6 Easy Ways to Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal This Fall

Whether you’re selling your house or looking for a seasonal refresh, give your porch some personality with these pro tips

By Lisa van de Geyn

Posted: September 18, 2018 09:58 AM ET

The front view of a well-manicured brick house on a beautiful autumn day, the leaves of the trees tinged with orange and three pumpkins seen on the porch

The exterior of your home is the first thing people see. Whether you’re putting your home on the market during the busy fall season or just looking to spruce up the exterior of your house, this is a great time of year to make enhancements. We asked Jenn Hembruch, a residential landscape designer in Vancouver, for her top tips on boosting curb appeal.

Embrace fall decor

Three small pumpkins sit on a front porch beside some autumn flowers in a clay flower pot

Your front entry is the perfect place for making colourful vignettes with pretty planters and floral arrangements. Hembruch suggests hardy flowers like mums, decorative kales, birch branches, foliage plants like sages and heather, as well as pumpkins and gourds for a lovely Thanksgiving aesthetic.

Love your lawn

Yes, snow is imminent, but that doesn’t mean you should ignore your lawn. “With the return of cooler, wetter weather, lawns will start to grow and green up again in the autumn. During the shoulder season between summer and that first frost, it’s wise to do a lawn revamp to help set it up for overwintering and spring health,” Hembruch says. Raking leaves to remove thatch encourages lawn health and spreading grass seed over your entire lawn helps fill in any sparse areas and prevents weeds.

Tend to your garden

A lush, manicured front garden is seen on a crisp fall day, the leaves of the tree out front just tinged with orange

Autumn is a great time to plant and transplant trees, shrubs, hedges and perennials. “The cooler weather works in concert with plant movement to minimize shock on plant roots and encourage better success with plants post-installation,” Hembruch says. Finish up with pruning and collecting leaves—they’re perfect for compost.

Give the exterior of your home some TLC

Clean your roof, siding, gutters and brick. You can hire a company or, if you’re up for it, rent equipment. “Removing leaf and branch debris from the roof and gutters will ensure rain runoff flows properly away from your home,” Hembruch says. If conditions are warm and dry into October, you might also want to stain and treat fences, decks and gates.

Highlight your front door

An orange fall harvest wreath hangs on a blue door

Making your door a focal point works well any time of year. If you’re not ready to commit to making a statement with paint, consider hanging a wreath made with pretty fall foliage, corn husks, leaves, twigs or pine cones.

Brighten up your curb appeal

With the days getting shorter and darker, landscape lighting is a must-have, especially if you have unsafe or darker areas in your yard—think walkways, driveways and steps. Additionally, you may choose to light up bushes and trees to accent your garden. You can work with a landscape lighting design professional or simply install do-it-yourself solar-powered or LED lights, Hembruch says.

Who says cleaning is just for spring?

De-cluttering is a must if you’re thinking of selling your house. Learn how to purge unwanted items for cash. And what better place is there to find stuff you don’t need than your garage? Whether you’re planning to sell or not, this garage makeover advice will help you better use your space.

Plus, learn how to protect your investment in your home with CAA Home Insurance.

Image credit: istock/benedek, istock/Linda Raymond and istock/GJS