Your home’s curb appeal is the first view of your home seen from the curb. In other words, it’s your home’s first impression to anyone who drives or walks past it. Curb appeal is most important when you want to sell your home, but it’s still important that the outside of your home looks presentable even if you’re not going to sell. Here are ways to improve your home’s curb appeal if you live in Philadelphia and any of the surrounding areas.

#1: Start with the Small Details

Updating the smallest details on the outside of your home can make the biggest difference when it comes to curb appeal. Update the hardware (e.g., doorknobs) and your lighting fixtures. You should also update the numbers on your house and mailbox, or add some if you don’t have them already. Doing all of this can make your home stand out and look newer than before.

#2: Power Washing and Painting

If you’re not sure if your house could use a new coat of paint, power wash it first. This will remove dirt, grime, and other debris from your house to reveal its true color. Sometimes all your home really needs is a good power washing instead of a completely new coat of paint.

You can still choose to paint your house, however. It’s always a good idea to hire a professional painter, especially if you have a multi-story home. You can also choose to focus on painting certain parts of your home, such as the front door, the window shutters, and other “accents”. Even a paint job as simple as this can make your home look brand new.

#3: Landscaping

It’s amazing what some minor landscaping can do for your curb appeal. In most cases, simple yard work is enough for an impressive curb appeal. Make sure that you’re cutting your grass regularly and watering your lawn when needed. You can also add some flower boxes to the windows of your home and even hand seasonal wreaths on your front door if you don’t have much of a green thumb.

For those who want to go bigger, consider planting trees, flowers, and other types of shrubbery in your front yard. You’ll get the best results by choosing to plant the best trees, shrubs, and flowers for Pennsylvania since different plants fare better in certain areas. You should also follow seasonal lawn care tips. When in doubt, you can always hire a professional landscaper.

#4: Don’t Forget the Backyard

Although curb appeal usually refers to your front yard, your backyard is just as important. In some cases, the backyard of a home may be seen before the front yard, but you’ll want to take care of all sides of your home to achieve excellent curb appeal. As with the front of your home, start with the basics: hardware, power washing/painting, lawn care, and landscaping. Basic backyard care is often enough if you’re putting more focus on the front of your home.

If you’re trying to sell your home, you’ll want to add more to your backyard— and even if you’re not trying to sell this can be a nice treat for your family. Create an outdoor living space by building a deck or patio. Outdoor gathering spaces are a great way to bring family and friends together, all while extending the interior of your home to the exterior. It’s advised that you hire a professional to build your deck or patio for the best results.

#5: Attend to Repairs

Finally, it’s important that you repair anything that may be damaged or not working on the exterior of your home. For example, if your garage door isn’t working or if it’s more than 20 years old, you should replace it. The same goes for your roof and siding: roofs should be replaced after 30 years and siding after 40 years— unless they are in dire need of a repair/replacement sooner. Basic home exterior repairs are just as important when it comes to curb appeal.

These five ways can easily help boost your Philadelphia home’s curb appeal, and for the majority of homes all over the country. The median price of a home in the area is around $270,000, and these upgrades can help increase the value of your home. Again, curb appeal is still important even if you’re not planning to sell your home. Whether you’re selling or not, it’ll feel nice to give your home a fresh new look.