Raise your hand if you’ve been neglecting your home’s exterior due to lack of cheap curb appeal ideas. Maybe you’ve neglected it due to time, or you’re intimidated by exterior projects. Whether it’s your budget or schedule that can’t seem to make room for another project, this list is sure to give you budget-friendly ideas and the motivation to get it done.
Sometimes that’s all we need right? A little motivation to make it happen. Speaking from experience, curb appeal was one of those projects I put off not only due to budget, but also energy to get outside and physically complete it.
Achieving better curb appeal isn’t a task completed inside with the comfort of your AC. Also, here in Georgia, summer is H-O-T. So unless we were willing to pay a landscaper or contractor to upgrade our exterior a bit while we relaxed inside, I knew I’d have to get out there myself. The latter was the only option.
Well if this is your only option too don’t worry, cheap curb appeal ideas that will easily upgrade your home’s exterior do exist. They also don’t have to take a lot of effort! We’re not just talking the painted door, flower box, or mailbox flowers either. Everybody knows about those.
Here are a few you may not know about but should! Let’s get into it.
Decorative Gable Vent
This might be something you’ve seen but didn’t give it much thought, since many of them appear to to be originally built into the home. A gable vent is intended to improve the air flow in a home’s attic, when functioning. However, they also have an aesthetic appeal and charm that home buyers desired.
So homes that came with a gable vent were an added bonus of curb appeal. However, wood workers began to make non-functioning “decorative” gable vents for those that wanted the look of the vent without cutting an extra hole in the exterior to install. Genius right?
You can also opt for a medallion to spruce up your gable. Either way, both can be scored online for as little as $30. Installation of these is also super easy, so no excuses
Exposed Foundation Makeover
Whether your house is elevated or the concrete foundation is simply exposed for the bland concrete that it is, an exterior foundation makeover may be in the cards for you. There are many ways to dress up this problem, but a few are easy and budget-friendly solutions.
The simplest is to paint the exposed concrete foundation in the same shade as the rest of the home. One bucket of paint, and one afternoon of work, and you’re done! If you want to get a little fancier, or if you have have a bit more room in the budget, consider covering with thin stones or stone veneer.
Check out the stone refacing over at Home Made Lovely and the painted foundation at Decor Adventures below for inspiration.
Paint Porch Ceiling
Painting your porch ceiling may not seem like much, but a little goes a long way with this one. If your house does not have a porch, but has a lovely portico, you could still reap the benefits of this option by painting your portico ceiling. Seeing a pop of color on the porch or portico ceiling is a charming and somewhat unexpected surprise.
A subtle hue or bold shade that complements the overall design of your exterior can add a lot of life to the face of your home.
Exterior Front Door or Window Trim
If painting your front door doesn’t pack enough punch, updating or installing exterior front door trim can be super easy and affordable. White trim, or whatever contrasting color you choose can give your exterior the pop it needs.
You have the option of going simple with standard trim around all sides, or a bit more ornate with wider trim and a cap to top it off. Chris Loves Julia gives us a perfect example below of how door trim can be the perfect touch to any front door. It’s a subtle change that makes a huge difference.
You could also update your window trim. Some homes have very thin window trim that may even be painted in the same shade as the rest of the home so they don’t stand out. By installing wider window trim in a contrasting color, in many cases white, you’d be adding detail that makes the overall exterior stand out.
Again, you can go simple with a uniform trim on all four sides, or more detailed by adding a window sill and window cap. They’re easy to install and depending on the amount of windows you have, can be a budget friendly option.
Front Door or Garage Door Light
You may have looked at your front door or garage door light and grimaced at how rusty or old it is. Well, grimace no longer. Changing it can be quite easy so get out there and do it! Curb appeal is all about the details, so they shouldn’t be ignored.
I personally like a lantern sconce for the front door and barn lights for the garage doors, but there are so many options for all budgets. Just take your pick.
Tracey over at Porch Daydreamer updated her front door with lantern sconces and they’re gorgeous. She also walks you through how to install.
Well I hope you’re now motivated or inspired to amp up your curb appeal. All it takes is a little time and as you can see, a small budget. If you live in a neighborhood with a strict HOA, some even simpler and cheap options may be up your alley such as adding a flower bed around your mailbox, planting bushes around your front windows, or even painting your front door. Again, it just takes a little time and motivation.
Are you planning on tackling one of these cheap curb appeal ideas soon? If so, let me know, or better yet, send me pics of your finished project!
Want to save this for later? Post these curb appeal ideas to your favorite Pinterest Board!
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