𝘉𝘺 𝘌𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘍𝘢𝘳𝘣𝘦𝘳
Early spring in Iowa can be a little brown, muddy and drab. When listing your home for sale, how do you create curb appeal when the entire outdoors is still waiting to green up? Here are 6 ways!
Start with a little general housekeeping. Sweep away the sand and salt that has accumulated on your driveway, walkways and entryways. Collect any sticks that may have fallen from your trees over the winter and rake up any copious piles of leaves and other litter that blew in and collected over the winter.
Stand at the front of your house and look at the front door. Is it faded and drab? Would a pop of color help? Consider painting your front door to freshen things up, but keep in mind paint cures best on days that are at least 50 degrees (and ideally nighttime temperatures shouldn’t be below 32 degrees for several days after painting. You’ll want to keep the door “open” for 24 hours after the final coat before you close the door, so having a locking storm door is very helpful. If you must close the door before the 24 hour mark, use strips of wax paper between the door jamb and door (but give your new paint a couple hours of dry time before attempting).
How’s your entryway light? Old and faded? Dated? Hanging crooked? A new exterior light fixture can jazz up your exterior entryway and will help welcome and guide guests to your door.
Do you have a welcome mat? Shake it out, and if it has seen better days now is a great time for a sharp looking new mat at the entryway. Layered mats are a fun way to mix colors, patterns and seasonal décor.
Even if the weather is not warm enough for you to currently be using the furniture on your front porch it doesn’t mean that porch chair or bench can’t look welcoming. Spray them down to remove dust and grime. Wash the cushion covers and add some outdoor pillows with pops of color.
A pot of flowers likely won’t survive long while our temperatures are still dipping down below freezing at night, but you can create a natural potted decoration piece to complement your front porch with birch branches, evergreen branches, dried eucalyptus, boxwood, holly, and red or yellow dogwood twigs.
