13 Festive Ways to Dress Up Your Property for the Holidays
Want to give your home a seasonal touch this fall and winter? Take a look at these festive ways to enhance your home's curb appeal for the late-year holidays.
1. Adorn the Front Door With Holiday Wreaths
Wreaths are an easy way to dress up your front door in an inviting way. You can buy wreaths for nearly every holiday these days —I've personally seen examples for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas this week alone (yep, Christmas starts in September now) — or you can try your hand at making your own by visiting your local craft store for supplies. Often, the same craft stores host wreath-making classes this time of year, or you can search for them in your area on your local event boards, Craigslist, Meetup, or the NextDoor app.
2. Swap in a Seasons Greetings Doormat
Along with changing my door wreaths for the fall and winter holidays, I also swap out my door mats. I don't buy new ones every year, but rather use the same one from year to year by cleaning it before packing it away after the holiday has passed. You can find cool mats with fun greetings at store like Target for around $10 — totally a steal — but there are plenty of other places that will have different selections at different prices. Or you can do what I do and wait until after the holidays to snag your mats when they're, like, 75% off.
3. Power Wash Porches, Sidewalks, Windows, and Siding
You can instantly give your house a facelift with a little soap and water by power washing your porches, sidewalks, windows, and siding.
"Sometimes a home just needs a good exterior dusting, and the cheapest way to do that is by renting and using a power washer," says Alexander Ruggie, PR director for 911 Restoration, which specializes in water damage restoration.
I recently power-washed my home, and the difference is pretty astonishing. You don't really think about the accumulated dirt until you get all up in there, but I promise you'll be happy with the result once you've blasted away all that dirt, dust, and muck.
In addition to renting a power washer, you also can buy one. I found a great deal on Groupon a couple years ago, and I've definitely gotten my money's worth. Something to look into, at least.
4. Dress Up the Front Yard With Tasteful Decorations
The key word here is tasteful — because it's not really curb appeal if your home is surrounded by a bunch of tired, tacky decorations. That's not to say you shouldn't have fun decorating for the season, but, ya know, use your common sense when deciding what's appropriate for your yard and what isn't.
Zakiyya Rosebelle, lifestyle and interior decorator behind Sweet Little Luxuries, suggests keeping it classic. "Accent the front yard with outdoor art or a sculpture made from a natural material such as metal owls, a galvanized pumpkin, or a wooden reindeer," she says.
5. Tie Large Bows Around Gates, Posts, and Mailboxes
Another simple fix to give you property added flair is to tie large bows — which come premade or you can make them yourself — around fixtures in your yard, like gates, posts, mailboxes, and more. Personally, I think bows give homes and yard a tidy-but-festive touch that adds that little something extra.
6. Line Walkways With Seasonal Flowers and Plants
There are several varieties of plants and flowers that are popular in the fall, like mums, turtlehead, sunflowers, and stonecrop. You can find a great selection of these plants at your local farmers markets, flower shops, and big-box hardware stores, the latter of which probably offers the best deal, but not always guaranteed. Line your walkway with these perennials to add autumn color to your yard, or hang a few on your porch to dress up the immediate exterior of your home. After the season, plant them in your garden before the ground freezes and you'll have a new batch of your own every year.
7. Clean the Gutters
While you're up on the roof hanging lights and other decorations, take time to clean out your gutters, too. Not only will you keep the gutters from clogging — which could lead to a costly incident if left unattended for too long — but you'll ensure that there's no gunk or trash spilling out that will take away from the seasonal prettiness that you're trying to accomplish.
8. Brighten Porches, Trees, and Paths With Decorative Lights
I love holiday lights — and they're not just for Christmas anymore. You can decorate with lights any time of year, including Valentine's Day or even the Fourth of July, to give your home a certain twinkle. During the fall and winter holidays, however, you can go all out, hanging lights from trees, wrapping them around your porches and patio, draping them from awning, affixing them to windows, and more. There's an increased expense in electricity, of course, but we can't be misers about everything, right? Let yourself enjoy life a little more this time of year.
9. Hang Ornaments and Decorations on Trees
If you're hanging up lights, why not add a few decorations? These aren't the same decorations that you'd put on your indoor trees (nobody would be able to see those), but rather larger variations, like figures or shiny balls, that will give your vegetation a look of completeness and ultimately add to your curb appeal.
10. Design a Fall/Winter Garden for the Cooler Weather
If you want to be more creative than just lining your walkways and porches with seasonal flowers, perhaps you can create an entire fall or winter garden using the appropriate flora. My grandmother used to change her garden out seasonally — which was a lot of work (I know, because she made me help several times), but the end result will be something you can be proud of and the neighbors can admire.
"Create fall or winter gardens with flowers that bloom beautifully in these seasons such as sweet autumn clematis, sedum, helenium, snowdrop, or winterberry," Rosebelle says.
11. Paint the Front Doors
I recently had my front porch and door repainted to an upbeat lavender color, and it gave my home a whole new look. It's really incredible what paint can do for a stale palate. You can give your doors a once-over that will last for years, or, if you're adventurous, you can paint your door to reflect each holiday.
12. Trim Trees and Shrubs
If you have the skills a la Edward Scissorhands, try trimming your trees and shrubs into festive shapes. This activity obviously isn't for everyone — you probably shouldn't work on your front yard if it's your first time — but if you think you have what it takes, try a bush in the back yard. Plus, whatever mistakes you make will grow back, and if you discover you have a knack for it, your curb appeal can only benefit from your shear genius.
13. Camouflage Unsightly Exterior Hardware
Every home has less-than-appealing hardware on its exterior. To maximize your home beauty and hide its flaws, disguise these items, which can usually be accomplished with paint.
"Camouflage your home's electrical boxes, piping, and wires by painting them the color of the rest of your house," says Natalie Wilhelm, a luxury real estate agent in Southern California. "They are an eyesore when they are different colors and they stand out. By painting them the same colors, it makes them blend into the rest of your house."
How do you plan to add seasonal curb appeal to your home this fall? Let me know in the comments below.
Like this article? Pin it!
Disclaimer: The links and mentions on this site may be affiliate links. But they do not affect the actual opinions and recommendations of the authors.
Wise Bread is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
