Take a moment to look at your home’s entryway and evaluate it from an objective standpoint. Does it feel warm, inviting and welcoming, or is it sending another message entirely? The truth is, your home’s entrance has a huge impact on the way it’s perceived by others. This is most important when you’re trying to sell, but it also contributes to the way you feel about your home. A run down, dark, cluttered entryway brings your mood, and the perceived value of your home, down. Thankfully, there are some easy ways that you can enhance your entry and increase your home’s curb appeal, and brighten your spirits at the same time.

A good cleaning and a little fresh paint go a long way towards making an entrance more appealing. Knock down the cobwebs, sweep the area and get a bucket of soapy water, scrub brush, a hose, or a power washer out and get cleaning. Don’t forget to take care of the ceiling area, eaves and other overhangs. While you’re at it, clean the windows too. Once everything is clean, inspect the paint and touch up any area that’s peeling, cracked, or dull. A bright, contrasting color on the door will make it stand out from the rest of the house and beckon visitors to come closer.

How does your house look at night? Is it well lit on the outside so that people can see your entrance, or is it lacking sufficient light, making it dark and uninviting? A new light fixture over the door, or a pair of sconces on either side of it will light it up and accentuate all that cleaning and painting you did. A few solar lights around the walkway and entrance area are also great ways to brighten things up. Not only lights will help lead guests up the path to your door, they also help minimize trip and fall accidents and increase overall security.

Broken concrete, uneven surfaces, stains and debris all detract from the beauty of your home. Replace that worn out, walkway with some gorgeous new paving blocks, bricks, or even a fresh layer of concrete. If the pathway is in good shape, but stained, apply some concrete paint to brighten it up and erase what you don’t want to see. Give any stairs or steps a similar treatment. While you’re at it, make sure that the slope of the walkway carries water away from the entrance so that it doesn’t puddle in front of the stairs, creating a mess.

Flowers, shrubs and garden accessories are a wonderful way to boost your home’s curb appeal. You don’t have to break the bank, or do anything elaborate, but a well thought out, symmetrical planting will make a huge impact. Be careful to choose plants that don’t spread out over the walkway, or grow too tall. Instead, stick to low-growing plants and shrubs that flower in the spring, summer and fall. Use a weed barrier and some good mulch to ensure that they’ll retain moisture and to keep weeds from overtaking the area. Most importantly, maintain the plants by watering, fertilizing and pruning them.

Another fantastic way to update your entryway is with decorative glass door inserts. The beauty of these is that they’re often crafted from handmade glass giving them a unique look and feel. They come in a wide variety of styles to suit your taste and the style of your home. Whether you love the look of a contemporary home, or you swing more towards the eclectic side, there are door inserts to meet your needs. What’s more, adding, or changing door glass is a fairly easy do-it-yourself project that just about anyone can undertake in a few hours.

You don’t have to do everything on this list to increase the curb appeal of your home’s entryway. Just one project can make a world of difference and maybe even give you the motivation that you need to do more. If you would like more ideas about how you can improve your home’s curb appeal, please contact us. We’ve got a lot of ideas to share and we always love to talk to homeowners like you.