DIY: 12 tips to beautify your curb appeal on a budget

Whether you’re trying to sell your house or simply attempting to make your home more inviting, you can start with what passers-by see on first blush: your front yard.

Curb appeal can give lagging sale interest a boost and make you a neighborhood favorite, too. But if you’re on your way out, you don’t want to invest too much in sprucing up your place. And even if you have no plans to move, you may want to up the wow factor without over-spending.

Photo by Vino Wong/Staff

“Whether you’re staying in the home or looking [for a new one], having a nice front yard lets people know you’re paying attention,” said master gardener Joe Washington. “You want to make a good first impression.”

The fall season is a good time to start planting, too. With help from Washington, here are some DIY suggestions for enhancing your curb appeal on a budget.

1. Take inventory: Before you run out buying plants and flowers, you should educate yourself about your yard’s layout. You’ll want to know which parts of the yard get the most sun and which sides are most shaded. Some plants and flowers are not tolerant to severe cold; others need more morning sun. You may also already have existing trees and shrubs in your yard that might factor into your purchases.

Perennials, like Hostas, save time and money in the long-run. Photo: Jemea Watkins

2. Think small: “Azaleas get a lot of play, but an emphasis on perennials is important,” Washington said. “You can do a lot depending on what your layout is.” Perennials do not require as much water as annuals. They also have a long life-cycle, so you won’t need to replace them with much frequency. Annuals are less costly initially, but you’ll need to replace them every year; not the case with perennials.

3. Mulch: You’ll want to use mulch. To save money with this step, you can use a few layers of newspaper on the bare ground and put your mulch on top of it. You’ll need less mulch, it serves as a barrier against weeds and it helps retain moisture. “It breaks down and decomposes well, too,” Washington said.

4. More color: Splashes of color draw attention. Annuals can beautify gardens, but you can also use them in container gardens near your front door to catch someone’s eye and give your curb the pop it needs. You can find good deals on pottery. “That’s where you can add some seasonal color,” Washington said. “They do require a little more water, but it’s a good way to get seasonal color without the added expense of trying to plant them all over the yard.”

5. Grass: “You want to minimize your grass area,” Washington said. “It’s the most expensive thing to take care of.” Plants, shrubs, trees and flowers will give you a smaller turf area, cutting down on the cost of maintaining your lawn. Plus, the more grass you have, the more water you’ll use to take care of it. Speaking of water, invest in or make your own rain barrel. Use the water caught in the barrel on your plants, another cost saving measure.

6. Composting: Use what you have. Using vegetable matter mixed in with crushed up leaf material is a good organic food source for your soil. You don’t have to pay $5 for a bag of organic nutrients if you make and use your own.

Before the Annual Spring Atlanta Home Show in March, landscape designer Todd Goulding talked with Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Katie Leslie and provided these curb appeal tips:

1. Clean up clutter in the yard: hoses, toys, trash, etc.

2. Prune your hedges for the manicured look

3. Fix shoddy shudders

4. Add a bench to the front walk

5. Bring color to the front door with a fresh coat of paint

6. Add a welcome mat for a finished look

“None of these cost a lot,” said Washington, who’ll speak at the Annual Fall Atlanta Home Show held September 25-27 at the Cobb Galleria Centre. “It’s sweat equity. If you do your research, think small, don’t go for instant gratification and look for sales, you can do a lot with $200. I always say its PPT — patience, passion and time. If you have a couple of those, that will take care of the money end of it.”

What tips do you have for sprucing up your curb appeal on a budget?

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