14 Easy Curb Appeal Updates You Can Do in a Weekend

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Increasing your home’s curb appeal doesn’t require a massive budget or a major time commitment. Tackling just a few simple projects, such as adding solar landscaping lighting or a simple but sophisticated doormat, can instantly elevate your entire exterior. Whether you’re prepping your property to attract potential buyers or just want to feel a swell of pride every time you pull up, these quick curb appeal updates offer a quick way to transform first impressions.

Replacing a warn-out doormat is a 2-minute fix that instantly improves your home’s aesthetic, and Porte+Hall’s curated collection makes finding the perfect pick quick and easy. For a refined and luxurious look, the popular brand’s Porter Mat features a thick, hand-knotted weave of 100 percent Italian outdoor yarns that are both stain- and fade-resistant. If dealing with heavy foot traffic and inclement weather is your main priority, its American-made Outlier Mat uses tough bristles arranged in an attractive geometric pattern to deliver maximum boot-scraping power. Both styles come in a range of colors, hose down for easy cleaning, and are fully recyclable. 

Get the Porte + Hall outdoor doormat at Porte + Hall, starting at $158.

Planters filled with flowing greenery and pops of color are the perfect way to frame an entryway or anchor a porch. Although they mimic the modern look of heavy stone or ceramic containers, the Veradek V-Resin Tapered Planters are made from lightweight polypropylene composite that’s easy to move and withstands intense sun and seasonal freezes without fading or cracking. They’re sold in pairs or singles, two sizes, and four colors (black, white, gray, and espresso) and include a removable insert shelf so you don’t have to fill them full of heavy soil.

Get a 2-pack of 30-inch Veradek planters at Amazon, Wayfair, or Walmart, starting at $134.99.

It’s hard to believe mulch or gravel could require regular replacement, but natural decomposition, sun bleaching, and wind erosion can cause these elements to look sparse and weathered with time. Refreshing landscaping beds and areas around trees and shrubs with a new layer instantly leaves them looking tidier and helps suppress stubborn weeds. One of our favorite mulches, the Vigoro Premium Brown Wood Mulch, not only carries a 12-month color guarantee to ensure it looks vibrant all season, it also protects plantings by stabilizing soil moisture. For walkways or drainage areas you might see off the front, substituting or accenting with landscaping rocks—like pea gravel, river rock, or crushed stone—provides an attractive, low-maintenance alternative.

Get the Vigoro mulch at The Home Depot for $3.67.

Window shutters add a structured, classic look to your home’s facade, but to achieve a truly high-end finish, skipping cheap plastic varieties is essential. Pinecroft’s ready-to-finish wood shutters provide the depth and crisp shadow lines modern design trends favor, and they’re easy to paint or stain to complement your home’s color. To get the most curb appeal out of your efforts, be sure to pick the right height for your window casings so they appear fully functional rather than stuck on.

Get the Pinecroft wood shutters at Lowe’s, starting at $123.62.

The front door is a natural focal point for curb appeal, and the choice to refresh it is one you can tailor to match your timeline, budget, and DIY skills. With a free weekend and a can of exterior paint, you can introduce a completely new color. If you’re after a simpler upgrade, you can swap a dated handle for new hardware in as little as an hour or two. Then, to maximize visual appeal as well as modern convenience, popping on our pick for the best video doorbell, the Google Nest, creates instant tech appeal alongside comforting video security.

Read our full review: Google Nest Doorbell

What our tester says: “This is hands down the best video doorbell in the market right now. Not only is it simply beautiful to look at, it’s also packed with cool features and has excellent sound and video quality.”—Paul Rankin, Product Reviews tester and writer

Get the Google Nest doorbell at Amazon, The Home Depot, Walmart, Best Buy, or Google, starting at $139.99.

Planting a new tree might feel like a massive, long-term commitment, but choosing a smaller specimen allows you to enjoy it immediately. Dwarf varieties, such as the Jelly King Crab Apple or certain types of Japanese maples, provide the same stunning impact as their full-size counterparts while keeping maintenance to a minimum. And if you aren’t sure how long you’re staying put but still want to add a bit of height and color, opting for a variety that grows well in a container can deliver visual interest today that you can take with you tomorrow. 

Get the Crimson Queen Japanese maple tree at The Home Depot for $75.56.

Spotted, thin patches across your yard are true eyesores for anyone who cares about landscaping, which is why something as simple as a little lawn repair is critical to curb appeal. And since Scotts Turf Builder Thick’R Lawn contains drought-tolerant seed with built-in fertilizer and soil conditioners, it turns what’s traditionally a multi-step routine into a single application. With a little extra water while your new seeds germinate, you’ll see rapid root development and an up to 50 percent thicker lawn.

