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Home and Garden Tips

10 ways to add curb appeal

By Shelly Sack

With the long days of winter behind, it's exciting to turn to nature and the lawn to see what can be done to improve the curb appeal for your home.

It's even more exciting to consider ideas that cost a homeowner under $100. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Light it up
Landscape lighting allows your home to shine at night. Strategically placed lights will highlight bushes, trees or walkways. Solar pathway lights can be had for as little as $49 for a set of 6, according to John Whittle with Home Depot. Traditional lighting with hardware and transformers can be purchased for $79 for a set of four 20-watt floodlights.

2. Add shine
Replace door hardware, mailbox and house numbers with new ones. Visitors instantly notice the changes and the look updates your entryway.

3. Splash some color
Add a fresh new paint color to your entry door, garage and shutters.

4. Make it yours
Show some personality with a unique light fixture for your doorstep. It is easy to install, inexpensive and looks good both day and night.

5. Mark the season
Seasonal wreaths add color and instant curb appeal for both home owner and visitor.

6. Bring on the blooms
Annual flowers are an inexpensive way to add instant color to your exterior. Whether you choose hanging baskets, window boxes or planters on the deck or porch, area nurseries will have a wide variety available.

7. Make the beds
Mulch instantly adds a professional touch to a lawn. Remember to put it on a little thick in the spring and then turn it over mid-summer to regain the darker color, according to Dana Greer with Designer's Landscape and Nursery in Liberty Township.

8. Feed me
Build up the health of your turf with fertilizer. It will remove weeds and add thickness to your lawn.

9. Flowers on a budget
Perennial plantings help stretch your dollars by returning year after year. Greer suggests dividing the plants before planting to get full value for your dollar.

10. Dig some holes
Don't forget to aerate your lawn. Aeration opens up the ground to get better air and water penetration into the ground helping develop roots. It might not look pretty at first, but has longtime benefits to the health of your lawn, according to Gary Magie of West Chester Lawn Care.