Freshen up your home’s curb appeal
Happy Labor Day everyone! The temperatures in many parts of the country are still warm like summer making this Labor Day weekend a great time to entertain outdoors in the garden or by the pool. With fall approaching it is also a good time to think about cleaning and freshening up the appearance of your home.
Remember when your mom told you to brush your teeth, brush your hair, and wear clean clothes since you never know who you might run in to? Well, mom’s are always right and first impressions are so important not only in our own personal appearance but in your home’s curbside appeal. Maintaining the appearance of your home reflects your pride of ownership and helps to maintain the quality of your neighborhood.
Here are some tips for sprucing up your home that can easily be done in a weekend and will go a long way to freshening your home’s appearance.
* Clean up the front yard: pull any weeds and remove any dead plants from the garden. Mow the grass and fertilize and edge the front lawn as needed. Consider adding mulch to garden areas and plant in season plants and vegetables.
* Update and clean the front door area: remove any cobwebs from above and around the front door area. Trees will be loosing leaves and changing color soon so keep the front door area swept and clean and remove any bird droppings that may still be evident. Re-stain or repaint the door as needed (especially if selling the home) and add a new front door mat if the old one is showing its age. When done, complete the front door transformation by polishing the door hardware so the handles and knockers are sparkling clean.
* Add a colorful potted plant to the front door area to give your entryway a “homey” feel.
* Power-wash any brick or stone entryways as an inexpensive way to clean and improve material that may have been neglected for years.
* Make sure the porch light is working and sufficiently illuminates the front door area. House numbers should be recognizable and clean and the doorbell should be in good working order.
* Spruce up the garage door: make sure it works, is clean and painted, and the glass is clean
* Backyard should be cleaned much as the front yard has been attended to. Mow lawns, trim trees and plants, clean any outdoor furniture and cover (or store) as appropriate for changing weather conditions.
For additional information related to cleaning up a home to improve your homes curb appeal, there is additional information at landscaping.about.com
