Updating your property’s curb appeal is an excellent way to customize the exterior of your house and increase its perceived home value. However, a full-blown exterior refurbishing is not the only way to boost the curb appeal of your rental property. Instead, simple and budget-friendly upgrades can also enhance the exterior of your house and give it a fresh look without draining your wallet.
Being experienced property managers in Berkeley, CA, we understand how important curb appeal is for your rental property and present a few affordable ways to give your home a high-end look.
Apply Bold And Beautiful Colors
A quick splash of paint can transform your front yard and reboot your home’s exterior. So rev up your imagination and try out different ideas with colors. You can choose a subtle shade that goes with your existing material and adds vibrant colors to your front yard. A bright statement color like bold blue or red accentuates your home and complements its exterior.
You can apply bold colors on your porch swing to freshen up the overall look with minimal effort or create an illusion of carpet on your steps with the combination of black and white colors. Painting your porch lights with metallic or copper colors can restore the luster of the lights, adding to your curb appeal.
Jazzing up your house number with an accent color like yellow is another way to bring your house to the front. You can also paint the concrete porch floor to make it attractive and welcoming for your tenants. And if you have basic materials like paint, primer and brushes in hand, it can help you keep the cost low, under $50.
Illuminate Pathways
Lights are an effective way to style curb appeal and add safety to your rental property. When installed correctly, lighting can turn your home’s entryways, pathways and unique architecture into something wonderful to look at. A well-lit home’s charm is entirely different from what you encounter in the daytime.
You can use LED, solar, or traditional incandescent bulbs to light up your pathways. Stringing the lights along the path’s edge can highlight the features in your garden, like fountains or sculptures and culminate in a beautiful nighttime showcase.
You can use lights on statues and water features and add uplights to create the right amount of shadow and light to accentuate architectural features and pillars. Shadowing is also an exciting way to make your property stand out. You can place a light low to the ground near an object and face upwards to cast a shadow on a vehicle surface behind it.
Pressure Wash the Property
The changing weather conditions and accumulated surface dirt can degrade your property’s aesthetic appeal, deterring potential homebuyers. However, regular cleaning and pressure washing can restore the beauty of your property to its former glory.
It uses pressurized water to remove organic debris like cobwebs and critters around your windows, corners, and other contaminants from the surface. Mold and mildews also affect the physical appearance of the property and cause health hazards to your tenants.
You can remove these allergens to make your home more welcoming and pleasing to the eyes. Regular pressure washing also falls under preventative maintenance, which can help protect your property against premature damage and costly repairs.
Upgrade the Mailbox
Your mailbox, like your front door, is something that your tenants notice whenever they visit your property. Consider boosting this piece’s wow factor or replacing it altogether, to increase the curb appeal of the place. Mailboxes come in a variety of sizes and a range of costs. For example, a simple new mailbox can cost you $50, while an ultra-custom model can cost up to $1000.
You can also further enhance your mailbox by adding some colorful paint or revamping its interior. You can even write a favorite phrase or a cheerful quote to lift the mood of the place. However, during this renovation, ensure that it stays in line with postal regulations.
Display Your House Number
Instead of settling for plain plastic numbers, you can use many creative house number ideas to add style and personalization to your property’s exterior. You can choose numbers in a fun style and hang them on a planter, mailbox post, well-mounted plaque, or anywhere else you think.
Ensure the numbers are visible from the streets so your guests can easily find your address. You can use a different material for your house numbers ideas, such as concrete or stone stained with different colors, or corten steel to contrast against bricks or an excellent color like gray. A smart choice for modern buildings is stainless steel which works with various background materials, including wood or contrasting material.
Go Green
When you plant trees, you beautify your curb appeal and invest in your property’s value. Properties with beautifully grown trees and well-landscaped yards offer a homey feel to your tenants and impress them before they ever walk through the front door.
A vigorously growing tree like Thuja Green Giant quickly adds lush and some privacy to your yard. The Italian Cypress gives a narrow, tidy, and well-groomed appearance without pruning, making it evergreen and planting shade trees, like Nuttall Oak, to attract wildlife, like duck or deer.
It is equally important to prune your trees regularly and ensure their maintenance to improve curb appeal. Consider mowing the lawn to ensure the grass has the soil nutrients it needs and doesn’t have to compete with weeds.
Make An Inviting Seating Area
Adding an inviting seating area can significantly enhance the appeal of your garden or porch and only requires minimal investment. You can look for a simple pair of outdoor chairs or a repurposed wooden bench and add color with cushions and bright, durable pillows.
If you have a sizable front porch, consider using furniture and accessories to create a simple yet inviting outdoor room. You can also add a cozy porch swing, a comfortable bench, or chairs to start a conversation nook. Keeping the porch open for gatherings can also contribute to boosting the curb appeal of your property.
Install Window Boxes
Window boxes can add flair to your property’s exterior. You can install them on the front porch railings and below the windows. Since boxes are relatively cheap, you can install them on any afternoon. You can consider installing different window boxes, such as rustic pallet window boxes, dresser drawer window boxers, or galvanized metal tub window boxes, to give your property an attractive look.
Give Garage Doors A Lift
Garage doors often dominate what you see from the street, but they lack the detail or depth of the rest of your property. However, you can fix that with zero commitment and with little effort. Adding accessories, such as temporary or magnetic decorative hardware, handles, hasps, and faux window panels, can make garage doors a little interesting, ensuring security.
Garage doors are also paintable and can significantly impact your curb appeal. Paint the garage to match your siding, so it blends in or opt for the same contrasting shade as your front door. Some door finishes may require a coat of primer first, so you can visit a nearby store to pick the color accordingly.
Update Porch Fixtures
Porch fixtures, such as quaint hanging lights, can instantly improve your property’s look, during the day and at night. Inexpensive fixtures and hardware may show wear more quickly, and you need to replace them sooner. You can choose brass or copper fixtures more resistant to corrosion than aluminum ones.
Balance Your Garden
The most beautiful gardens are full of layers. To make it more appealing, you can find a mix of evergreen and deciduous plants of different textures and heights. Consider putting the tallest in the back and the lowest in the front to create an optimal impact or attractive foliage and long-lasting blooms.
Consider Landscaping
The front yard highlights the image of your property for your visitors, tenants, and passersby. From hardscaping to plants, thoughtful changes in landscaping can create a good view for your tenants and inspire them to rent your property. You can install some potted plants, like boxwoods or evergreens, that look great and place two identical pots on either side of the front door. Additionally, flower beds can also impact improving your landscaping. You can line the pathway to the front door with new flower borders.
Another affordable way to enhance your curb appeal is to freshen up the mulch in your flower beds or around your shrubs. It can help you eliminate the risk of growing weeds and retain moisture in your plants. Apart from that, you can add border hedges and incorporate pathways into your landscaping design to make your garden more exciting and beautiful.
Your property’s aesthetics can make it stand apart from the competition, and implementing the above-mentioned steps is a reliable way to do so, even within a small budget, with some help from professional property managers. As an experienced and trusted property management company in Berkeley, California Pacific Realty can help you choose a style that represents your personality and make your property stand out for your culture and professionalism.
For more information on affordable curb appeal ideas for your Berkeley property, contact us at California Pacific Realty!
