NJ Home - Curb Appeal Ideas

last year

Hi,

We recently bought a home in NJ and while the inside is all updated the exterior looks very plain & boring. I am looking for ideas to improve the curb appeal - please help me with some suggestions on landscaping that would help spruce up the look.

The house is newly painted, so I don't want to change the paint color - just simple landscaping ideas please!

Thanks so much!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (10)

PRO
User
last year
Your new home is adorable - Congratulations!

For something simple, I would designate the top portion of the horizontal walk as a garden bed with varied height plantings. I would also line your front walk with lights.

Good luck!
chloebud
last year
last modified: last year
Adorable, for sure! Love GEWD’s suggestion for plantings and lights. If there’s enough room, 2 black pots flanking the steps with colorful blooms could be nice. Maybe black pots with pretty blooms or topiaries that are more tall/narrow.
Related Discussions
Help with curb appeal on a raised shore home in NJ
Q
Comments (1)
Could you do landscaping: have sort of a dune like mound and plantings to disguise some of the height? I've seen this in Louisiana, but I don't know how it would look at the shore. Could the steps go sideways parallel with the house/new porch?
...See More
Any ideas for enhancing the curb appeal of my house?
Q
Comments (4)
I agree with the others that you need to remove the shrubs that are too close to the house. You should have at least a foot of space between plants (at their mature size!) and the wall. More distance would be better if your climate is rainy and humid. "Foundation planting" is only necessary if you have something to hide, like an ugly foundation. Tall plants planted too close can make a house look untidy and neglected. Stick with low-growing, spreading shrubs, perennials and bulbs. I would recommend removing the overgrown shurbs/trees, and taking another photo of the house.
...See More
Any ideas for this fixer upper's curb appeal? Ugliest house on block..
Q
Comments (11)
celery gave you some nice updated versions. think about doing something w/that brick. It's the main thing that is holding back the curb appeal. i'm not as good as celery, but taking away the brick (discussed below) or painting it all white, dark garage door, lights, new door, AND I did a wood shake under the gable area, gives you a whole new house. of course the added landscape is huge. I'd prob do some type of walkway or path across the grass leading to the door just to break up that huge expanse. do something cool like the cement squares surrounded w/pebbles. you can make these yourself. this has a similar gable although this one is over the garage. if you white washed the brick, did something different w/the gable portion (maybe a composite shake or something?) Some other options. you could embrace the 50's and do some slat wood, maybe around the garage door You could also remove the brick altogether, and replace with siding or stucco removing the brick would let you do a vertical or board/batten siding.
...See More
Help! Any ideas for adding curb appeal to this small house?
Q
Comments (27)
Do you feel comfortable telling us closest big city to where the house is located? We can give you some ideas for landscaping that don't cost the earth (pun intended). Depending on where you are, during planting season (early spring in 4B) there are good deals on the common types of evergreen shrubs. Those would look best across the front of the house, all year. You don't need to get things that are expensive or exotic. "Garden variety" yews (for shade) or Juniper (for sun) is fine and you can find them on sale at the big box stores in early spring. Look closely at the tag to be sure you get something that won't get too large. Before you buy, check how many hours of sun you get where you are planting. Choose shrubs that will be happy with the amount of water and light they will get in that spot. Don't plant them too close together even though they're small. Plant far enough from the house that they will be a foot away from it at maturity (although this will look weird at first). Look at the tag and space them accordingly. Planting too close together is a waste of money and you'll have to move them or prune them later if you do. To me it looks like you need about 7-8 evergreen shrubs, which won't break the bank. When shrubs are small, I plant white sweet alyssum all over as a living ground cover between them. Cheaper than mulch, looks great, and reseeds itself every year. Tiny roots so easy to remove if you want to get rid of it. As the shrubs get larger they will cover it. If you want something taller against the house before the shrubs are mature, cosmos are so pretty. Again, inexpensive and readily available as tiny plants at the garden center in spring. As far as flowers, maybe in front of the shrubs, there are lots of ways to do that economically too. Some of my favourites come up from seed every year (white alyssum, bachelor's buttons, calendula) or are perennials where I have received cuttings from friends. Unless you need more pathyways functionally, I wouldn't add more hardscaping if budget is a concern. As far as edging, some types are a big pain for mowing. My preference is to just take a spade and dig straight down to make a little trough. Re-do it early spring and mid summer. You can mow right up to it. If you like you can use a weed-eater to trim it, or a pair of garden shears. Free and looks good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBgqBC4EIxQ
...See More
decoenthusiaste
last year
Formal or casual. What's your climate like?
Tudor Lane · More Info

Modern Landscape · More Info
violetsnapdragon
last year
last modified: last year
What about just painting the---what are they called? The 'stripes' on the house a color that will give the exterior more contrast? Also, what about changing that paver path to the driveway to something curvy and then using the space it creates between it and the house as a flower bed?
P Banos
last year

We've done well with boxwoods in NJ. If you set the walkway across the front into pea gravel, and added boxwoods it might work well. If you want something less formal, you could use a lower growing decorative grass. Or establish a bed of myrtle.
Yvonne Martin
last year
It looks as if the left side of the yard is in shade, so I would think about a shade garden there. Maybe replace all that grass with ferns, hosta, sedges, wild ginger, etc. All of these are easy to care for once installed. You might contact a local native gardener group for suggestions--people might even have transplants to offer.

Then think about the sunny side as others have commented.
mcpherson007
last year
Such a charming home, I love it ...Good luck and post after pics
violetsnapdragon
last year
Ignore the person who used the word "awful." I could see doing mini boxwoods along the sides of the path to the street and maybe also under the window at the right. I also think azaleas to the right would have a less formal look. Best of luck in your new home!
Irina Y.
last year
Great house , please do not change color of the house , it gives modern/transitional vibes . NJ has seasonal bushes and they can bloom for some extended time : Rhododendron, Azalea, Lilac (not so long blooming , but I like it ) . Pink weeping cherry tree or red maple can create accent. ARBORVITAE if you need privacy, and my favorite is pink magnolia. So bushes on left side , accent trees somewhere on right from the window (not to close ) and flowers or Azalea (did not grow tall) upfront of window.
tfitz1006
last year
Lovely and traditional. I would re-think the paver path to the drive as it impedes somewhat your ability to put in a nice front garden. I think I'd be looking at classic NJ plantings - rhodies, azalea, hydrangea, maybe a row of boxwoods under the window and annuals in front of them. Maybe an ornamental tree on the front lawn, like dogwood or japanese maple. The good news....it's not that much to landscape and it will make all the difference in the world. I feel like this property also needs some roses somewhere. Maybe a brighter front door?

NJ Home - Curb Appeal Ideas

Comments (10)

User

chloebud

Related Discussions

decoenthusiaste

violetsnapdragon

P Banos

Yvonne Martin

mcpherson007

violetsnapdragon

Irina Y.

tfitz1006

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US