Maximize Your Home’s Curb Appeal

For Both Enjoyment And Value

PorchIdeas.com

Front Porch Ideas and More

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Welcome,

Maximizing your home’s curb appeal, whether to enhance the look of your home for your

own enjoyment or preparing it for sale, is easy to do, relatively inexpensive, and will

increase your home’s aesthetic value.

Everyone notices a beautiful front porch or entranceway, many of which lead you to

wonder what’s inside such a beautiful home. We consider porches, no matter the size,

the “first room” of your home. We’ve traveled the country to find ideas for designing,

building, decorating, and landscaping porches, stoops, and entranceways knowing the

value a curb appealing one can be.

We’ve created this eBook to help you in that endeavor by providing ideas, tips, and

examples for using one of your home’s greatest assets – your front porch, stoop, or

entranceway, to increase its curb appeal.

Mary and I hope you find our information most helpful.

We love porches, Mary and Dave FrontPorchIdeas.com

This eBook is complementary and is not for sale. You may not alter the content of this eBook without

our consent. Although the content is copyrighted, you have permission to share this eBook with

others, include in newsletters, articles, etc., as long as you credit FrontPorchIdeas.com

Whether you have a large wrap around front porch or small

stoop, we have ideas and tips for creating a most curb

appealing front porch and entranceway.

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Add a Pop of Color!

No matter the season adding a little color on the porch

catches the eye and adds warmth to what would be an

otherwise monochromatic scene.

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You could just as easily place vases, lanterns, or other objects of

contrasting colors on a small table. You could even place

planters with contrasting colors strategically on your porch.

Contrasting

color

combinations

can be

striking.

You don’t

need

expensive

furniture and

cushions to

achieve the

same result.

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The flowering plants add bursts of beautiful color.

Be sure to maintain them because withered or drooping

plants do not make for a curb appealing porch.

Pastels can work

equally well and

give your porch

a calm and

soothing appeal.

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Here’s a nicely furnished front porch that would appeal to almost everyone.

Ferns work well

as they provide

consistent color

and easily fill the

containers.

Note the mix of

neutral tones and

red cushions.

Both complement

the brick.

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To warm up a bare porch,

add a few chairs, a table with

an outdoor lamp or colorful

object, and a wreath for a

welcoming look.

Turn plain into charming!

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It doesn’t take much to stage your porch or stoop!

A colorful front door with

a subtle wreath and a

wrought iron table can

create a lot of charm and

curb appeal. Tended

flowers around the porch

are eye-catching, too.

Courtesy of Al Shutt

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Outdoor rugs can be

used on almost any

size porch to add

color and warmth.

For a covered porch,

you could use an

inexpensive indoor

rug like we do.

Many are made of

synthetic materials.

Front-Porch-Ideas-And-More.com

See our rug painting tutorial at the end of the slide show to

see how to turn an ordinary rug into a curb appealing one!

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It doesn’t have to

be laborious or

expensive as you

can use items you

already have.

Covering existing

cushions or

painting a planter

or other amenity

can be fun, too!

Remember, curb appeal is the total package consisting of landscaping,

porch amenities and furniture, along with the right color combinations.

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A freshly

painted front

door can add

immense curb

appeal to your

home.

Paint Your Front Door

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Color can be a powerful tool and is one of the least

expensive yet transforming actions you can take to

help stage your home.

A red or blue front door can

be very striking and

attention-getting, especially

against white trim.

You can’t go wrong with a

basic white or black front

door that is freshly painted.

Note how the colors and

heights of the foliage that

frame this red front door

create a visually appealing

entrance.

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The colors on this

Victorian-style front

door won’t work on just

any home but it

definitely defines this

entrance and adds

appeal to this small

stoop.

Make sure the color or

colors you choose also

fit with the architecture

of your home to

achieve a cohesive

look.

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Choose aesthetically pleasing colors that would appeal to

just about anyone. The vibrant color on this front door is

quite striking and inviting.

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Note how this front door adds flair to this small front porch.

See our entire porch paint and color section for more ideas. 16

Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com

Placing an attractive wreath on

your front door can add yet

another dimension to your front

porch.

Select a wreath that fits the

season and complements the

style of your home.

So many from which to choose;

purchase or make your own!

Front Door Wreaths

See our entire decorative front door wreath

section for lots of wreath ideas and projects! 17

Painted Porch Columns and Railings

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Front-Porch-Ideas-And-More.com

A little paint on

your porch

columns can

add just the

right amount

of pizzazz!

You don’t have

to paint the

entire column

to achieve a

nice look.

Add color in locations as shown above or just at the tops,

bottoms, or both as shown in the next picture.

The advantage of painting porch columns or railings is that it

is not permanent. If you don’t like the results, paint over it!

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Note the overall impact of this subtle paint scheme. Porch

columns, the top and bottom rail of the balustrade, the front door,

and the running trim between the porch columns are all painted in

the same trim color. 20

Note how much just a little

paint can change the

appearance of your columns

and porch.

Also note the painted top

and bottom rails in the photo

at left.

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These complementary colored porch columns

match the front door and bring a charming appeal

to this front porch.

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This sawn baluster is painted the same color as the home.

Although it would look great painted white, this color gives

the entire porch a more cohesive look.

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Experiment with paint to get the right look.

