Every homeowner wants their house to look nice, be inviting, and draw compliments from guests and folks passing by. A curb appeal upgrade can do that.

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but a home's "face" can say volumes about the condition of the interior and add huge resale value, as well.

Curb Appeal: Your Home's 'Good First Impression'

The curb appeal of a residential structure, your own home, for example, is a subjective and often changing condition. What represented curb appeal back in, say, the 1970s is considered dull and dated today. 

But the good news is that, for most houses, elements that contribute to and improve the curb appeal can often be easily upgraded or changed.

Some of those elements, however, are perennial such as lush lawn grass, flowers, and various types of plants including trees. And some of them cannot really be removed, such as driveways, sidewalks or front steps. 

But they can be dressed up and oftentimes upgraded.

And one of the best aspects of curb appeal upgrades is that they rank high on the list of sought after improvements and of upgrades with high return on investment. 

In fact, according to one article, a study done by Michigan State University, found that a home with landscaping and effort put into curb appeal can increase perceived home value by 5 to 11 percent.

And great curb appeal can also sell a home faster.

Curb Appeal Upgrades for 2022: What to Do and Where to Start?

As with all home improvement projects, it is always best to start with developing a plan and a budget. In fact, the budget should come first.

While it is true that most any curb appeal upgrade will bring a substantial ROI, the hard truth is that you won't recoup those costs until you sell your home. And any proposed improvement project will be largely determined by how much you can spend today. 

With that being said, and assuming you are considering or have already decided to sell your home, focusing on those top-ROI elements makes good sense. 

And what are those?

According to the Remodeling magazine's 2022 Cost vs Value Report, at least three of the top ten upgrades in terms of return on investment, are solidly curb appeal projects, including:

• Garage door replacement with an ROI of 93.3 percent
• Manufactured stone veneer for an ROI of 91.4 percent
• Steel entry door replacement with 63.8 percent ROI

The good news is that, while the average homeowner may not possess the skillset nor desire to take these upgrades on as DIY projects, their overall costs are not prohibitively expensive. 

While a stone veneer may or may not appeal to your own tastes, you can't go wrong with a new garage door and a new entryway to your home. 

But wait! There's more...

Oh, the Things You Can Do in Your Yard!

Most people tend to think of lawn grass and flowers when they think of landscaping their front yard area. But there is so much more that can be added that will also boost its curb appeal.

For example, as Better Homes & Gardens suggests,

"Use secondary hardscape elements to help improve curb appeal. A deep sidewalk, for example, offers an opportunity for a wider flower bed as an accent. A bench provides a place for a gathering of shrubs and perennials. Think about what's there (or what could be added) and how to spotlight it."

And many hardscaping upgrades can easily be approached as DIY projects and done without having to take out a home improvement loan to do it!

In addition to hardscape elements, organic additions and improvements are relatively easy and inexpensive - and you can do them yourself. 

Here's a couple of tips from Real Simple magazine, for example,

Add planters to your entryway
A pop of color from flowers or grasses is the best way to welcome guests to your home. Make sure you're aware of the amount of sun these plants need to keep them thriving all summer long. To keep large planters from getting too heavy, pad the bottom of the planter with plastic.

Plant perennials
Sure, they might need a little more maintenance than annuals, but they'll save you money in the long run. Plus, you'll know what to expect year after year. These investment plants and flowers add tons of color and texture to your landscaping that only builds on itself over time.

Again, budgeting and planning ahead of time will save you much work and many headaches. The list of possible touches and changes you can make to the front half of your outdoor space can be almost overwhelming, so you need to balance your improvements with the size of your space and the extent of your budget. 

Oh, and how you plan to clean up after yourself when you're done should be in your plan, as well...

Partner with Junk King for Your Project Waste and Debris Removal

Junk King provides an efficient, safe, affordable, and eco-friendly residential junk removal services that includes yard waste, constructions debris, and all types of rubbish removal so you don’t need to worry about how to dispose of your excess junk or extra-large trash piles from your curb appeal upgrading projects.

And, if you'd rather load it yourself during your project, you may want to consider renting one of our user-friendly MINI Dumpsters. This option that allows you to load your junk and debris at your own pace and then have Junk King come and remove it for you when you're done.

Our full-service teams, on the other hand, specialize in all types of residential (and commercial !) trash and junk removal.

We can be at your home in mere minutes, so call us today! We'll call you 15 to 30 minutes before we arrive - on time and as promised - and our expert crews are fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of your debris and other unwanted items in a safe, professional and courteous manner.

So, ready to get rid of your project debris and yard waste?  It's as easy as 1,2,3.

And one of the best things about using Junk King is that we recycle as much of the material that we pick-up as possible.  That includes construction debris removal materials. This is a part of our commitment as an eco-friendly junk removal service.

If you have questions or want to book a session today, give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK (5865).