Small home improvement projects that can make a big difference to enhance curb appeal!

* I came barreling down the hill that leads to my house this morning on my bicycle after riding with my younger daughter to camp.  As I did that stand-up-on-my-pedals thing in the final approach up the driveway (what am I, twelve?), I knew I could no longer deny the curb-appeal problems with my house.  That one sill with the wood rot that just glares at me.  The screen door that’s not quite straight.  And the light that doesn’t work (yes, I had forgotten to turn the one that works off before my bike ride).  All these things are small, but they take time and money to fix, and I keep putting it off.

No more procrastination for me!  Operation Curb Appeal starts today at my house. It’s pretty well known that curb appeal matters when you are trying to sell your house.  Well, it matters if you’re not, as well.  You live there.  You come home to your house every day.  And you matter.  Check out these 20 suggestions for increasing your home’s curb appeal, and see yet more curb appeal suggestions here.  Although the house pictured is not mine, it reminds me that live plants would be nice in my pots.

* More small changes that can make you say wow?  How about that garden arbor or grape trellis you’ve always wanted, or that fence around your garden that’s suddenly become a necessity now that the bunnies have discovered your carrots?  Things like these don’t need to break the bank, and can give your home a big boost of “happy” (and vegetables). (Find out how to make this 10-foot deer fence here.)

* Want some really small ways to make your home look just a bit sharper?  Don’t overlook your house number (no, the “3″ that has been dangling for months now is not a sign of personality!)  Prominently displayed house numbers look welcoming, and they also make your home easy to find, which is important in case of emergencies (and deliveries of those edible bouquets of chocolate dipped strawberries). The National Fire Safety Council offers these tips for making sure your house number is easy to locate.

Service companies you find on Kudzu can help you with small improvements like these that can make a big difference.  And they won’t even ask you to share your strawberries.