6 cheap and easy ways to boost curb appeal

Make your entrance more welcoming for $50 or less

Published: July 22, 2015 04:45 PM

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Is your house making a good first impression? If the door and areas around the front are looking like they need work, it could put off potential buyers, not to mention visitors. But it's easy to upgrade your house's curb appeal without spending a bundle. Consumer Reports asked home stagers (who prep properties to maximize sale prices), designers, color experts, and real estate pros for the best under-$50 fixes that make a big impact.

Freshen up the front door

Cost: $40 or less
Go for the unexpected, says Debbie Zimmer, director of the Paint Quality Institute. "A deep, almost eggplant purple works well with white or pale blue siding and on contemporary wood-stained homes," she says. Another hue that she loves is yellow—think mustard or pale yellow, not school bus! " It complements classic red brick or painted siding," she says. And red is a great choice for traditional white siding and black shutters. Think barn, not candy apple. When picking door colors, consider your siding, roof, and neighbors' homes to ensure a harmonious look.

Tips from the pros

Follow the 60-30-10 paint ratio rule if you're worried about going too bold, says DeAnna Radaj, a design pro based in Charlotte, N.C. "Sixty percent is the main color, on your siding. Thirty percent is the roof and trim—stick with neutrals for those. The last 10 percent—front door, shutters, and other details—is where to have fun."
If you're going bold on your entryway, take a more muted approach on the garage door, especially if both face the street. That keeps the focus on the front door.

Get a new mailbox and numbers

Cost: $10 and more
Bland or worn-out house numbers and mailboxes can easily be replaced to bring the front of your house back into focus. If the ones you have are functional but dated or mismatched, consider investing in a can of spray paint. Unless it's dented, there's no need to replace a mailbox, says Rick Harris, a real estate broker for Coldwell Banker in Ashland, Ore. Radaj painted her mailbox, house numbers, and even the planters on her front porch. "I picked the color of the trim of the house—a warm brown— and went with a metallic paint that matched it," she says.

Tips from the pros

Make numbers big enough to see from the road. Create cardboard cutouts in the dimensions you're considering, then hang them up, step back, and see what works best.
Put numbers near a light. "There's nothing more frustrating than trying to find a house at night when the numbers are in the dark," says Debra Gould, president of the Staging Diva website.

Refresh the hardware

Cost: around $15 and up
If your hardware is in shoddy condition, replacements will make a huge difference. A new doorknob starts around $30; a kick plate ranges from $15 to $30, depending on the metal. Door knockers start around $13.

Tips from the pros

Make sure all of the metal hardware on the door matches. "Many big-box stores sell series of products that work together," Harris says. That's a safe bet if you're unsure; when your hardware has a uniform look, it shows thoughtfulness and ties the whole look of the house together.
Buy hardware that's in sync with the architectural style of your house. "You don't want really contemporary brushed-nickel accessories or a funky doorknob on a colonial house," Radaj says.

Lighten up

Cost: $15 to $50
Nothing warms up an entry and makes it feel welcoming like a few lights, especially once twilight falls. To brighten a porch, doorway, and walkway, Radaj uses LED lights intended for outdoor use. Our tests have shown that they instantly brighten, even in frigid temperatures, and can last for years. If you already have the fixture, it's just a matter of switching the bulb. The $25 Feit Electric A19/OM/800/LED did great in our tests.

Tips from the pros

Light a pathway. An easy, inexpensive way to do it is with solar-powered lights, which need no wiring. Just remember that they need to be installed in a sunny spot to function—and they don't throw off the brightest light.
Avoid candle-lit lanterns on a porch or walkway. Instead, use pillar and votive lights that run on batteries. They can be tucked into lanterns for a pretty glow and can be set on a timer.

Switch the doormat

Cost: around $10 and up
You can use a doormat to add a pop of color to your entry, Zimmer says. But if you have a door in a bold hue, keep the house numbers, mailbox, and doormat in a timeless style and stick with black. That will look great and won't compete with the color, Gould says.

Tips from the pros

Size it right. The doormat should cover about three-quarters of the width of the doorway.
Go for textured types that catch dirt from shoes.

Hide a shabby porch or stairs

Cost: $45 to $50
If you haven't gotten around to painting your front porch or deck, try throwing an outdoor area rug over it. Plunk down a bench and some plants, and no one will notice. A runner made for outdoor use can disguise a not-so-pretty stairway.

Tips from the pros

Buy outdoor rugs with a nonslip backing for safety.
Choose a colorful pattern if you want to make the rug the focal point and detract from a not-so-pretty setting.