Fall is a beautiful season and a great time for fix-it-up projects around the house! Adding curb appeal can go a long way when adding value to your home, improving the exterior for your own enjoyment, or taking care of maintenance that is overdue.

Before jumping into any remodeling or renovation project, we always recommend you spend time thinking about a few things: your budget, the timeline for your project, and the purpose. When you have these clearly outlined, your project will go much more smoothly and you can avoid unexpected bumps along the way. Whether you are looking to upgrade your home’s style, need to make a repair, or are ready to replace something or improve your home’s value, your budget, timelines, and purpose will guide your decision-making throughout the project.

Simple Curb Appeal Projects for Fall

Add New House Numbers

Adding style and something unique to your house numbers can really increase your home’s curb appeal because this is often the first thing other’s see when they visit. Since this is a first point of reference, making an impact with your house numbers can change the first impression of your home immediately. Pinterest is filled with ideas for how to creatively display your house numbers. We just recommend you keep it easy to read from a distance so there are no holiday package delivery mishaps!

It’s also important to remember that however creative and beautiful some ideas are, protecting the integrity of your home is the biggest priority. Never use nails or hooks that puncture your siding when attaching house numbers or decor. Holes in your siding create opportunities for water and insects to enter.

Create a welcoming front porch

The front porch is often the second place people look once they have found your home. Make your porch welcoming. You can do this by adding seating if there is space, adding potted plants, and having a clean and attractive rug or mat outside your door. Another great way to make the porch more welcoming is to add light fixtures that match your home’s style and keep your porch well-lit after dark. Since it is fall, this is also a good time to make sure your steps and porch railings are up to snuff. With winter headed this way, preventing slips and falls when the weather gets icy is something you will appreciate later!

Tidy up the yard

Fall clean-up takes up a bulk of the work for maintenance in this season – which is natural with all the plants moving into dormancy and shedding leaves. Fall is a great time to perform lawn and landscape maintenance as it is the natural period that trees, shrubs, and even grass are beginning to prepare for the cold winter, followed by a season of new growth. Pruning and fertilizing in the fall prepares plants for abundant fresh growth in the spring and reduces the chances of disease in the plant.

Trim up any broken or low-hanging branches and trim back overgrowth to size so your plants can bloom in good health in the spring. Be sure to limb up any tree branches that have gotten too close to the house to avoid breaking during a winter freeze. If you aren’t up to climbing ladders or would like a professional’s eye, consider hiring an arborist or landscape maintenance company to help out and get the job done right.

Clean, repair, or renovate walkways

Depending on the state of your driveway and walkways, you can tackle curb appeal in a variety of ways. Some may only find their concrete needs a good power washing to look fresh. Others may need to seal cracks, reseal or repair asphalt, and others may want to completely re-do their look by adding stone tiles over existing walkways. Regardless of which level of maintenance or renovation is right for you, clean, well-kept walkways are very noticeable when visitors come to your home.

These easy projects can likely be completed in an afternoon. But maybe you have a larger project in mind. When you’re ready to really change the appearance of your home and increase your home’s value, we recommend looking at these types of projects. Bonus- most of these are in the top 5 for best return on investment in your home!

Paint window and door trim and shutters

Depending on the type of material your window and door trim is made from, a medium difficult project would be to freshen them up with a coat of paint. This can help prevent sun fading in some material types, and if you choose a new color, can make a big difference on the look of your home. Choosing more modern colors may be just the face lift your home needed! If your home has shutters, painting them will definitely make a statement and if you don’t have shutters, consider installing some for a more upscale style.

Replace doors or windows

A door that is correctly installed and offers high quality can add incredible value to your home. You will be able to enjoy your new entry door and the benefits it provides, such as ease of operation, low maintenance, and energy savings in your home. Plus of course, a beautiful entry that makes an outstanding first impression in curb appeal, all while knowing your home and family is protected and secure.

When it comes to replacement windows, this may be on your list due to the age or functionality of the windows in your home. Windows that cause a draft or are difficult to operate can be a sign that its time upgrade. If you are seeing signs of damage to the frames or areas around your window, it is likely they will need to be replaced. Check out our blog about How to Tell if Your Windows are Damaged.

Our customers are often amazed at the difference it makes when they finally do get their windows replaced. They no longer feel drafts in their home, the temperature is easier to maintain – meaning their energy costs decrease, sometimes by as much as 25% – and the value of their home increases. Plus, they just look so much nicer!

Replace siding

Your siding plays a very important role in defending your home against weather. By choosing materials that are suited for our Kansas climate and for the amount of upkeep you want to perform, you can find the siding material that is the best fit for your home.

When we think about material options, we find it easiest to evaluate them based on two factors: durability and cost.
There’s nothing we enjoy more than helping homeowners create something truly unique and beautiful for their home’s exterior style with siding. We love that our preferred siding manufacturer (Quality Edge) makes all of these styles possible with the siding they create, while keeping the materials maintenance-free and long-lasting!

Upgrade your garage door

The garage door is an often overlooked part of your home’s exterior. Since most affordable garage doors don’t have a lot of style options, it can be challenging to figure out the best way to make your door look nice and match the look of your home. Adding hardware and paint is a good starting place. If your door is outdated, consider looking at newer style options. Upgrading your garage door to include windows and more modern accents will make your home look much more customized and is the number one best return on investment when renovating your home.

Fall is one of our favorite times to take on these projects and when winter rolls around, many of these projects are nice to have checked off so you can enjoy the benefits of a more energy-efficient and well-maintained home.