House Digest Survey: What's The Best Way To Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal?

There is no doubt that when it comes to having your home look its best, first impressions are key. Renovations and upgrades to your kitchen and bathroom and a fresh coat of paint to the interior can make all the difference. However, it's just as important to spend the time and energy enhancing the outside of your house as well. Curb appeal can be crucial to selling your home, as potential buyers can be known to make snap judgments on whether or not they want to purchase within the first minute of laying eyes on the property, according to CNBC. This means that if you want the most bang for your buck when either flipping or selling your home for the first time, then you want the facade to draw in the buyers to take a look around instead of having them pass right on by.

Even if you're not thinking of putting your house on the market, having an attractive curb appeal to your property can show the neighborhood that you have pride in your home's appearance, and it can also give you a sense of welcoming energy every time you pull up. Fortunately, it doesn't take much to improve the look of the outside of your house. In a recent survey, House Digest asked people, "What's the best way to improve your home's curb appeal?" Let's take a look at what they had to say. You might be surprised by their answers.

In order to make the first impression of your home a good one, it turns out that people are drawn to the look of your plant life. Of the 612 people that House Digest surveyed, 247 people — which is 40.36% of the vote — found that planting flowers would be the best course of action to boost your home's curb appeal. You could use potted plants to highlight your main doorway, have a row of beautiful buds line the front walking path, or plant some large colorful annuals that match the shade of the brickwork of your home, according to the National Garden Bureau. Flowers can help to draw the eye to your home and create more life just outside your doorstep.

Next, 128 people — or 20.92% of those surveyed — said the simple act of trimming your shrubs could do wonders for the look of your home. Small upgrades like painting the front door received 87, or 14.22%, of the votes, and 84 people, or 13.73% of the vote, found that updating the outdoor lighting would be an important step to take. Finally, displaying house numbers in an attractive manner is what 49 people — or 8.01% of those surveyed — said would be the best way to boost your curb appeal as well as 17 people — roughly 2.78% of the vote — revealed that adding seating to the front porch of your home could make for a positive impression of your property.