From paints and plaster to plants and pavements – the qualities of a house that make it look valuable and well groomed are known as curb appeal. Get ready to spruce up your yard with these easy and cost effective tips and achieve an impressive curb appeal for your property.

Cleaning up
This is the least expensive thing that you can do to enhance your curb appeal. Start from the front yard. Stow away unnecessary items such as lawn furniture and dispose of random, useless items. Clean up your driveway and see the world of difference it makes.

Planting and pruning
Pruning your landscape is an important task and if done properly, helps to improve your curb appeal significantly. Prune shrubs and small trees to redefine the shape of their foliage and enhance their beauty. Plant tall shrubs to create a sense of majesty and cover trash cans lying in the corners. Sprawling grass and low lying plant cover also helps to carpet everything. Add some seasonal flowers to enliven the front yard.

Scrubbing, washing and painting
Pressure-wash the siding by yourself or hire a professional for the task. While sweeping off the dirt and grime and hosing off the walls, protect the walls, patios and plants with a plastic sheet covering. Paint your property to further improve your curb appeal.

Manicuring the lawn
The exterior aesthetic appeal of your home rests considerably on the beauty of your lawn. Regular mowing, edging, raking, weeding, watering, fertilizing, dethatching and aerating can give you a great looking lawn and tremendously improve your curb appeal.

Creating visual effects
Addition of fences, fountains and other props lend an element of style and character to your front yard.

Paving the path
To maintain or improve your curb appeal, it is essential that the walkway or steps that lead to your house are not only safe but also in keeping with the overall style and structure of the home. Choose from a variety of stones, tiles, marble or brick to punch up the path and ensure a great curb appeal.

Subtle detailing
The use of stylized house name or number templates, potted plants on the porch, the style of mailbox or even the doorbell are but a few features that can be experimented with to improve your curb appeal.

Lighting
In the context of improving your curb appeal, good lighting plays a large role. Experiment with designer lights to highlight the key elements of your home. Accent lighting on the porch can create dramatic results. Low voltage lighting along the sidewalk adds a subtle, romantic feel.

Sprucing up the garage
Use your garage to park your cars neatly and not for storing discarded junk.