Most people would say that curb appeal matters when you're getting ready to sell your home. And this is true, but it always matters. Curb appeal boosts the morale in the entire neighborhood, encouraging all of the neighbors to take pride in their home's exteriors. It's always a wonderful feeling to pull up to your home and love what you see, it's the best way to welcome yourself home on any ordinary day.

Your Front Door

It's not completely necessary to replace your front door, especially if it's not in the budget, but you can certainly do what you can to clean the door at each turn of the season. Our door is white and gets covered in construction dust just after a few weeks. We will soon be painting it a mustard yellow, so maybe the dirt will blend better, haha.

The door furniture, like the hinges and knobs can become tarnished quite quickly, especially if your front door is your main route in and out of your home. If you are looking to sell your home, making sure this entrance point is clean will set the tone for the entire showing.

You'll also want to make sure that you stay ahead of any necessary garage door repair.

Your Window Frames

It can be quite taxing to clean or paint the window frames, but can really make your windows pop. I'm not sure that our home is modern enough to take on the black window frame look, but I know many home buyers are looking for this option. If anything, hire a teenager over the summer to clean your window frames, and the windows too!

Your Front Porch Decor

The obvious issue is making sure to keep the front your home in tune with the current season, Christmas lights in June are probably not the best idea for maintaining curb appeal. And considering using your DIY skills to spruce up your address numbers can really make your home stand out. Less is more, unless you've really got something cohesive happening. Too many front yard ornaments, excess pots without plants, or full of dead plants, trash, these things are not great for the front of your home.

Your Rain Gutters

Not only does your guttering need to look in good condition, it actually needs to be in great condition. After the fall season, your gutters can be full of hazardous leaves, which would require a clean out. Having the gutters inspected, power-washed, and perhaps painted to match your home would be wonderful for your curb appeal.

Your Lighting

Installing beautiful, warm lighting in your landscape, or on your front porch can warm up your entire home. Avoid LED lighting, especially if it looks cool/blue at night, it will make your home feel sterile, or too industrial. There are beautiful outdoor lighting fixtures that can be found on any budget at most hardware stores.

Your Landscaping

Landscaping is probably the most expensive and requires the most labor. Instead of grass you could install a xeriscape, full of native plants and beautiful containers full of succulents. After the plants have become established they will certainly be quite easy to care for as opposed to a large lawn that can become full of weeds and requires a weekly mowing/weeding/edging.

Your Parking

If you have a large front/side yard, and no HOA you can opt to install additional parking. This will do well for selling your home. Many cars parked in front of your home is not good for curb appeal, but additional parking for guests feels welcoming. Your neighbors will appreciate less cars parked on the street when you have celebrations at your home.

Your Entryway

Fencing and gates are a lovely way to both add privacy and beauty to your home's exterior. Gates are welcoming, but also a deterrent for unwanted visitors, like solicitors.

It takes time to transform a home from simple to inspiring, and it can seem like a waste to invest so much in the external when you probably spend the majority of the time inside (especially if you live near a busy street). Over time, adding a few upgrades will make all the difference.

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*This is a collaborative post.