the exterior is key for potential buyers. Fences that need repair, sagging gutters, missing bricks, cracked driveways or out of control landscaping suggest the house hasn’t been taken care. It sends a subtle message that the house isn’t loved. And who wants to live in a house that is unloved?