Get the Scotts grass seed at Amazon, Lowe’s, The Home Depot, or Scotts, starting at $57.25.

Years of baked-on grime, pollen, and mud can leave your driveway and sidewalk looking dull, but a quick deep clean that strips away that buildup will reveal the much more pristine surface that lies beneath. In our tests of the best pressure washers, the battery-powered Ryobi 2000 Whisper Electric Pressure Washer delivered up to 2,000 PSI of cleaning power to remove dirt and mud from concrete and siding, as well as smears, splatters, and dog slobbers from windows. Just be aware that it’s sold as tool only, so unless you already own a Ryobi 40-volt battery, you’ll need to pick up a battery and charger to go with it. 

Get the Ryobi pressure washer at The Home Depot for $399.00.

Mounting window boxes beneath your front windows is a classic trick for introducing eye-catching color while softening hard lines. But tending to them isn’t always easy, which is why the Lechuza Balconera self-watering planter features a clever design that separates the heavy planting liner from the outer shell. You simply install the modern, matte-finish box to your window frame or railing (hanging hardware sold separately), then drop the pre-planted insert into place. A built-in water reservoir handles the rest, wicking moisture to blooming plants so they look lush all season long.

Get the Lechuza window box at Amazon for $81.90.

An empty front porch or unused corner of the front yard can make a home feel closed off, but adding a dedicated seating area to that space creates an open invitation to slow down and connect. To ensure you can really relax, these highly rated Adirondack chairs from Lifetime feature the characteristic comfort these chairs are known for without the maintenance of traditional wood. Molded from heavy-duty, weather-resistant polystyrene, they’re designed to withstand blistering sun and freezing snow so your new seating area lounge stays colorful year-round.

Get the Lifetime Adirondack chair at Amazon, The Home Depot, Wayfair, Walmart, or Lifetime, starting at $184.49.

If your home has a dark exterior that makes it feel less inviting after sunset, adding strategically placed landscaping lights not only ups evening curb appeal but also serves as an easy way to show off your green thumb. In our review of the Enbrighten Eternity landscape lights, our tester noted that the 12 low-profile LED lights were “ridiculously easy” to set up, loved that the heads rotate so you can aim them exactly where you want, and deemed the overall effect polished without being over the top. There’s a companion app that allows you to dim the brightness or cycle through millions of custom color combinations, and you can link additional strands for a total of up to 150 feet.

Read our full review: Enbrighen Eternity Landscaping Lights

What our tester says: “One month in, I’m loving the look, the durability, and the simplicity. Honestly, I’m already eyeing where I might add more.”—Paul Rankin, Product Reviews tester and writer 

Get the Enbrighten landscaping lights at Amazon or Enbrighten for $129.99.

Upgrading to a new set of house numbers instantly polishes a front entryway, and checking out a variety of address number styles can help you find a look that perfectly matches your home’s personality. A classic choice like RCH Supply Company’s solid brass surface-mount numbers (available in several finishes) delivers a clean look that works for modern and traditional homes alike. Whether you choose to mount them horizontally, vertically, or staggered, remember to pre-drill pilot holes and drive the included rust-resistant screws in by hand so you don’t strip the hardware.

Get the RCH Supply Company house numbers at Wayfair for $10.10.

Clearing your gutters of built-up leaves and gunk doesn’t just prevent overflow from leaving water stains on your exterior or washing away your landscaping, it also creates a level of tidiness that’s noticeable before anyone reaches the front door. And once that part of the project is done, installing a permanent barrier like Raptor’s gutter guards ensures you won’t have to put in near as much effort next year. This DIY-friendly system uses a fine stainless steel mesh to block everything from pine needles to tiny seeds, and the five-foot sections can either slide under your shingles or mount right to your gutter’s edge.

Get the Raptor gutter guards at Amazon for $139.99.

Adding vertical dimension to your front exterior is an excellent way to soften a bare facade, and installing a sturdy trellis like the 7-foot Vigoro Glory delivers architectural interest before any vines even take off. Featuring an elegant, contemporary profile and all-steel construction, this modern framework does double duty by providing the perfect support for plants as they mature. To give foliage like climbing roses the best foundation, push its spiked legs firmly into the soil a few inches away from your foundation wall, then gently weave and secure the new canes to the lower bars using soft plant ties.

Get the Vigoro trellis at The Home Depotfor $42.97.

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