After winter thaws, Atlanta-area residents are ready to be outside, to enjoy their yards, and to spend time in the great outdoors. But if your home exterior is feeling a little drab, there are all kinds of ways you can improve your curb appeal so you can love your home all season long.
Are you in tune with your home’s curb appeal? The best thing to do is to take a walk to the curb and look at your home with a fresh set of eyes. It might even be a good idea to ask a trusted friend for some input on what works and what doesn’t. When you view your home with a critical eye, you can start to identify ways to improve your curb appeal, so you always love coming home.
From big projects to fast fixes, here are some ways you can brush up your curb appeal so you have the best-looking home on the block:
Clean It Up!
If you haven’t witnessed the cleaning power of a pressure washer for yourself, you’ll be shocked at what it can do for your home. Your front walk, porch, siding, deck, and brick can all benefit from the spraying power of a pressure washer to remove dirt, grime, and mildew. Your home will look like new again!
If your home is taller than one story, you might be tempted to climb up on a ladder and do some more pressure washing once you see the amazing results. The force of a pressure washer is strong; it could push you right off a ladder. For this reason, many professional pressure washing teams come equipped with scaffolding, which you can rent to tackle higher elevations. Read more about best practices for pressure washing here.
Be selective about what you do and don’t pressure wash. Sometimes the force of the water can do more harm than good. Here are some surfaces you should never pressure wash:
- Wood siding
- Electrical panels and meters
- Asphalt shingles
- Air conditioners
- Lead paint
- Old mortar and weathered brick
- Painted surfaces that you want to stay painted
- Windows
- Outdoor light fixtures
- Gutters
- Stained wood (unless you are re-staining it)
Add a Concrete Patio or Front Sitting Area
A front sitting area can be a welcoming place for family and friends to gather. Front yard patios are a growing trend that’s taken off in the past few years– it’s a relaxing spot to socialize and can provide the vibe of a warm, inviting neighborhood. It also means there’s less grass to mow!
You can create some really beautiful effects with dyed concrete or concrete staining, and when you add a few chairs and some potted plants, or even a small fire pit or chimenea, you have a perfect gathering place right on your front lawn.
When pouring a concrete patio, take care to combine your concrete well, and consider renting a concrete mixer to tackle the large volume of concrete you’ll need to create your new space. You may also want to use a concrete vibrator, a trowel machine, or a concrete saw for a sturdy surface and a smooth finish that doesn’t crack.
Add Dimension to Your Landscape with a Retaining Wall
There are all kinds of hardscaping options to add visual interest to your home, but none are quite as effective as a retaining wall or a series of terraced retaining walls. If you have a hilly or sloping yard, a retaining wall can counteract soil erosion and create terraces and landscaping opportunities all at once.
Installing a retaining wall requires thoughtful planning. After a heavy rain, soil soaks up water and can weigh as much as 20 tons behind a 4-foot tall, 15-foot long retaining wall! You need to choose materials that will hold up against this kind of weight!
Building a retaining wall takes time, but you are also dealing with heavy elements like retaining blocks, hardscape stones, and lots of gravel. A mini skid loader can help you transport these items across your yard with ease. Having a tiller on hand to break up clay soil to build a trench and an electric block saw to shape your retaining blocks is also a good idea.
Build a Berm
If your yard doesn’t have any dimension for a retaining wall, why not add some instead? You can build a landscape berm to create landscaping opportunities and play with the line of your terrain. This mound of soil is a great way to add a planting bed to your yard if your soil is thick and clay-based, and it can even act as a privacy screen.
Building a berm isn’t a complicated process, but you’ll need the right tools to get it done. Consider renting a tiller or a sod cutter to break apart and remove the grass. You may also want a skid lifter or wheelbarrow to move the large amounts of fill, soil, and mulch you’ll need to build your berm to an appropriate height.
Some homeowners add a boulder to their berm for added appeal. When hardscaping like this, you definitely need a skid loader on hand to get the job done!
Transform Your Lawn with Some TLC
Improving the look of your lawn is one of the best things you can do to improve your home’s curb appeal. A thick, lush carpet of green grass looks great and makes visitors want to kick off their shoes and enjoy your lawn.
Late spring is the perfect time to aerate your lawn to support a thicker, healthier lawn all season long. Rent an aerator to break up compacted soil that can keep air, water, and nutrients from reaching the roots of your grass.
Spring is also an optimum time to overseed your lawn to thicken up thin spots and refresh your front yard. You can use a broadcast spreader for even seed distribution.
If your yard is uneven, you may also consider using a lawn roller to level your yard, or even a sod cutter or a tiller to ensure you have a smooth, divot-free lawn. You can read more about the process of leveling your lawn here.
While you’re at it, spring is also a great time to shape up your hedges and trim your shrubs with hedge shears! A clean, manicured yard is one of the best ways to boost your curb appeal.
Whether you’re starting a large project or just looking for that quick-fix to improve your home or your yard, Northside Tool Rental has what it takes to improve your curb appeal. Spring is the perfect time to refresh your home and your landscaping–get started today!
If you’re ready to begin your journey to a great-looking home exterior, contact our team today. Northside Tool Rental has the essential equipment you need to transform your home and increase your curb appeal.