9 Home Exterior Hacks That Increase Home Value Without Breaking the Bank

Do you want to improve your exterior home design and increase the value of your home in an inexpensive way? If so, you’re in luck because there are a variety of budget-friendly home exterior changes you can make that will measurably increase its value. There are plenty of DIY home exterior improvements guaranteed to increase your property’s curb appeal in no time. 

1. Repaint Your Entry Door

Increase Curb Appeal by Repainting Your Front Door

There are a bunch of great ways to spruce up your front entrance, but repainting your front door is one of the most effective. A brand new door could run into the thousands of dollars, but a can of paint costs a low average of $15. A fresh coat of paint will make your main entrance shine, which is great for creating a welcoming atmosphere. 

If you have a wooden door, for $50 more you can easily make it look like-new by refinishing your door. If your door is made of steel, you can make it more appealing by giving it a wood-like finish. Installing new door handles, a knocker, or a doorbell will turn them into modern entry doors that add charm to your front entrance, and all these improvements can be done without a professional.  

2. Refresh Your House Numbers

Little Tips for Increasing Curb Appeal

Refreshing your house numbers is like wearing a small piece of jewelry; it may seem insignificant but adds a lovely touch to the overall look. There are many inexpensive and creative ways to reimagine your house numbers so that they stand out. For example, you can create DIY “floating” house numbers to give your house a more modern minimal look. Even something as simple as refurbishing your existing house numbers will do wonders when it comes to making good first impressions of your home exterior. 

3. Spruce Up The Front Lawn

Front Lawn Upkeep Is Just As Important as Inside the Home

Your house will look much more attractive if it has a pretty front lawn with a range of healthy, colorful plants. Front yard landscaping may seem like an expensive idea, but this is not always the case. Simply pop by your local gardening store and buy some plants to place around your home. As a rule, you want to have a variety of colorful plants such as shrubs and flowers that are native to where you live, and which don’t need a lot of attention. Practicing regular lawn care will also do wonders for your home’s value. Make sure to regularly remove weeds and dead plants, and keep things watered.

While you don’t always need to hire a professional to do softscaping, hiring a landscape designer is a good step to take if you want to go the extra mile in making your lawn beautiful. Landscaping professionals can help you to realize more ambitious garden projects, such as growing flower walls, building a stone path, or even making your small lawn feel more spacious. 

4. Adding Exterior Lighting

Proper Exterior Lighting Important in Improving Curb Appeal

Upgraded lighting fixtures are another item in the list of home exterior improvements that can be done easily and on a budget. Bright LED lighting solutions have become pretty popular and affordable in recent years, making it a bargain as far as home exterior makeovers are concerned. Adding more lights to the outside of your house is a great way to make it look more attractive. According to the National Association of Home Builders, 41% of homebuyers say that outdoor lighting is an essential feature for a home, so the investment is well worth it. At night, your home will take on a whole new look, and the lighting will also make anyone think twice about “visiting” your house while you’re out. 

Thanks to wireless light switches, installing new lights no longer has to be as difficult. Much like regular light switches, wireless switches can be combined to form three-way switches, but without the time-consuming hassle of cutting into walls to run wiring. Wireless light switches cost around the same as their wired cousins, so they are worth a try! 

5. Keep Up With Lawn Maintenance

Keeping up With Lawn Maintenance

Keeping your home regularly maintained will go a long way towards preserving its value and increasing its attractiveness to buyers. Check your roof, deck, porch, walkways, driveway, or patio, (all important elements of your home’s curb appeal) often for signs of wear. Otherwise, small problems can balloon into expensive emergencies which could hurt your pockets and the value of your house.

Cleanliness is another part of maintenance. Keep an eye out for things like mold, and make sure to power-wash concrete driveways and walkways at least twice a year. Sticks and leaves from trees tend to quickly clutter roofs and clog gutters, so be sure to clean these areas regularly. This is important not only for appearances but also for preventing expensive water damage. Keeping things clean will also allow you to see more easily if anything is broken or going wrong.    

6. Repaint Your Garage Door

Easiest Ways to Increase Your Curb Appeal

Another thing you can do to compliment your home's exterior makeover is to repaint your garage door. This is especially important if your garage door faces the street because it's yet another key determiner of your curb appeal. When repainting garage doors, the goal should not be to make them stand out too much. So, avoid very bright colors as these risk turning your garage door into an eyesore. Instead, it is better to use more subdued colors so your garage door blends with the colors of your house. This helps to give garage doors a more modern and minimalist look. You can make a house painting day of it and add color, shine, and charm to both your front entrance and garage doors.

7. Refresh Your Deck

Simplest Ways to Increase Your Home Value

A poorly maintained deck can be a dealbreaker for homebuyers, even for an otherwise pristine property. When it comes to your home exterior, a wooden deck, along with deck railing, is a focal point, because it is a space for family gatherings and celebrations. Sadly, deck maintenance is something that quite a few homeowners overlook.  

And yet, for just $100, a weatherbeaten algae-stained wood deck can be almost completely restored, even if it has endured a decade of abuse. Refreshing your deck is a simple matter of power washing, doing some sanding, and applying a coat of semi-transparent stain. Rotting planks can be easily replaced for little cost as well. No need for a professional, as this entire project is one of the easiest DIY exterior home improvements out there. 

8. Wash Cladding

Tips to Improve the Look of Your Home Exterior

Keeping your home’s exterior cladding clean will also help increase your home’s curb appeal. As with driveways, the siding on your home accumulates dirt, water staining, and mold as time goes by. But for around $380 a year, you can keep your home’s cladding shining with the help of exterior project services. While power washing is a job you can do yourself, consulting an exterior cleaning pro is worth it because sometimes power washing might be damaging for your home’s cladding. 

Exterior cleaning services can determine this for you, and recommend a different approach more suited to your particular situation. For example, an expert may decide that your home needs to be washed with low-pressure water and disinfectant, which will prevent mold from growing back too quickly. 

9. Plant a Shade Tree (or two)

The Finishing Touches for Perfect Curb Appeal

Lastly, consider planting a shade tree in your front yard. This will not only add beauty to your home exterior but also practicality. Believe it or not, a single well-placed shade tree can cut your cooling costs by as much as 40%. Because of this, planting a shade tree is a great way to make an affordable long-term investment in your home’s value. 

There is a wide range of beautiful and fast-growing varieties of trees including sycamores, oaks, and maples to choose from. As with buying indigenous species of plants for your garden, you should make sure you choose a tree best suited to the climate and region you live in. If you need help choosing, planting, and caring for a shade tree, get in touch with a landscaper or tree specialist. Also known as an arborist, these professionals can help you to keep your shade tree healthy.