What do you want your home to say when a guest arrives at your house? Welcome! Or how about the delivery driver bringing your groceries? How about, “We’re glad you’re here!” Perhaps not to every kid in the neighborhood selling stuff, but generally, we want to present a very welcoming home.

Your front door's first impression matters most.

The easiest way to create a personal entryway is by ordering a custom home sign from Entry Envy! With beautiful, simple subscription décor, our custom signs can adorn your last name, monogram, or house numbers. 

It’s incredible how much a front door says about you. And honestly, it may not be telling the story of your life that you want it to. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it ten times…first impressions are everything. First, let’s define the “front door.” I would say that when I refer to your front door, it encompasses the following: your steps to your entry, the rug in front of your door, the front of your house immediately to the right and left of your door about 6’, the windows within that same range, planter pots or seasonal décor you have on your porch area, a light, your doorbell, exposed curtains or blinds, the screen/storm door if there is one, the hardware on your screen door and front door, the threshold below your front door and your front door itself. Oh yeah, so much more than your front door.

We form a first impression in 7 seconds.

And even if you want to believe that the first impression of your front door has nothing to do with you, I would beg to differ. Your guests form the first impression the moment they walk into your home, and everything that happens once you actually open the door is filtered through the lens of first impressions.

As someone approaches, they look at the sidewalk. Is it cracked and uneven? Perhaps stamped concrete? They get to the stairs of your porch. Are there welcoming planters? A nice rug? Is it clean and tidy? Some seasonal décor? Or are there spider webs, dirt, a ratty doormat, and dirty glass? I sure know which doorbell I want to ring! 

So let’s specifically talk about the front door.

The entire exterior could look tired, but if the front door looks fresh, your impression of what may be on the other side instantly changes. Here’s what you don’t want:

• Faded and chipped paint. You don’t even know your paint is faded. It likely is, trust me.
• Old school glass panes
• Out of date storm door with outdated hardware, torn screen, dirty glass, or loose parts
• Squeaking when you open it
• A worn-out, dirty threshold (the bottom-most area you walk over as you go through the door)

So, how do you level up without breaking the bank? 

It’s honestly not that hard or time-consuming. Some of you may know that I have a bit of a construction streak, so I linked a couple of the projects below from my house remodel. You can do this. You do not need to hire it out. Change into your work clothes and get started! 

Clean

This is basic - get the blower, a broom, and Windex. Just like inside your home, start at the top and work your way down by knocking down spider webs, cleaning the glass in the light fixtures and glass doors/windows surrounding the immediate area, and sweeping or blowing off the porch. See, it already looks so much better.

Paint

Repaint your front door and make a statement! Black? Red? Your call, but if you’re going bold, be able to pull it off. If you wouldn’t feel confident wearing a pair of red high heels into a bar, you probably won’t feel comfortable with a red front door. Be thoughtful about this. Remember, your front door directly reflects the person opening it. Modern Masters is my absolute favorite. Here is an excellent tutorial from them on repainting your front door.

Clean up your threshold

The base of entry is such an important part of your house. A cleaning company once told me that they cleaned the glass of the front storm door every single time they came because a sparkling clean door indicated a sparkling clean house. 

If you want the easiest tips on cleaning your threshold, I've covered everything in this blog post here.

Replace weather stripping

This might not seem like the most important thing in the world, but replacing the weather stripping on your front door might be just what your entry needs to look brand new again! Check out everything I have covered on that here.

Get a new doormat

A new rug makes such a difference and size matters! Forget whether it’s indoor or outdoor. That’s mostly a marketing ploy; they never last more than a season anyway. Get a 3x5’ rug to brighten the space. The rug should be welcoming and actually functional. A man invented the standard 2x3’ size. Sorry, not sorry…it’s true. 

New hardware

Now, if you really want to make an impact, switch out the hardware on your front door and update your light fixture. You can make some significant curb appeal impact for less than a couple hundred dollars, and I promise you can do this!

Entry envy signs

Lastly, consider adding an Entry Envy sign! With beautiful, simple subscription décor, our custom signs can adorn your last name, monogram, or house numbers. We’ll ship you a new kit each month (or season, depending on your preference) to keep your sign in style and beautiful! Our process is easy to order, and you’ll have it in a little over a week. Truly, coming home and seeing YOUR sign will bring you joy. It’s a little like an Apple dropped pin: it “marks the spot!”

Entry Envy is your solution to instant curb appeal and no more lost delivery drivers and confused guests! Click here to choose or design your custom sign today.

P.S. Entry Envy custom home signs welcome guests and help delivery drivers validate they are at the correct house. There are so many styles available! If you haven't ordered yours yet, please SHOP HERE to design your unique sign. Monthly home decor subscription boxes make it easy and convenient to keep your sign in style. You'll never have to think about how to update your front porch for the next season or holiday again!