Post on 15-Jul-2020
Maximize Your Home’s Curb Appeal
For Both Enjoyment And Value
PorchIdeas.com
Front Porch Ideas and More
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Welcome,
Maximizing your home’s curb appeal, whether to enhance the look of your home for your
own enjoyment or preparing it for sale, is easy to do, relatively inexpensive, and will
increase your home’s aesthetic value.
Everyone notices a beautiful front porch or entranceway, many of which lead you to
wonder what’s inside such a beautiful home. We consider porches, no matter the size,
the “first room” of your home. We’ve traveled the country to find ideas for designing,
building, decorating, and landscaping porches, stoops, and entranceways knowing the
value a curb appealing one can be.
We’ve created this eBook to help you in that endeavor by providing ideas, tips, and
examples for using one of your home’s greatest assets – your front porch, stoop, or
entranceway, to increase its curb appeal.
Mary and I hope you find our information most helpful.
We love porches, Mary and Dave FrontPorchIdeas.com
This eBook is complementary and is not for sale. You may not alter the content of this eBook without
our consent. Although the content is copyrighted, you have permission to share this eBook with
others, include in newsletters, articles, etc., as long as you credit FrontPorchIdeas.com
Whether you have a large wrap around front porch or small
stoop, we have ideas and tips for creating a most curb
appealing front porch and entranceway.
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Add a Pop of Color!
No matter the season adding a little color on the porch
catches the eye and adds warmth to what would be an
otherwise monochromatic scene.
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You could just as easily place vases, lanterns, or other objects of
contrasting colors on a small table. You could even place
planters with contrasting colors strategically on your porch.
Contrasting
color
combinations
can be
striking.
You don’t
need
expensive
furniture and
cushions to
achieve the
same result.
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The flowering plants add bursts of beautiful color.
Be sure to maintain them because withered or drooping
plants do not make for a curb appealing porch.
Pastels can work
equally well and
give your porch
a calm and
soothing appeal.
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Here’s a nicely furnished front porch that would appeal to almost everyone.
Ferns work well
as they provide
consistent color
and easily fill the
containers.
Note the mix of
neutral tones and
red cushions.
Both complement
the brick.
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To warm up a bare porch,
add a few chairs, a table with
an outdoor lamp or colorful
object, and a wreath for a
welcoming look.
Turn plain into charming!
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It doesn’t take much to stage your porch or stoop!
A colorful front door with
a subtle wreath and a
wrought iron table can
create a lot of charm and
curb appeal. Tended
flowers around the porch
are eye-catching, too.
Courtesy of Al Shutt
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Outdoor rugs can be
used on almost any
size porch to add
color and warmth.
For a covered porch,
you could use an
inexpensive indoor
rug like we do.
Many are made of
synthetic materials.
Front-Porch-Ideas-And-More.com
See our rug painting tutorial at the end of the slide show to
see how to turn an ordinary rug into a curb appealing one!
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It doesn’t have to
be laborious or
expensive as you
can use items you
already have.
Covering existing
cushions or
painting a planter
or other amenity
can be fun, too!
Remember, curb appeal is the total package consisting of landscaping,
porch amenities and furniture, along with the right color combinations.
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A freshly
painted front
door can add
immense curb
appeal to your
home.
Paint Your Front Door
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Color can be a powerful tool and is one of the least
expensive yet transforming actions you can take to
help stage your home.
A red or blue front door can
be very striking and
attention-getting, especially
against white trim.
You can’t go wrong with a
basic white or black front
door that is freshly painted.
Note how the colors and
heights of the foliage that
frame this red front door
create a visually appealing
entrance.
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The colors on this
Victorian-style front
door won’t work on just
any home but it
definitely defines this
entrance and adds
appeal to this small
stoop.
Make sure the color or
colors you choose also
fit with the architecture
of your home to
achieve a cohesive
look.
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Choose aesthetically pleasing colors that would appeal to
just about anyone. The vibrant color on this front door is
quite striking and inviting.
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Note how this front door adds flair to this small front porch.
See our entire porch paint and color section for more ideas. 16
Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com
Placing an attractive wreath on
your front door can add yet
another dimension to your front
porch.
Select a wreath that fits the
season and complements the
style of your home.
So many from which to choose;
purchase or make your own!
Front Door Wreaths
See our entire decorative front door wreath
section for lots of wreath ideas and projects! 17
Painted Porch Columns and Railings
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Front-Porch-Ideas-And-More.com
A little paint on
your porch
columns can
add just the
right amount
of pizzazz!
You don’t have
to paint the
entire column
to achieve a
nice look.
Add color in locations as shown above or just at the tops,
bottoms, or both as shown in the next picture.
The advantage of painting porch columns or railings is that it
is not permanent. If you don’t like the results, paint over it!
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Note the overall impact of this subtle paint scheme. Porch
columns, the top and bottom rail of the balustrade, the front door,
and the running trim between the porch columns are all painted in
the same trim color. 20
Note how much just a little
paint can change the
appearance of your columns
and porch.
Also note the painted top
and bottom rails in the photo
at left.
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These complementary colored porch columns
match the front door and bring a charming appeal
to this front porch.
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This sawn baluster is painted the same color as the home.
Although it would look great painted white, this color gives
the entire porch a more cohesive look.
