Is your home for sale around Locust Grove?  Do you have a home in Culpeper that you are considering putting up for sale?  Maybe you just live in the area and the promise of warmer spring weather has you ready to get back outside.  While they aren’t everything, the first impression a buyer gets of your home when they arrive for a viewing is the outside.  You want to make the best impression you can.  Here are some inexpensive ways to spruce up the front of your home and boost its curb appeal.

1. Update the house numbers. Have the original contractor grade house numbers on the front of your house? A quick trip to the home improvement store will reveal a plethora of styles of numbers for you to choose and up your curb appeal. Happy with the numbers you have? Consider using spray paint to make them look brand new.

2. Clean up the sidewalks and driveway. Use a power washer to clean off the sidewalks to make them look new. You can power wash yourself or hire a professional.

3. Upgrade the lighting. Increase your home’s curb appeal and give your home a personal touch by switching out the front porch light to something more eye-catching. Not ready to commit to a whole new light fixture? Try cleaning out the fixtures and use spray paint to change the color or match what you have to make it look new.

4. Paint the shutters. Take a look at your shutters. If your house gets a lot of sun during the day, chances are the shutters have faded. If they are all in good condition, you don’t need to replace them. Try giving them a fresh coat of paint.

5. Make the front door welcoming. Experiment with a bold color for your front door that compliments the color of your home. Add accent pieces like a small table or flower in pots to up the curb appeal.

6. Power wash your home. Either professional, or DIY, cleaning the siding of your home to wash off the dirt and green algae can make it amazing.

7. Clean the porch. Just like the inside floors, outdoor flooring gets dirty and is in need of a good scrub down from time to time. Knocking down the cobwebs and washing the dirt from the porch shows buyers that it is another utilized space of the house.

8. Trim bushes and trees. You want the bushes in front of your home to accent it not overtake it. Trim overgrown bushes and trees so that buyers can see the windows and front door.

9. Stash the stuff. Tuck hoses, kid toys, and other items away. Got garbage cans that you keep outside? Consider moving them to the side of the house or installing a trellis to hide the cans behind to increase curb appeal.

10. Add some color! Use seasonal plants to add some color to your yard. Not the greenest of thumbs? Ask the professionals at the local garden center to recommend flowers that are hardy and require little care.