Improve Your Curb Appeal In 12 Easy Steps

STEPS 1 TO 6

Front Porch Ideas for a Great First Impression

(A complete list of sources is included below.)

1. Grunge Is Passé - Replace those grungy, old or dated chair covers with new outdoor pillows and seat cushions made from durable, UV resistant outdoor fabric.
2. Set the Table - Pick a summer bouquet of flowers, pop them in a vase or antique pitcher, and place them in the center of your outdoor table.
3. Make Your Presence Known - Large, easy-to-read house numbers, placed in an easy-to-see location makes finding you, well…easy. Choose house numbers that complement or are in keeping with the style of your house and outdoor decor.
4. Romancing the Porch - Hang gauzy outdoor curtains to inject a little romance. Outdoor curtains mounted on opposite sides will elegantly frame your porch.
5. Roll Out the Red Carpet - Arrange your porch furniture on a new outdoor carpet or place a new welcome mat at the front door. (The color is up to you.)
6. Front Porch First Aid - Revive your front porch and your entrance door with a fresh coat of paint.

STEPS 7 TO 12

Simple Methods for Enhancing the Yard & Garden

1. Raise the Blades - Adjust the grass cutting height on your lawnmower. Leaving grass a little longer will help to keep it green and avoid the late summer browns.
2. Container Gardening - Pot up a few containers for an instant garden. Try something unexpected like a variety of ornamental grasses. Arrange plant containers in groups of three.
3. Life On The Edge - Grease up those elbows and tidy up overgrown edges. A pressure washer makes fast work of lawn edging along driveways and walkways. Use the pressure washer to blast the overgrowth away from the edges, then cut that excess off with the blade of a shovel.
4. Light Up Your Outdoor Life - A few well-placed solar lights or low-voltage landscape lights will lead people to your front door and highlight special features in your yard and garden.
5. The Miracle That Is Mulch - Give your landscape a mini makeover by re-edging flower beds and spreading mulch. The mulch will keep the moisture in and the weeds out.
6. Have A Blast - Eliminate dirt and grime from the exterior of your house, front porch, driveway and sidewalk with a blast from a pressure washer.

Product/Image Sources

1. Outdoor Pillows in Macaw Green & Tangerine Orange - PillowDecor
2. Floral Bouquet Photo - iStockphoto
3. Industrial House Numbers - Design Within Reach
4. Image of Porch with Outdoor Curtain - outdoorcurtain.com
5. Welcome Mat - Chiasso, Outdoor Area Rug - Home Decorators
6. Zero VOC Exterior Paint - Yolo Colorhouse
7. Neuton Battery Powered Lawnmower - Neuton Power Equipment
8. Lunaform Concrete Planters - Urban Pot
9. Image of great curb appeal - SuzyRenovator
10. Landscape Lighting - Path Light & Well Light - LampsPlus
11. Natural Wood Mulch
12. Karcher Pressure Washer - Northern Tool & Equipment