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Experiment with paint to get the right look.
These porch columns with a hint of red on the corner as well as
the top and bottom rails of the baluster combine to create
additional curb appeal.
See our entire porch column and porch railing designs sections.
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Use colorful plants
to catch the eye as
you see around
this lovely porch
Keep things neat
and clean and
don’t overwhelm
the space.
Porch Landscaping Ideas
Don’t landscape beyond your capability to properly maintain it.
Withering plants, beds in need of mulch, or shrubs needing to be
trimmed all detract from your overall curb appeal.
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As endearing as these shrubs may be to the homeowner,
removing them would reveal a most amazing curb appealing
front door and porch.
We often“ get used
to things” and end
up with a beautiful
front porch hidden
by very tall shrubs.
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Hanging baskets, properly
attended, can work well on
any size porch and are
another easy way to add
color and interest.
For maximum results, make
sure the colors either
complement or contrast
your color scheme.
Otherwise, they will clash
and detract from the
overall appeal.
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When feasible, extend your landscaping onto your porch.
Often times, landscaping depends on the style of your home
and the lifestyle and expectations of the community in which
you reside.
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Landscaping can add a burst of color and complement your home
and porch. Selecting plants with coordinating colors is an attractive
way to enhance the look of your home. Adding a colorful pillow or
cushion to the porch swing would lend extra appeal.
Simple, neat, and colorful. You don’t need extensive landscaping to make
your front porch appealing from the street.
See our entire porch landscaping section and walkway section for a myriad of
ideas for your front porch and yard. 30
Clean and Make Repairs to Your Front Porch
It should go without
saying that your front
porch should be clean,
neat, and in excellent
repair.
Too often, our entire focus is on the interior and we
forget our front porch is actually the first room of
our home.
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Curb appeal is all
about aesthetics
and charm.
A thorough
cleaning and
repairing of any
problems is a must.
A well maintained front porch immediately conveys that you have
a well maintained home too.
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Give your porch floor a new
coat of paint if it shows signs of
wear and tear.
There are some great products
you can use to revitalize porch
flooring whether it is wood or
concrete.
Make sure porch wood
flooring is in good repair
with no loose or cracked
boards.
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Front-Porch-Ideas-And-More.com
Ensure wrought iron railings are free from rust and are solidly
attached to your porch.
We recommend giving wrought iron railings a coat of rust-proof
paint if they appear aged or worn. 34
Check your porch steps for
any loose stone, brick,
concrete, or wood.
Replace any broken bricks
and tuck-point to repair
mortar joints as necessary.
Fill cracks in concrete
flooring as needed and
replace any caulking that
has deteriorated.
Pressure wash as needed.
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Many home inspectors take note of concrete steps that have
sunken and/or detached from the porch making the first step too
high for code requirements.
Make repairs as necessary; you may want to consider concrete
leveling (or mud jacking) if simple repairs fail to resolve the issue.
Check your porch
columns to ensure they
have not rotted where
they contact your
porch floor or
pedestals, or if
wrought iron, rusted.
Make appropriate
repairs.
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Make sure all of your porch balusters
(pickets) are in good repair.
Replace any broken balusters and tighten
any that are loose.
Make sure they are clean and paint as
necessary.
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Make sure the hardware on
your entry way looks clean
and polished. If it is
tarnished, replace with new
hardware.
Little details count!
Does your doorbell work and
is it in good repair? If not,
replace it with a new one.
Clean your outdoor lights.
Get rid of bugs, cobwebs and
birds’ nests.
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Selling Your Home? Selling your home can sometimes seem overwhelming. You want to maximize the
profit to not only recoup your costs over the years but also to capture the
appreciation of your home’s value.
Many decisions have to be made. One of them is how to present your home to
increase its selling potential.
Staging your home is an important selling technique and creating a great first
impression is essential to any sale.
Although you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover almost everyone judges a home
by what they see before they pass through the front door.
So, we believe staging your porch or entranceway is also extremely important for
two reasons.
No
No
No
No
Ooh, that’s nice…Click!
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92% of prospective buyers use the internet to search for their next home. 1
1 OhioRealtors.org
The first picture they see is usually of the exterior. First impressions count!
Architecture aside, which of these homes do you think
would make a better impression online?
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Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul, says, “Buyers decide in the first eight
seconds of seeing a home if they're interested in buying it.”2
In those first few seconds, what does a person see?
The exterior of your home and front porch!
42 2 Today.com 5 Smart Ways to Sell Your Home
Now you have two major reasons to leverage
your front porch or entranceway:
Make it stand out online to get the “CLICK” and
Make that 8-second first impression count!
Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com
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With a little effort, you too, can create a most charming and curb
appealing front porch that will showcase your home.
Quick And Easy Front Porch Staging Projects
Need to add a little
curb appeal to your
porch?
Check out these easy
porch decorating
ideas you can do –
we show you how!
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We Invite You to Explore the Wonderful World of Porches
at FrontPorchIdeas.com
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We look forward to bringing you the latest ideas for your porch and yard. We’d love
hearing from you; let us know if we can help in any way.
For more ideas for designing, building, furnishing, decorating, and
landscaping your porch, be sure to visit us at FrontPorchIdeas.com
Life is short; enjoy
your porch!
Best wishes, Mary and Dave
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