DIY Network

Five Steps to Better Curb Appeal

Master gardener Maureen Gilmer, host of Weekend Gardening, spells out ideal ways to pump up the curb appeal of a home.

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	Even if there's just a small strip of planter, adding bright color draws the eye to any entry. (All photos courtesy of Maureen Gilmer)
	When foundation beds are overflowing with color and foliage, a house invites potential buyers with its well-tended appearance.
	To give a simple house dramatic appeal, plant quantities of flowers in a well-considered palette of colors.
	Tidy up all exposed soil with a thick layer of finely ground bark mulch.
	Masses of single colors add a more elegant appearance than haphazard mixtures of flowers.

Heightened curb appeal in five DIY steps

By Maureen Gilmer

March 5, 2007 — Curb appeal is the buzzword for how good your house and yard looks from the street. If your house isn't selling, or if you're preparing to put it on the market, chances are your front yard could use a facelift.

Here are the five most common projects. Whether you hire someone to do the work or do it yourself, these projects can all be accomplished with supplies from the home improvement store.

1. Edge it.

   That line that divides lawn from flowerbed may have lost its crisp edge, which gives the yard an unkempt appearance. Replace old battered boards with thick, tumbled concrete pavers made with tapered edges so they'll follow the wavy lines of landscaping. These give you the look of an expensive poured mow strip for a fraction of the cost. Remember: The heavier the paver, the better it stays in place.

2. Mulch it.

   As shrubs age, you see more of the bare ground beneath them. This isn't just ugly, it makes a perfect home for weeds. Cover up that bare ground with attractive surfacing that cuts down on maintenance and upgrades your overall look. Use bagged organic mulch, such as ground fir bark, needles or even compost, to cover the surface with a clean earth-tone layer at least two inches thick.

3. Stain it.

   Old concrete walks, steps and planters not only crack, but they also get stained and discolored. It's a mistake to use exterior concrete paint because this looks like you painted it, and, to make matters worse, it chips and peels. Instead, use the new colored concrete stains available via a home improvement store paint department. They don't sit on top like paint, but instead penetrate the slab with special chemicals that interact with the concrete. The resulting coloration unifies all your paving and can even mimic more expensive stone. Achieve a mottled patina by applying with a pump sprayer in a shade to match your facade palette.

4. Color it.

   Fences that run from house to property line or along borders may be six-foot board type or short pickets. Either way, when they start looking worn out, they really give your curb appeal a black eye. A simple fix is to unify the color with paint, or heavy body stains can give you a whole new look. These stains will cover up any fresh repairs or stains from sprinkler water that often mar the bottom of older fences. Avoid colors labeled "redwood," and stick with more muted upscale tones such as warm gray, soft greens, antique gold and subtle blues that work well with your existing house paint tone.

5. Plant it.

   Flowers are always eye-catching, so don't scrimp on your seasonal color. Buy whole flats of six packs in coordinated hues that work with your existing landscape style. Rather than buying premixed colors, buy quantities of a single color that amplify its visibility from the street. Remember: The only way you can go wrong here is not planting enough to do the job.

   Get a jump start on spring home sales with cool seasonal annuals such as violas, primroses, Iceland poppy and snapdragons. Later in the summer, change out your beds to include heat-loving marigolds, petunias, zinnia and salvia to keep your lawn bright and beautiful.

All these ideas are equally useful in the backyard, too. They're also perfect for preparing for a backyard wedding or party. If you bought a new home and want a quickie makeover or just want to upgrade an existing house, try them and see how quickly things change.

If you're selling your house in a sluggish market, remember that first impressions are important. Curb appeal may lure that prospective buyer driving by to stop in for a look. And those coming to look with an agent will find that your front yard efforts heighten anticipation for the great house that lies within.

(Maureen Gilmer is a horticulturist and host of Weekend Gardening. E-mail her at mo@moplants.com. For more information, visit: www.moplants.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)

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