It is that time of year – time to get our houses ready for spring. I love to work in the yard and do work outside. Here are 6 Mistakes we make on our front porch – and they are all easy to fix.
We have always liked having big southern-style front porches. It was what drew us to our house that we live in now. Something about it is just welcoming. My wife and I have lived in three houses in North Carolina and all three have had big front porches. We’ve also built screened in porches on the backs of all three houses (future post to come on that one).
1- Not pressure washing it.
Rule of thumb: Use a pressure washer on your porch, steps and sidewalk.
You can rent one or borrow one (I suggest using a powerful one, because it will cut your time in half). This makes a huge difference. Our porch gets an instant face-lift and it takes a years worth of dirt off in about 30 minutes.
2- Not maintaining what we buy.
Rule of thumb: Add plants, but only ones that you can maintain.
I know that we all add plants, but I want to remind you to ask the store team members (staff) to help you find something that will work at your house. Maybe you will have it in the shade or maybe you don’t remember to water your plants. Tell them and then find a plant that will survive where you plant it.
3- Going crazy with color
Rule of thumb: Add colors, but stick to one main color.
When people are driving by your house, you want the to see a cohesive look. Throwing in 10 colors will look more like a colorful mess than a porch with style. We picked red this year and then added black and white with it. There are a few touches of blue, but you don’t notice those until you are on the porch.
4- Making it unwelcoming.
Rule of thumb: Make it comfortable and relaxed.
Most of us go for looks, but forget comfort. You can do both. Pick chairs for style but then narrow it down by comfort. We have rocking chairs, a wicker sofa and a hanging swing- something for everyone.
Add some throw pillows (outdoor) to make it look even more welcoming.
5- Forgetting the obvious upkeep
Rule of thumb: Trim the hedges to make it look maintained.
It is easy, but many people overlook it completely! I took our hedges down to half of their original size. I mostly did this because my wife is only 4’11 and she couldn’t see the bus stop with the hedges being so high, so cutting them back made a huge difference.
6- Missing the details
Rule of thumb: Change up your house numbers every few years.
Another easy and cheap thing that will make a huge statement. It will take you about 5 minutes and cost just a few dollars, but it will update your house and make it look much nicer.
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