Home maintenance ideas to improve curb appeal

A home's exterior means everything for that crucial first impression, and if it's not a good one, you need to create curb appeal. Do it for yourself and fellow occupants — not to mention for potential buyers. But even if you're not selling, keeping up the lawn, landscaping and facade is an important part of being a good neighbor.

Here are some tips to spruce up your home's exterior:

• Plant the right greenery. Your landscaping choices should enhance the house, not hide it. Use landscaping to call out features like a home's symmetry or to hide trouble spots. Consider choosing fire-resistant plants to help prevent the spread of wildfire to your home. As a bonus, these plants are often drought tolerant too. Be sure to keep all plants manicured and trimmed.
• Repaint, replace or restore the front door and/or garage door. Something as simple as cleaning your front exterior door and garage door will greatly improve the look of the home. A new front door looks impressive, plus it can almost pay for itself in added resale value, according to the Remodeling 2020 Cost vs. Value Report.
• Clean or update siding and windows. Cleaning your home's windows improve the curb appeal. Though expensive, updating siding and windows is one of the best ways to add value to a home. Keep the windows clean. And if you're selling your home, remove the screens for extra shine.
• Freshen the front porch. A front porch is a key selling point. Keep the porch floor and railings in good condition and add comfortable furniture to make the porch inviting. Add easy-to-maintain landscaping, or placing potted planters near the front stairs. Add a pop of color by adding colorful pillows to eating areas or colorful outdoor furniture.
• Capitalize on character. Maintain or bring your home's exterior back to its original aesthetic to highlight its features. For example, freshen up siding with period-appropriate paint colors or add a fence.
• Install outdoor lighting. An effective security feature, exterior lights can also give your home a dramatic and attractive look at night.
• Fix what's broken. Repair cracks in sidewalks, the driveway and masonry. Patching is an affordable alternative to a complete resurfacing job.
• Paint exterior and trim. Painting or re-painting exterior or trim of a home is a relatively simple improvement that pumps up curb appeal.