14 tips for improving your home’s curb appeal

Interested in a sure-fire way to make your vacation rental home more attractive to vacationers? Kick up its curb appeal! Your listing will be more eye-catching to prospective guests, and think of how thrilled people will feel when they drive up to your home! Here are some relatively simple and inexpensive curb appeal upgrades. Paint the front door. A splash of color can do wonders for adding curb appeal to your home. A realistic DIY project or you can hire a professional to handle the task. Add new front door sconces. Distinctive lighting to frame a front entryway is a great way to add curb appeal. Make sure your sconces are the right size – too large or too small can detract from the appearance of your home. A helpful rule to follow is for the fixture to be 1/3 the height of the door if there is only one fixture and 1/4 the height of the door if there are two fixtures flanking the door.     Add some flair to your home by affixing distinctive house numbers.     Add some visual interest to your front door with a unique doorknocker or seasonal wreath, or replace the front door hardware.      Add some traditional molding to the top and sides of the doorway.     Affix window boxes to the first floor windows on the front of your house and fill them with colorful annuals to provide instant charm.     Plain, empty front porch? Add wooden rocking chairs, colorful Adirondack chairs, or even a swing. Consider all-weather cushions or hanging annuals for a pop of color, too.     Clean the exterior of your windows. They will sparkle!     Do you have an inviting walkway to your front door? Adding one does not require you to break the bank. A simple gravel, crushed brick, or crushed shell path is an inexpensive alternative to bluestone or     A welcoming front door on this Nantucket vacation rental     Add a planter at the front door and fill it with some greenery.     If your garage doors are visible from the street, you may want to consider adding similar hardware to that of your front door.     Update the doormat. A tattered and worn doormat does not make for a great welcome. There are so many distinctive and fun doormats. Buy a few and swap them seasonally.     Add some plantings to line your walkway or the front of your house. Boxwoods and hydrangeas are lush, but not overwhelming, and they’re low maintenance. Come summer, add some colorful impatiens, and you have guaranteed curb appeal.     Keep up with routine maintenance: trim hedges and keep mulch turned, gardens weeded, and grass watered and mowed. As with any upgrade you make to your vacation rental home, be sure to photograph the changes and update your listing afterwards. And don’t forget to partially open your front door when photographing it to convey a sense of welcome and openness. Do you have any other suggestions to share with fellow homeowners?