8 Budget-Friendly Exterior Projects for Instant Curb Appeal, Approved by Reno Pros

• Upgrading your home’s curb appeal can be done on a budget with a few simple DIY projects.
• Painting, replacing house numbers and light fixtures, and updating hardware can be done quickly.
• Larger-scale projects include landscaping, power washing, replacing deck boards, and clearing yard debris.

Even if you aren’t in the market to sell your home, most homeowners want a house they can take pride in. Improving the curb appeal of your home is the first step to ensuring you present the house in the best possible way, but this doesn’t mean you need to empty your wallet on expensive upgrades.

Experts weigh in to help you discover eight budget-friendly projects to add instant curb appeal.

Paint Exterior Finishes

Adding a fresh coat of paint to the siding can immediately freshen up the exterior of your house, but if your budget is too tight to paint the entire home, then you can stick to touching up the trim and shutters to give the home a cleaner, more polished look.

Similarly, painting the front door or mailbox can improve the appearance of the home for the cost of a small can of paint.

“Painting the front door and updating lighting fixtures makes a bigger impact than you’d think,” says Chris Turner, the Owner and Designer at Elevate by Design.

Want more home reno project tips and inspiration? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest how-tos, reno guides, and more!

Replace House Numbers

After installation, the numbers on a house a rarely touched, but as these numbers go through years of exposure to UV radiation, rain, sleet, and snow, they can get faded, rusted, and worn—and outdated.

Replacing the house numbers can increase the appeal of the property, while also making the home easier to identify from the street with clearly visible house numbers that enhance the existing exterior aesthetic.

Update Landscaping

The lawn and garden are just as important as the home when it comes to improving the overall curb appeal of the property. It’s a good idea to invest in attractive seasonal flowers, trim overgrown bushes, and add fresh mulch to the flower beds to enhance the look of the home.

“Updating the landscaping around the front door is another approach,” Turner says.

A couple of window boxes with fresh plants positioned at the front of the home instantly elevate the exterior aesthetic.

Swap Light Fixtures

A well-lit home exterior helps to ensure that the house isn’t just appealing during the day, but also looks attractive and welcoming in the evening. Replacing old, worn out light fixtures with updated porch and garage lighting enhances the aesthetic quality of the home, while also contributing to the security of the property.

You may also want to consider adding pathway lights or even installing solar-powered garden lights to create a warm, welcoming feel.

Power Washing the Driveway, Walkway, and Patio

Sometimes the best way to improve the look of your home is simply to give it a good wash. This can include scrubbing the doors and cleaning the windows, especially after years of dust and dirt has built up on the outside of the house.

“If you’re on a tight budget, pressure washing the driveway, the walkway, and siding is a quick, budget friendly (assuming you have a pressure washer), and easy thing you can do to improve the curb appeal,” Turner says.

Just make sure you know how to handle the pressure washer to avoid damaging your home.

Replace Deck Boards and Railings

Instead of replacing your whole deck, focus on replacing individual boards and sections of railing that may be more worse for wear than the surrounding area.

After replacing these parts of the deck, sand down the entire structure, then add a coat of paint or stain to finish the job. Similarly, you can replace cracked or broken fence boards to give the yard a more appealing look.

“Any project where a homeowner can successfully buy the right tools and materials to do the project properly and utilize their own labor should be targeted,” says Ryan Meagher, Business Development Manager and Lead Estimator at BVM Contracting.

Remove Debris From the Yard

Another great way to make the home stand out is to keep up with regular maintenance and to make sure that you remove any leaves, sticks, and other debris from the yard.

Raking leaves, mowing the lawn, and clearing debris is essential for maintaining an attractive home exterior.

“These types of updates can impact the home value in more of an indirect way,” Turner says. “They won’t necessarily improve the home valuation much, but it makes a huge difference in the first impression for potential home buyers, which can drive up the home price.”

Updating Hardware on Doors and Shutters

Just as the house numbers can get worn out over time, the hardware and home finishes are equally prone to aging. When you are working with a small budget, sometimes the best thing you can do is to invest it wisely into the features that stand out the most.

Replacing the old door handle, lock, and window hardware can help to give the house an updated appearance. Similarly, installing new window shutters or even just adding a fresh coat of paint to the existing shutters can drastically improve the look of the home.