Real Estate Pros Say These 5 Easy Outdoor Tweaks Can Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal and Value — Instantly

You want your house to look great from the inside-out — it's where you spend most of your time, after all. But did you know that investing in your house's exterior can actually make it worth more money? You don't have to hire expensive contractors or landscapers to beautify your home, either. In fact, you can give the outside of your house an inexpensive, instant home makeover over the weekend for cheap. Check out these easy, budget-friendly tips that’ll make your home look like a million bucks.

Spotlighting key areas once it gets dark adds elegance to your home, says Michael Winkler of Sell Home Today. Just stick a solar spotlight in the ground about 1 foot from what you’d like to illuminate — focus on walkways, ornamental trees, or window boxes — and point the light up at it, he advises. Tip: Choose "warm" solar lights, which create an inviting ambience (Buy from Amazon, $29.99 for pack of two).

You need a mailbox, but it might be an eyesore. It's often the first thing people see, and beautifying it can instantly elevate your front yard. "Just paint the box — no need to do the post — to match your front door color," says interior designer and realtor Carmelo Carrasco. "Coordinating it with your door creates a seamless look that's instantly pleasing to the eye." Talk about a tip that delivers.

Your front door provides another early impression of your home, so it's important to make it a good one. While a fresh coat of paint and a fun welcome mat can work wonders, you can also give your entrance a simple face-lift with a few hardware upgrades to your front door, advises Jonathan Faccone of Halo Homebuyers. For example, replacing old or worn-out doorknobs with shiny new metallic versions creates a more modern, sought-after look.

Outdoor utility boxes and A/C compressors are necessities, but they aren't the most aesthetically appealing. Good news: It's easy to prevent them from ruining your landscaping, assures realtor Lindsey Mahoney of BuildingBluebird.com. "The key is to screen them from view without obstructing access to them," she says. "A great way to do that for free is with a used picket fence or wood shutters, which are often given away on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist." Just plant flowers in front, and you’re done.

There's no faster way to upgrade your entry than with a few well-placed plants and flowers. Whether you have one or two potted plants on your steps or bunches of flowers planted along your walkway, the vibrance will project warmth and liveliness. To keep the look fresh, try planting clusters of flowers within the same color family and choose perennials so they come back year after year. You can also opt for hearty flowers like chrysanthemums — they bloom year-round for low-maintenance beauty.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman's World.

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