Photo: HGTV

Designing a front garden that will boost your home’s street appeal and remain practical is easy with our top 5 tips.

Be a Little Nosey

Don’t be afraid to have a look at what other people are doing in their front gardens to make a good impression. Drive around your neighbourhood and see what other homeowners in nearby streets have done with their gardens. This way, you’ll know what you’re doing with your front garden is in keeping with the rest of the neighbourhood and what will standout for all the wrong reasons!

Photo: Bloglovin’

If you don’t see anything you love, steal some inspiration from new home builds as they’re always trying to nail the curb appeal to attract potential buyers. You can search within your own area or jump online and check out what leading designers and builders in other locations are doing for example, Sydney or Geelong home builders. This will give you a could indication of what sells.

Consider your Practical Needs

If you’re doing a complete overall of your front garden, it’s worth thinking about your practical needs. Remember, that investing in your homes curb appeal is the best way to increase your home’s value. Most homes will need a gate and a path leading to the front door, but do you need security and privacy too? Do you need to contain pets or simply want to screen out neighbours and traffic?

Photo: Monica Wants It Blog

Do you need a place for your kids to play in the front garden? If your space is big enough, you may be able to incorporate some hard surfacing for kids to bounce a ball or ride a trike around.

Think About your Lighting

Consideration for your lighting is imperative if you want to create a front garden that’s welcoming and secure. It’s also one of the easiest ways to boost your home’s curb appeal, making your home look bigger than it really is. Make sure your lighting allows you to walk up the garden path and navigate any steps safely without tripping. Think about the level of security you’re wanting. Lighting up around side entrances to your home and installing lights on a motion sensor can often be enough to deter uninvited guests from entering your property.

[otw_shortcode_quote border_style=”bordered” background_color_class=”otw-greenish-background” color=”#ffffff”]BDB Tip: Remember to consider how your lighting design visually looks on and off. You want your fittings to look just as good at night as they do in daylight![/otw_shortcode_quote]

Photo: Lamps Plus

Design to Suit the Style of your Home

Beautiful front gardens work in harmony with the style of the home. For example, a French provincial garden would look out of place in front of modern architecture and would be better suited to a traditional or cottage style home. If you’re not exactly sure of your home’s period or decorating style, just think about how it feels or consider its location. Is it more beachy or urban?

Are you in the country or inner-city suburbs? Looking at new or proposed developments around your area will also give you some inspiration for what may suit your home. For example, if you live in Geelong a simple search of land in Geelong will show you a wide variety of home’s and front landscaping that suits the architecture.

Photo: Becki Owens

Select your Plant Varieties Wisely

Planting out your front garden may seem easy, but it can turn into an expensive task if the plants won’t thrive under the conditions. Before you choose plant varieties just because they’re your favourite, consider whether they’re right for the environmental conditions of your property. You want to take into consideration your location and aspect, the soil type, your size of property and your budget.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#f50569″ class=”” size=””]BDB Tip: If in doubt, speak to a landscape designer or horticulturist. They’ll be able to help you select the best quality plants for your location to give your garden the best start it needs to thrive.[/perfectpullquote]

Photo: Home BNC 

Photos: Dennis Mayer

Giving the exterior of your home an upgrade does not need to be expensive or time-intensive. In fact, there are many quick little fixes that can brighten your home’s exterior features. These fixes are ideal for the do-it-yourself enthusiast. Just about any area of a house’s exterior can be renovated, such as windows, doors, and walls.

1. A Designer’s Trick – Outdoor Lighting Works Miracles!

Apart from repainting the walls, few things can jazz up a house exterior like the right type of lighting. Whether you install low voltage energy efficient lights or solar powered types, you have choices. While the beauty of these may not be obvious in the daytime, they can make quite a statement in the night. You can go very basic by adding just a fancy lantern or two for a special effect.

2. A Fresh Lick Of Bright Paint

This is maybe the easiest way to give new life to a house’s exterior. If you like trends, consider bright, vibrant colors instead of safe colors such as white and off-white.  Warm yellow for example can give the impression of a house that is cozy and inviting. Apart from improving curb appeal, painting the exterior of your house can also help improve the value.

3. Update Windows and Doors

Changing out old, dated doors and windows is a quick way to improve the look of a house and improve its curb appeal. If the door is sturdy and of a good quality material, you can make a big impact by just painting it. You can also paint the wooden frames of windows to brighten up the look of the windows and the house. You can install decorative shutters or wrought iron grilles.  Window boxes are great for improving the exterior look of a house.

4. Change the Roof

The right roofing can make a house attractive. The choice of roofing should depend on the style of the house and the weather conditions in the area.

5. A Mailbox

An eye-catching mailbox can add to your home’s curb appeal. Start by matching the color to the that of the house or use one that complements it.  If you love greenery and plants, you can create a flower garden around the mailbox. Make the mailbox whimsical or festive using trimmings and artistic designs.

6. Amp Up Your Landscaping

You don’t need to have a green thumb to put in a garden that will improve the look and value of your home. If necessary get professional help to design the layout of the garden and get advice on the best types of plants. Go with layering by placing taller plants in the back and shorter plants in shrubbery in the front.  If you don’t have enough space for a garden, whether in your front or back yard, consider window boxes. If you work on your landscaping, you can take it slowly, doing it in phases to help you find what works best for you. Visit your local gardening store for advice if you are new to gardening.