10 Secrets Of Curb Appeal

Small upgrades and subtle tweaks that will add major charm.

- Elizabeth Passarella ​​​​​​​

IT DOESN’T TAKE a major overhaul to perk up your home’s exterior. So why wait until something is broken, chipped, and rotten or until there’s a “For Sale” sign in your yard? Think of these smart projects as fresh accents for your home. Like buying new throw pillows (or even a fun pair of sunglasses), these updates offer significant bang for your buck— and you’ll get a little thrill every time you pull into the driveway. Let the spring sprucing start...now!

1. Maintain colorful pots.

Consider planters accessories that change with the seasons. If you have steps leading to the front door, add a pair of topiaries or groupings of pots. You can plant topiary boxwoods or other evergreens as year-round fillers and then add blooming annuals. “Keep it simple with contrasting shades. If you have a redbrick house, you don’t necessarily want pink blooms right next to it. Purple and blue stand out against a white clapboard house, but then again, so does green!” says Anne Daigh, founder and principal of Daigh Rick Landscape Architects in Nashville. Bottom line: Don’t go overboard; pick plants in one or two hues (like white and green) that contrast with the exterior of your home.

2. Build a great fence.