On our quest to enhance curb appeal, today we are focusing on two things that people often overlook: the numbers for their address and the mailbox.  The whole point of curb appeal is to improve one’s first impression of your home.  Obviously this works to your advantage when selling a home, but homeowners also want a house that looks its best.  Regardless of your reasons to boost curb appeal, don’t take for granted standard items like the numbers or letters on your home, which we will call addressing, or your mailbox.

Addressing:

Every home has an unique address.  We use it to receive mail, packages, and pizza delivery.   9-1-1 relies on your address being easy-to-read.  This enables them to do their job efficiently.  The numbers regardless of the style need to be clearly seen from the road for emergency response teams and guests to find you.

There are many styles from floating numbers to traditional plaques.  You can choose painted Talavera tile in a wrought iron frame or something completely original.  Find something that will fit with the style of your home as well as your personality.  Just like the color of your front door, your personality gets to shine when selecting the way in which your home address is displayed.  Installing new, fresh numbers will improve your curb appeal by replacing the old and often overlooked addressing on your home’s facade.

Mailbox:

Not every home has or is able to change the look of your mailbox.  Some homes along the same street have a utilitarian, shared box that is not even in front of their home.  Some homes have bulky, brick structures at the curb, which would not be easy to modify.  For these types, we would have you check to ensure they are still in good shape.  Crumbling or broken brick structures will need to be addressed.  However for the most part, there is little to nothing one can do with these mailboxes except to make sure your addressing is plainly visible.

For those of you that have installed your own mailbox either at your curb or on your home near the door, you can easily make changes and/or updates.  A mailbox makeover might be exactly what your home needs.  Replacing an existing mailbox can be an easy DIY project.  Any home improvement store will have several choices from which to choose.

You can add vinyl numbers and even personalize with your last name.  However, don’t do the latter if you are trying to sell your home.  There is no need to put money in something that will be one of the first things removed with new owners.  If you are looking to make a pretty statement, check out this DIY project for a Mailbox Statement Screen.  It really helps set the mailbox apart in a beautiful fashion.  Of course once again, select items that accessorize your home and not distract or clash with it.

Paying attention to the often overlooked areas of your home can make a big impact visually.  Most of us take for granted both our home addressing and the mailbox.  However, both play a role in your home’s curb appeal.  Make improvements this week or weekend by sprucing them up or by doing a complete addressing and mailbox makeover.

To follow the rest of our series on improving curb appeal, check out these topics: deep cleaning,  exterior lighting, and painting your front door.