How to add kerb appeal to the exterior of your property when on a budget

With the current state of the economy many of us are feeling the pinch. With the rising costs of gas, electric and food in the supermarket, the last thing you might be thinking about is giving your house a makeover. But what if we told you there are a few things you can do to increase the kerb appeal of your home that won’t break the bank whilst also adding value. Here’s a few of our tips:

1. Paint your front door.

Whether you choose to change the colour of your door to something bright and adventurous or you simply want to freshen up the existing colour, the first thing to consider when painting your front door is the type of paint to use. To do this it is important to identify what your front door is made from (i.e. wood, PVC or composite, for example) that way you can be sure that the paint you buy is compatible with your front door. For example, a wooden front door will benefit from being painted with a high-quality exterior wood paint. Retailers like Wilko and The Range have a wide range of exterior paints starting from as little as £19.99 a tin.

2. Add some potted plants and hanging baskets.  

Create a floral paradise at the front exterior of your property by adding a few potted plants and trees. Potted plants are extremely versatile and can be placed underneath windows, along the pathway leading to your front door and either side of the front door. If you don’t have the budget to add lots of potted plants why not add a couple of hanging baskets either side of your front door. Poundland offer a rattan hanging basket for £1.00.

3. Give your house a fresh lick of paint.

If your house is painted you will already be aware of the periodic maintenance involved. If it has been a few years since you last painted your house it might be time for a tidy up. B&M have a great range of masonry paint ranging from £15 – £43 a tin. Even though a painting the house might be a big job, the price tag doesn’t have to be big. If you’re thinking of changing the colour of your house to something a little ‘outside the box’ you might want to make sure there are no restrictions in places. The last thing you need is to come into conflict with your local council because you live in a conservation area and you have painted your house fluorescent yellow (even if it is cool).

4. Add a new knocker or post box.

Either update your existing door knocker or add a new one entirely.  Coloured front doors with unique and interesting door hardware are very popular right now, so if you’re thinking of painting your front door a Chartwell Green accompanied by a charming gold bumble bee style door knocker, you’ll be right on trend. The Door Knocker Company has an array of different types of door knockers including wolf heads, bumblebees and whale tails in cast iron, brass and chrome options.  If you are happy with your existing door hardware why not add a little extra to your door such as a vintage style wall mounted post box.

5. You can never have too many plants.

There’s a reason flowers and plants are so popular – they look fantastic. If the front of your home is looking a bit bare why not add a few more plants and small trees or shrubs. You can start from scratch and plant some seeds and grow your own. Chiltern Seeds has a wide range of flower seeds to purchase and a great filter feature where you can search for seeds by month of sow, family type and even scent. If you don’t want to wait for the flowers to grow why not visit your local garden centre where you will find an array of flowers, plants and small trees ready for planting.

6. Add external window shutters.

One of the most effective ways of adding charm and character to your property is to add external, decorative shutters. With an abundance of different styles and colours to choose from and both plastic and wood options you are guaranteed to find shutters to complement your home. The great thing about decorative, external shutters is they aren’t as expensive as you might think! A pair of UPVC Polypropylene shutters start from as little as £57.60 a pair. They are really easy and quick to install so if you’ve got a spare Sunday, you can have new shutters on your home by the end of the day. Better yet plastic shutters do not rot or weather over time so once they are installed they will stay looking good for years to come.  A true lifetime investment.

7. Fix that broken fence.

You may have a broken picket on your fence, your gutter drips a little bit or your gate has fallen off the hinges. If you are serious about adding kerb appeal and value to your home then these should be top of your list to fix. Whilst you may have got used to not using the gate or the leaky gutter you’ll be amazed how much difference it makes to the appearance of your property if you get these things fixed. If you don’t feel comfortable doing these tasks yourself then why not find a handyman who can do all the jobs at once for you. Better yet find a friend or family member who is competent in DIY and ask them if they’ll do it for a small fee or a nice cup of tea and a biscuit 😉.

8. Add some lights.

Add some extra character to your property by adding some lights to your front garden. Adding lights to the garden has become very popular in recent years with string LED lights featuring in back garden décor quite often. This is certainly an option for your front garden too but if you would prefer something a little more subtle why not add a couple stake lights along the pathway leading to the front door. If you go for a solar option, you don’t need an electricity source or batteries to power them as they absorb sunlight throughout the day and light up automatically during nightfall. We like these cute Solar Boston Lights from The Range for only £1.00 each!

9. Clean, clean, clean.

This tip is 100% free. Get those marigolds out and cleaning! Clean those dirty windows, mow the lawn so the grass is looking fresh and neat. Clean the outside windowsills to remove any dirt left over from the last batch of heavy rainfall (hello UK). You can even get out the pressure washer and clean the driveway and pathway whilst also removing any unwanted weeds that may have appeared.

10. Other tips.

You might just be trying to improve the kerb appeal of your property for yourself or maybe you’d like to give your home a facelift before putting it on the market. Either way there are a few other small things you can do to improve the look of your home.

• Hide the bins by erecting a screen.
• Remove any junk sitting on the windowsill on the inside of the house. If you’ve got a bunch of old bottles on your windowsill inside, remember we can see this outside.
• If you’ve got children or dogs and they have been playing in the front garden be sure to clear away any toys (or dog poop).