These porch columns with a hint of red on the corner as well as

the top and bottom rails of the baluster combine to create

additional curb appeal.

See our entire porch column and porch railing designs sections.

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Use colorful plants

to catch the eye as

you see around

this lovely porch

Keep things neat

and clean and

don’t overwhelm

the space.

Porch Landscaping Ideas

Don’t landscape beyond your capability to properly maintain it.

Withering plants, beds in need of mulch, or shrubs needing to be

trimmed all detract from your overall curb appeal.

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As endearing as these shrubs may be to the homeowner,

removing them would reveal a most amazing curb appealing

front door and porch.

We often“ get used

to things” and end

up with a beautiful

front porch hidden

by very tall shrubs.

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Hanging baskets, properly

attended, can work well on

any size porch and are

another easy way to add

color and interest.

For maximum results, make

sure the colors either

complement or contrast

your color scheme.

Otherwise, they will clash

and detract from the

overall appeal.

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When feasible, extend your landscaping onto your porch.

Often times, landscaping depends on the style of your home

and the lifestyle and expectations of the community in which

you reside.

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Landscaping can add a burst of color and complement your home

and porch. Selecting plants with coordinating colors is an attractive

way to enhance the look of your home. Adding a colorful pillow or

cushion to the porch swing would lend extra appeal.

Simple, neat, and colorful. You don’t need extensive landscaping to make

your front porch appealing from the street.

See our entire porch landscaping section and walkway section for a myriad of

ideas for your front porch and yard. 30

Clean and Make Repairs to Your Front Porch

It should go without

saying that your front

porch should be clean,

neat, and in excellent

repair.

Too often, our entire focus is on the interior and we

forget our front porch is actually the first room of

our home.

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Curb appeal is all

about aesthetics

and charm.

A thorough

cleaning and

repairing of any

problems is a must.

A well maintained front porch immediately conveys that you have

a well maintained home too.

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Give your porch floor a new

coat of paint if it shows signs of

wear and tear.

There are some great products

you can use to revitalize porch

flooring whether it is wood or

concrete.

Make sure porch wood

flooring is in good repair

with no loose or cracked

boards.

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Front-Porch-Ideas-And-More.com

Ensure wrought iron railings are free from rust and are solidly

attached to your porch.

We recommend giving wrought iron railings a coat of rust-proof

paint if they appear aged or worn. 34

Check your porch steps for

any loose stone, brick,

concrete, or wood.

Replace any broken bricks

and tuck-point to repair

mortar joints as necessary.

Fill cracks in concrete

flooring as needed and

replace any caulking that

has deteriorated.

Pressure wash as needed.

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Many home inspectors take note of concrete steps that have

sunken and/or detached from the porch making the first step too

high for code requirements.

Make repairs as necessary; you may want to consider concrete

leveling (or mud jacking) if simple repairs fail to resolve the issue.

Check your porch

columns to ensure they

have not rotted where

they contact your

porch floor or

pedestals, or if

wrought iron, rusted.

Make appropriate

repairs.

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Make sure all of your porch balusters

(pickets) are in good repair.

Replace any broken balusters and tighten

any that are loose.

Make sure they are clean and paint as

necessary.

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Make sure the hardware on

your entry way looks clean

and polished. If it is

tarnished, replace with new

hardware.

Little details count!

Does your doorbell work and

is it in good repair? If not,

replace it with a new one.

Clean your outdoor lights.

Get rid of bugs, cobwebs and

birds’ nests.

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Selling Your Home? Selling your home can sometimes seem overwhelming. You want to maximize the

profit to not only recoup your costs over the years but also to capture the

appreciation of your home’s value.

Many decisions have to be made. One of them is how to present your home to

increase its selling potential.

Staging your home is an important selling technique and creating a great first

impression is essential to any sale.

Although you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover almost everyone judges a home

by what they see before they pass through the front door.

So, we believe staging your porch or entranceway is also extremely important for

two reasons.

No

No

No

No

Ooh, that’s nice…Click!

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92% of prospective buyers use the internet to search for their next home. 1

1 OhioRealtors.org

The first picture they see is usually of the exterior. First impressions count!

Architecture aside, which of these homes do you think

would make a better impression online?

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Barbara Corcoran, real estate mogul, says, “Buyers decide in the first eight

seconds of seeing a home if they're interested in buying it.”2

In those first few seconds, what does a person see?

The exterior of your home and front porch!

42 2 Today.com 5 Smart Ways to Sell Your Home

Now you have two major reasons to leverage

your front porch or entranceway:

Make it stand out online to get the “CLICK” and

Make that 8-second first impression count!

Front-Porch-Ideas-and-More.com

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With a little effort, you too, can create a most charming and curb

appealing front porch that will showcase your home.

Quick And Easy Front Porch Staging Projects

Need to add a little

curb appeal to your

porch?

Check out these easy

porch decorating

ideas you can do –

we show you how!

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We Invite You to Explore the Wonderful World of Porches

at FrontPorchIdeas.com

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We look forward to bringing you the latest ideas for your porch and yard. We’d love

hearing from you; let us know if we can help in any way.

For more ideas for designing, building, furnishing, decorating, and

landscaping your porch, be sure to visit us at FrontPorchIdeas.com

Life is short; enjoy

your porch!

Best wishes, Mary and Dave

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