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Tidy Up

Just the simple act of removing things like tools, shoes, bicycles and litter from the front of the house will immediately make it look better. Being in the middle of autumn, you’re probably getting a lot of leaves blowing around the front of your home at the moment. So raking those up and generally giving everywhere a good tidy will go a long way.

Sort The Garden

Your front garden has a huge impact on how your home looks. Keeping it neat and in good condition is crucial. Over the winter you can keep the lawn looking good by trimming it, setting your lawn mower blades to the longer winter height. This ensures you’re not taking it too short which isn’t good for it especially at this time of year when it’s not growing much. Use an autumn fertiliser which will help it to recover from the summer and make it through the winter. Finally, spiking with a garden fork will improve drainage which is necessary now we’re in the rainier months. Focus especially on the areas that are most compacted. Give any bushes or plants that have grown dramatically a good cut back which again will help to keep everywhere looking tidy.

Wash The Windows

Grubby windows are a quick way to bring down the look of your property. Clean them thoroughly on the inside and out, call in a professional if you’re not good up ladders! Don’t forget windowsills too, and give your front door a good clean while you’re there. These can build up with grime and mud splashes over time, so a proper scrub now and again will help keep everything looking smart. If your door is made from wood, you could even consider painting it a pretty or vibrant colour to make your home stand out and reflect your personality.

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Clean The Drive and Slabs

Oil spills, dirt and a growing layer of moss can build up on concrete surfaces. To keep everywhere at it’s best, give it a blast with a pressure washer. This will get any tough marks off and clean everywhere up. This also prevents the mossy layer from becoming slippery in the rain so is useful from a safety perspective too. If any slabs are cracked or loose, this will have an adverse effect on the look of your home. Replacing them is the best way to go to keep everything looking fresh and tidy.

Store The Wheelie Bins

While wheelie bins are essential in any home, they don’t look very attractive. You could buy a special wheelie bin ‘shed’ to store them, or even build up something yourself if you or your partner are handy with that kind of thing. Alternatively, you could consider keeping them in an entryway or around the back of your house until bin day. That way you don’t have ugly looking bins cluttering up the front of your home!

Add a Door Canopy

Not only will a door canopy bring a stunning look to your home, but it’s also practical too. Especially this time of year when it’s rain, snow, hail and everything in between! It gives you the perfect little hideaway while you search for your keys in your bag, and will look great too. Go with something like clear glass for a contemporary look.

Add Flowers

Pots of flowers or hanging baskets either side of the door gives a lovely welcoming appearance to the home. There are a lot of little evergreens and even winter flowering plants that you could use here. You might have less choice than in the summer, but there are definitely still things available. You could add flowers to your front garden, or add window boxes to the front of your home. When everything else has died back and every other garden on the street looks dull and lifeless, yours will look vibrant and gorgeous!

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Put Down a Welcome Mat

A welcome mat is another great addition to your porch/ entrance way. Not only is it practical as it keeps muddy feet off your floors, but it’s a cute additional touch. If you’ve chosen a mat with a design these will fade and wear out quickly, so you’ll need to replace it every six months or so. But they’re not expensive, you can find them on places like eBay for a few pounds.

Decorate For Christmas

With the festive season right around the corner, you have the perfect opportunity to dress your house to the nines! Forget the tacky plastic Santas and multicolored bulbs, go with a big elegant, festive wreath on the door and tonnes of clear white LEDs. Really pretty and festive without looking tacky or garish. Decorating for any holiday can be fun, for example for easter you could go with an floral spring wreath with pastel bunting at the windows. You could use Pinterest for ideas and inspiration.

With the outside of your home looking beautiful, you’ll be ready for guests for Christmas. And will also be able to feel happy and proud whenever you come home. After all, regardless of how lovely your home is on the inside it’s the outside you and others are always going to see first.

What steps have you taken to make the outside of your home look stunning? Are you house proud?