Spring is the time to start working on beautifying your outdoor spaces! Increasing your home’s curb appeal makes your home more welcoming and sets the tone for the rest of your house. Plus, coming home to a pretty, outdoor space is so much more relaxing than coming back to a dirty, overgrown mess!
I usually like to get started on our outdoor spring cleaning as soon as possible, but due to the extra rainy weather this year, I haven’t been able to do a whole lot. According to our local weatherman, we’ve actually only had ten days of sun since October. Yikes! Pass me the Vitamin D! Let’s just say that spring rain combined with an extra heavy winter snowfall makes for one messy, muddy, yard.
I was hoping to be further along in the process of getting things done in the front of our house, but the weather has really slowed things down. So for today’s post, I’m sharing some of our upcoming plans to increase the curb appeal and will update you on the projects as we go along. I also did a quick patio refresh to cheer things up while we wait for some nicer weather to arrive. 🙂
Ready to get going? Here are some simple ways to increase the curb appeal of your home…
Spring Clean
Power washing your driveway, walkways, and other areas that can hold up to a power washer, makes a HUGE difference in how bright and clean your home appears. It’s one of those cleaning tasks that’s actually really rewarding as you can see the difference immediately. Also be sure to clean out your gutters, wash down the siding {if it can’t be power washed}, and give the outside of your windows a sparkling clean. For a more thorough spring outdoor cleaning and maintenance checklist, click HERE for your free printables.
Paint
While a full house painting might not necessarily be in the works {or budget!}, adding a new paint color to your door can really make your home stand out. If your front porch looks like ours – paint chipped and faded from all of the salt and slush – give it a sanding and new paint or stain job. Even little painting touch-ups on trim can really help to spruce things up without taking a lot of time or money.
Landscape
An overgrown, weed-filled yard is probably one of the biggest turn-offs when it comes to curb appeal. Take time to weed any garden beds and trim down shrubs and bushes as needed. If you find that you just don’t have the time {or inclination} to keep up with all of the maintenance that your landscaping requires, look to replace some of it with more year-round, low-maintenance options. It’s better to have a simple, well-maintained yard than to have one filled with plants and flowers that just won’t thrive due to lack of care.
Last year, we pulled a bunch of overgrown shrubs and trees up from in front of the house. They were taking over half of the sidewalk and we were worried about some of the roots causing damage to the house. These little boxwoods still have a couple more years of growing until we get them to the size that we would like, but I’m hoping to DIY some simple windowboxes this spring to add some color and interest to the front of the house.
Lawn Care
I don’t think anything bumps up the curb appeal more than a lush, green lawn. Currently, our front yard has some lovely brown patches along with some moss that we’re working on getting rid of. Our backyard is even more of a mess and a bit of a mud pit due to our dog tearing around on it. We aerated the lawn a couple of weeks ago but are still waiting for a couple of dry days to seed and fertilize.
Lawn care can be time consuming {and frustrating!!}, so if you’re looking for some help in this area, TruGreen offers a variety of lawn care services that are tailored to the specific needs of your lawn. Their specialists can provide the knowledge, nutrients, protection, and ongoing care that your lawn {and other landscaping!} require throughout the year. What could be better than having someone else care for your yard while you can be out enjoying summer? Just head over to TruGreen if you’re interested in learning more about their yard care services or would like to request a quote.
For those of you that like to work on the yard yourself, TruGreen has also provided this handy infographic to help you on your way to that beautiful lush, green grass. 🙂
Update the Lighting
Lighting is often overlooked {especially outside}, but a couple of new outdoor lights can really upgrade the look {and function!} of your home. We’ve had the same outdoor lights since we first moved in 15 years ago, so I’m looking for something a little bit bigger to replace them with this year. If your lights are still in good working condition but just worn, give it a fresh spray paint for a whole new look! Solar lighting along the driveway, walkways, or in the garden, also creates a welcoming glow that just makes everything look prettier.
Add Pretty Details
This is always the most fun part for me! Usually I do this after all of the other projects have been done, but this year I’m kind of doing it in the reverse order. I just needed to do something!
Add a wreath or other design element to your front door and place a welcoming mat outside your door. Flowers and greenery also add a pretty spring touch. I’ll likely add some more flowers later in May, but these white petunias will go with whatever color scheme I go with. I also plan on doing something more interesting with our house number. It kind of depends on what I end up choosing for the lights though, so it will probably be the last project of the bunch.
Since we have to put up with so much rain, this cute umbrella stand makes getting out those umbrellas a little more fun. 🙂
So tell me what your plans are for your outdoor spaces this year? I’d love to hear them!
If you’re in Canada and are interested in getting a little help with your lawn, contact TruGreen for a quote and receive 10% off a lawn plan tailored specifically to your unique needs.
Happy Gardening!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of TruGreen,ca. The opinions and text are all mine.