How much curb appeal does your house have?
Is your home warm and inviting? Or is it not all that remarkable?
It could be that your front porch has become tired and dated. If so, it may be time for a front porch makeover.
But what goes into such a thing? We’ve got eight suggestions for sprucing up the entrance to your home.
1. Add Gutters
This might sound like a weird suggestion.
At the level of pure practicality, gutters will prevent rain and water from gathering near your foundation and causing problems like flooding or erosion.
But from a design standpoint, houses that have gutters just have a more finished and polished look. They also provide the opportunity to add an accent color, which would frame your porch nicely.
Speaking of color…
2. Hit It with a Coat of Paint
What color is your front porch? Dirty beige? Nondescript grey?
It might not even be something you’ve considered. If you begin pondering a different hue for your front porch though, you begin to see the impact of color.
Maybe you’re not ready to plunge right in and start painting the walls and floors. That’s okay.
You can change the look of your front porch considerably by just starting with the trim, railings, shutters, and/or doors.
In fact, painting your front door in a bold color makes a statement. It gives your home a memorable stand-out element. For example, imagine French doors exterior in a shade of deep red.
From there, you may feel more inclined to add some of that color (or even another) to the shutters, trim, and railings.
On the other hand, if you’re quite content with the color, then just applying a fresh coat of paint will breathe new life into that dingy porch.
If you’re not exactly excited about handling all of this painting yourself, then consider hiring a professional. After all, it’s one thing to paint a room in your house that most people won’t see.
It’s another altogether to paint a part of your house that everyone will see.
3. Put in Some Greenery
Placing just a few large potted plants or trees on your front porch will completely change the feel.
But depending on how large your front porch is, you can increase your curb appeal even more by adding a small plant bed or container garden. Consider planting herbs and other edible plants to make it practical as well.
For added color, consider potted flowers or a flower box that will fit on the railing.
If you’ve already got some or all of these green elements, when is the last time you cleaned them out and weeded them?
Removing weeds and adding new plants will give them a neater, much more manicured and refined look. Add some mulch or pine straw to help them retain water.
If you want to take it one step further, consider landscaping around your front porch. If you’ve got a green thumb, you can do this yourself.
For bigger jobs like adding shrubbery, larger plantings, or stones, you’ll want to use the services of a landscaping company. Try to find out that offers continued maintenance of the landscaping they install.
4. Update Lighting
Do the light fixtures on your front porch look like circa 1958?
If that’s the look you want, so be it. But you may want to consider more stylish, not to mention, efficient lighting for your front porch.
Swap out the old bronze pieces for something more streamlined.
Many people choose to hang string lights around the porch too. They add a warm ambiance that fills the whole porch.
In addition, if you went to the effort to add landscaping, you may want to consider hiring a licensed electrician to add landscape lighting that will also highlight your porch.
5. Modernize the Details
How are the other details of your front porch? Do your mailbox and house numbers, for example, possess the same dated feel as your light fixtures?
It might not seem like much, but replacing those seemingly small details with something more modern can go a long way toward boosting the appearance of your front porch.
This is particularly the case if you manage to match these details.
These are also one of the easier makeover tips on our list. If you have a power drill, you can probably update these yourself.
6. Upgrade Outdoor Furniture
Even if you’re madly in love with that old rocking chair on your front porch, it may be time to replace it with something more aesthetically pleasing.
Take an honest inventory of all your furniture, including rugs, end tables, and pillows, and ask yourself if they’re helping or hindering the appearance of your front porch.
If you’re looking to save a few bucks, wait until the middle or end of the season to get some great deals.
7. Swap out Porch Railings
Railings do more than offer privacy and keep small children from falling off the porch. They also give the porch a distinct aesthetic.
So what do your railings say about your porch?
Once again, old railings will quickly make your porch look dated. Even worse, if they’re falling apart, both your porch and home will appear neglected.
You don’t necessarily need to replace them with something sleek and modern. But they should at least look well-maintained.
8. Put in a Walkway
While a walkway isn’t technically the front porch, consider one an extension of it.
If you’re going to the effort of updating and beautifying your front porch to increase curb appeal, then why not install a stylish walkway?
There is nothing quite so welcoming as a walkway that seamlessly draws visitors to your new front porch and eventually into your home.
Ready to Tackle a Front Porch Makeover?
In your attempt to make your home more welcoming, just remember you don’t have to handle your front porch makeover alone.
There are plenty of professionals with the expertise to make the whole job go more smoothly. So have at it!
