The first thing guests or a potential buyer sees when looking at your house is the front entrance. The way that your lawn flows into a pathway to your front door can go a long way to increase your home’s curb appeal, even if you aren’t planning to sell or move anytime soon. These six fabulous front porch ideas help maintain the look and feel of your home without breaking the bank.
If you’ve lived in your home for a while, there are certain things you’ve gotten used to. You might not notice the crooked cobblestone in the front garden path or the bit of window trim that juts out further than the rest. Upgrades as simple as a new coat of paint do wonders for a front door, as does adding a vibrant, green synthetic lawn.
1. Revamp the Front Door
When was the last time you thought about your front door?
Our front doors usually don’t occupy much of our attention, but taking care of your front door can be a simple and easy way to increase your home’s looks and value. If your door is sound, a new coat of paint is often enough to give your home a fresh look. Brightly colored doors stand out exceptionally well, especially if the exterior of your home is a more muted color. Others match the door’s color to the color of your exterior window frames, as well.
If paint won’t cover the damage your home has endured, replacing it all together is still a cost-effective option for upgrading your front area.
If you have a period home, be sure that your door style matches the style of your home. New hardware such as window frames, door knockers, and doorknobs all come in Colonial, Victorian, Georgian, Modern, Southwest, and many other styles.
2. Install New Lights
A well-lit entryway provides a safe and welcoming atmosphere for your home. A dark or underlit doorway can make your house seem shadowy. Unlocking doors is just easier with some illumination. Porch lights do more than illuminate, however. They should enhance the structural features of the front of your house and highlight what you like most about its exterior as well.
For example, a light placed centrally above the front door lights up the whole entryway. For a more symmetrical look, two lights placed on either side of the front door bring an appealing balance.
Make sure your lights are not so bright that they reflect into your house or cause glare for the neighbors. Additionally, a small light that illuminates your house numbers can be beneficial for anyone trying to find your home, such as delivery drivers or guests.
Front door lights add even more when they are repeated in the form of garden lights and walkway lights. These small, easily installed lights can be solar or battery-powered, and provide small rings of light to show the boundaries of flowerbeds or the path to the front door.
3. Front Porches and Windows
Real estate experts tell us that a front porch provides significant additional value. A front porch is a welcoming, sheltered place to visit with friends or enjoy the weather. A new coat of paint can revamp a front porch easily.
If your home doesn’t have a front porch, adding one could be beneficial. If you want to add on a porch, be sure to choose a design that fits the style of the rest of your home. You want your porch to look like it was meant to be there, and not something that was thrown up in a hurry.
Also, keep in mind that the most profit-garnering front porches are those that stay very clean. Given the space they provide, they sometimes become a gathering place for clutter. Be sure to utilize your porch carefully. You don’t want a value-add to turn into an eye-sore.
Windows are another feature that draw peoples’ eyes. Deteriorating window frames and faded glass has a way of making the entire home look decrepit. Double or triple glazed windowpanes in bright (or dark), vinyl frames can be incredibly helpful. Homebuyers appreciate the power of new windows to reduce energy bills and provide sound-proofing.
Finally, window boxes with flowers or other plants enliven your home with color and greenery throughout the year.
4. Frame the Entrance
There are many tricks for framing your home to get people to see what you want them to see. Light-colored pathways or colors will make smaller spaces seem bigger, for instance. Creating a frame for your home’s entryway starts at your lawn or driveway and ends at your front door. All of these spaces work together to create an irresistible harmony that hopefully will evoke an emotional response from homebuyers.
The driveway leading up to your home should be framed with shrubbery or landscaping, or highlighted by a small barrier or fence that matches the style of your home. The pathway from the driveway to your front door should be made of materials that highlight the architectural style of your home’s exterior. For example, cobblestones or brick paths highlight small cottage-style homes well. Concrete or limestone enhances the look and feel of a modern home.
Your lawn itself should be well landscaped to reduce the appearance of weeds. One way to establish this is through do-it-yourself artificial lawn installation. Synthetic lawns are simple to install and very easy to maintain. They ensure that your front yard always looks neat and green, regardless of the season.
5. Add Extra Outside Storage
Many people have gardens, compost bins, and trash bins that live in their driveways or on the side of their homes. One way to keep these bins out of sight is to build them their own small storage space. This structure doesn’t have to be anything more than a small enclave with a door that is easily opened and shut when needed. Neat wood paneling or fencing can be used to section off that area.
Additional outside storage space for bikes, scooters, or other equipment can be beneficial, as this keeps these objects from taking up space on your porch. A small shed or bike rack can provide a safe place where bikes can be locked up, and accessories can be stored in a dry place. Keeping machinery and sports equipment locked away helps the side of the house appear clean and spacious.
6. Little Landscaping Touches
The final touch to making your front porch fabulous is as easy as finding a couple of plants that you like. Adding in small trees, climbing plants, or shrubs to frame your front door adds character and personality to your home.
If your door doesn’t have enough sunlight, consider artificial plants. The use of artificial landscape grass can make a green corridor that expands your landscaping from your yard to your front porch to your window boxes.
To learn more about fabulous front porch ideas, contact the experts at SYNLawn at (866) 796-5296. Our synthetic lawn specialists will be happy to answer any questions you have.