10 Simple Ways to Modernize Your Home’s Exterior (and Boost its Value!)

When you see your home from the street, does it look a little dated? Sprucing up your home’s exterior doesn’t have to be a big project – there are plenty of easy ways to enhance the overall feel of your home (and it doesn’t hurt that ramping up the curb appeal can boost its value, either). From painting your front door for a quick (but impactful) upgrade to simple hardware swaps that make a major impact, we’ve rounded up 10 ideas to help modernize your home’s exterior – that just may give your home’s value a bit of a bump in the process.

white home exterior with yellow front door

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Paint the Front Door

Has your front door seen a bit of wear-and-tear? The front door doesn’t take up a lot of real estate on your home’s exterior, but its look and condition can make a big statement (for better or worse). The simplest way to bring it back to life is with paint. Go for a new coat in the same colour it already is, or make a bolder statement by painting it a standout shade like red, yellow or green. However, if your door is beyond repair, your best bet is to replace it – but be sure to read these tips from Mike Holmes first to save yourself any headaches.

brown front door with shiny metallic handle

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Swap the Door Hardware

Now that your door’s base is looking fresh, why not give the hardware a bit of an overhaul, too? Swapping a worn handle for a sleek new model gives a great first impression, and you can instantly enhance your home’s accessibility by replacing a round knob with a horizontal lever-style handle (which is easier for people with dexterity issues to use).

brick house exterior with charcoal-grey trim

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Paint the Trim

Painting your home’s exterior is an obvious way to transform its look, but a total paint job can be costly and labour intensive. If you’re looking for a quicker refresh, take a look at the trim, just as Kortney and Dave Wilson did with this Family Home Overhaul home’s exterior update. Trim often takes the brunt of wear-and-tear, so a fresh coat of paint can make a big difference. You can also try painting the trim in a different colour for a new look (here are a few classic exterior colour combos that will almost always be winners).

green house exterior with lights at front door and garage door

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Shed Some Light on the Issue

Good exterior lighting is important for safety, and lighting up your front yard or porch at night can really illuminate your home’s value. Whatever your home decor personality may be (take this quiz to find out), you can find a new exterior light fixture to match, but HGTV expert Brian McCourt recommends downward soffit lighting for maximum curb appeal and safety.

steps at home's front door with plants and new house numbers

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Crunch the Numbers

Swapping your home’s house-number hardware is a super simple, inexpensive update that can take your home from outdated to of-the-moment. An extra tip? Make sure the door numbers are big enough to be easy to read from the street (trust us: your future delivery drivers will thank you!).

grey bungalow's exterior with clean, minimal landscaping

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Less-is-More Landscaping

Landscaping can go a long way towards making your home’s exterior look beautiful, and it can even help increase your property value – when it’s done right. However, the simplest way to update your exterior landscaping could be to simply declutter. If you’ve lived in your home for a long time, chances are that you’ve accumulated a lot of unnecessary things (like dead plants, pieces of old lumber and broken planters) that could be masking your home’s true potential. Do a thorough declutter for a clean exterior aesthetic – the minimal landscaping Scott McGillivray showcased for this Buyer’s Bootcamp home exterior makes a great impression, for example.

white home exterior with teal door and yellow mailbox

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Colour-Pop Your Mailbox

Neutral or white paint looks great on a home’s exterior, but going too neutral can rob your house of character. By giving a small detail like your mailbox a burst of bright colour, you can easily bring in some personality and contrast. Bonus points? Match your sunny yellow mailbox to your exterior planters, like Tiffany Pratt and Brian McCourt did with this Family Home Overhaul design.

feet standing on hello/goodbye welcome mat

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A Warm Welcome

You’d be surprised at how big a difference something as simple as adding a new (or replacing an old, grungy) doormat can make to your home’s overall curb appeal. Want a custom look? Get inspired by this easy doormat DIY and create your own perfect front entrance.

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Planter Perfection

No place to plant a garden or grass? A few artfully arranged planters can add a great pop of colour and life to any patio, porch or deck in an instant (as Brian McCourt and Sarah Keenleyside beautifully showed with this Backyard Builds outdoor space).