Tips for Improving Your Home's Curb Appeal

As we begin to spend more time outdoors this summer, we may notice that the curb appeal of our house and yard may leave something to be desired! With the current economy, we may not have the money available to hire a professional landscape artist or to have the exterior of our house refinished, but there are a few simple things you can do to give your house more curb appeal.

A well-manicured yard will improve the appearance of any home.

You don't have to have the most lush, green lawn; just keeping it mowed regularly and pulling weeds from around the foundation gives your home a neat, well-kept appearance. Rake sticks and last fall's leaves out of the yard, away from the foundation, and out of flower beds. A few leaves add nutrients to the soil, but a heavy mat of them will harm the grass beneath them.

Well-placed and carefully considered ornamental plants add beauty to the landscape. You don't need to run out to the nursery and buy expensive plants to add interest to your landscape. Many beautiful trees, shrubs, and flowering plants can be grown from cuttings or starts from a neighbor's or friend's landscape plants (be sure to ask first, don't just help yourself!). Hosta and ferns are easily divided from the parent plant and will fill in empty spaces in your yard where nothing else will grow. Ground covers are good for dressing up steep slopes and banks (and save you the trouble of mowing these difficult spots), and can fill in the empty spaces around tree roots.

Give your house a bath.

You may be able to borrow a power washer from a friend or rent one for a few hours. If you've never used a power washer before, practice in an inconspicuous area first until you get the hang of it. Pressure washers make removing dirt, mildew and moss a much easier job, but take care to keep the spray at least 12" away from the surface you are cleaning. The powerful spray may ripple soft wood or blow old mortar out of the joints between bricks.