I’ve taken a lot of time reflecting on this question. At the end of the day, I’m going to say curb appeal on your home is just another layer of your life that matters; because it does.

I was raised to wear clean underwear and have no holes in my socks. Leave the house clean. Wear a slip when wearing a dress (for the record, I don’t own one any longer! Sorry, grandma). Iron the clothes. Mow the yard. Rake the leaves. Plant flowers on Mother’s Day. Wash the windows. If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right. All the little details make the difference for the woman who looks like she has her life together; appearances matter. This may not be my most popular post because you may not agree or may not want to admit your biases.

Why First Impressions Matter

First impressions matter for people we meet, restaurants we dine in, businesses we enter, cities, people’s homes, etc. They might be wrong, but they are formed within seconds. When you pull up to someone’s house and approach their front porch, people make some assumptions. Part of that assumption is that if the house is well cared for on the outside, it's likely the same on the inside. I have two children who tend to spend a lot of time with friends. When I am picking them up or dropping them off, my primary thought is: if the home looks well cared for on the outside, like a safe and suitable house, I am willing to leave my child there for a few hours. A real estate agent’s perspective looks at the exterior through the lens of how salable your house is. Your neighbors look at your house because when everyone’s exterior looks nice, all property values rise. So, here are the basics to having a home that the neighbors appreciate, a real estate agent could sell, and appeal to your kids’ friends’ parents.

Exterior Basics:

• Visible house numbers! With an Entry Envy sign, not only will your house numbers be visible, but they will be appealing. Click here to start designing.
• No “crap” stacked up against the house, garage, etc. Get rid of it or put it in the backyard out of street-side view
• Tidy garden hoses
• Nice mailbox
• No loose parts on the house - gutters, shutters, trim, shingles, etc.
• Clean windows
• Clean front porch (swept)
• Newer entry mat (replace yearly)
• Mowed yard (make sure to do a final mow before winter)
• Well maintained landscaping. Less is often more.
• No outdated seasonal décor (i.e. take down your Christmas stuff!) Entry Envy can help with this by sending you a subscription for a décor kit to keep your porch updated each month!

Exterior “Leveled Up”

• Repainted within the past 10-15 years
• Repainted or replaced front door
• Updated doorbell - this doesn’t have to be a Ring or Nest, but can be as simple as a $15 electronic doorbell
• Updated exterior light fixtures
• Repainted or replaced garage door
• Front porch décor and seasonal outdoor rug
• Modern house numbers. Accomplish a modern house number sign AND front porch décor with a custom Entry Envy sign. 

Spending a few hours on the exterior of your home a few times a year can genuinely preserve the value of your home AND simply make you feel better! Not to mention, if you spend a little more to “level up” you can add tens of thousands in value to your home value.

When things on our “to-do list” hang over our head, they drain our precious energy. The energy we could spend on things we have to do, haven’t done, have yet to do, don’t have the money to do, are not capable of doing, etc. You get where I’m going with this? Whether it's with the outside of your house or any other aspect of your life, commit to do one item on your “running” to-do list per week. Put it on your calendar and get it done. I know you’re busy, but you will truly feel so much better. When you put things on your to-do list, they might get done. When you put them on your calendar and create the block of time required, you are so much more likely to stick to your commitment and get the task accomplished.

So, just do it.

Care about your house, take care of it, get your to-do list done, and you will truly feel so much better and proud of where you live. It’s an investment that keeps on giving!

Adding Curb Appeal to Your Home or Office with Entry Envy

Our custom exterior wooden house signs make the perfect gift for current homeowners who want to update their curb appeal and make their homes more identifiable. Our monthly sign refill décor kits make life simple by shipping the upcoming holiday and seasonal decor straight to their door. 

Browse our custom home signs or to order a gift, please click HERE.

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!