7 Curb Appeal Projects That Homeowners Are Choosing Right Now
See the latest trends in home exterior, front porch and front yard projects to inspire or inform your own projects
A home with beautiful curb appeal can be a joy for owners, visitors and neighbors alike. So it’s no surprise that nearly half (46%) of outdoor upgrades take place at the front of the home, according to the 2024 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study. And since improving aesthetics is the No. 1 objective for all outdoor projects, according to the study — based on a survey of over 1,100 homeowners who are in the middle of, are planning or have recently completed an outdoor renovation — it makes sense that plenty of these projects go beyond mere maintenance. Here we share what homeowners are prioritizing as they beautify their home exteriors for all to enjoy.
2. Front Doors
An impactful front door can draw eyes all the way from the street, and 7 in 10 homeowners (70%) who undertake an exterior door project do so at the front of the home. Renovating homeowners go for a wide range of front door colors. While black is the top choice (24%), red isn’t far behind (22%). Other favored colors are white (18%), blue (13%), green (11%) and gold (7%).
Wood is the most popular front door material (32%), followed by lited doors with glass (26%). Fiberglass-clad exterior doors with a wood or wood composite interior also are popular (18%).
One in 8 homeowners (12%) upgrading outdoor features adds new house numbers.
The red door on the modern farmhouse seen here, the interior design of which was done by Inside Stories, feels like a friendly wave to all the Denver residents who stroll, jog and bicycle by.
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An impactful front door can draw eyes all the way from the street, and 7 in 10 homeowners (70%) who undertake an exterior door project do so at the front of the home. Renovating homeowners go for a wide range of front door colors. While black is the top choice (24%), red isn’t far behind (22%). Other favored colors are white (18%), blue (13%), green (11%) and gold (7%).
Wood is the most popular front door material (32%), followed by lited doors with glass (26%). Fiberglass-clad exterior doors with a wood or wood composite interior also are popular (18%).
One in 8 homeowners (12%) upgrading outdoor features adds new house numbers.
The red door on the modern farmhouse seen here, the interior design of which was done by Inside Stories, feels like a friendly wave to all the Denver residents who stroll, jog and bicycle by.
Shop for exterior products on Houzz
3. Exterior Accents
Almost a third of homeowners (31%) renovating their home exteriors are changing exterior accents. Among them, 59% focus on trimwork, followed by columns or pillars (38%), awnings (25%), beams (19%), window flower boxes (18%) and shutters (15%). White is the leading trim color (28%), followed by black (22%) and green (13%).
Enfort Homes used white trim, columns and shutters against gray shingle siding to give this Seattle home’s exterior a defined and fresh look. The black door speaks to another popular trend.
Almost a third of homeowners (31%) renovating their home exteriors are changing exterior accents. Among them, 59% focus on trimwork, followed by columns or pillars (38%), awnings (25%), beams (19%), window flower boxes (18%) and shutters (15%). White is the leading trim color (28%), followed by black (22%) and green (13%).
Enfort Homes used white trim, columns and shutters against gray shingle siding to give this Seattle home’s exterior a defined and fresh look. The black door speaks to another popular trend.
4. Lighting
Outdoor lighting does more than add ambiance. It makes spaces safer to navigate and highlights features that otherwise would disappear into the darkness of night. Of the homeowners who tackle outdoor systems during an outdoor renovation, 78% add or upgrade their lighting.
Among homeowners adding or upgrading outdoor lighting, the majority (81%) add landscape lighting. Porch sconces (37%) also are highly popular. Garage sconces and recessed lights are tied at 19% each, while porch pendant lights round out the list (11%).
Elongated bar lights emphasize the vertical orientation of the entryway at this Los Angeles home, uploaded by Dal Lusso Design. The exterior also has downlight sconces over the garage and around two windows, as well as uplighting from a planting bed.
10 Outdoor Renovation Trends Everyone Should Know About
Outdoor lighting does more than add ambiance. It makes spaces safer to navigate and highlights features that otherwise would disappear into the darkness of night. Of the homeowners who tackle outdoor systems during an outdoor renovation, 78% add or upgrade their lighting.
Among homeowners adding or upgrading outdoor lighting, the majority (81%) add landscape lighting. Porch sconces (37%) also are highly popular. Garage sconces and recessed lights are tied at 19% each, while porch pendant lights round out the list (11%).
Elongated bar lights emphasize the vertical orientation of the entryway at this Los Angeles home, uploaded by Dal Lusso Design. The exterior also has downlight sconces over the garage and around two windows, as well as uplighting from a planting bed.
10 Outdoor Renovation Trends Everyone Should Know About
5. Exterior Walls
Changing wall surfaces is a bigger project, but the impact can also be big. Nearly 3 in 5 renovating homeowners (58%) upgrade their home’s exterior walls as part of their exterior projects. Natural wood is the leading wall surface material, chosen by 23% of those with an exterior wall surface project, but fiber cement (22%) and stucco (19%) are close behind. Among homeowners choosing natural wood, the format breakdown is: lap siding (53%), vertical siding (49%) and shakes or shingles (24%).
Among homeowners changing their exterior wall colors, neutrals are the top choice, specifically white (23%), gray (19%), beige (10%) and black (8%). But green is right up there with black, at 8%, and some bolder colors make an appearance too, such as blue (4%), red (3%), yellow (3%) and orange (1%).
The majority of renovating homeowners (71%) choose a wall color that contrasts with the trim color, as exemplified by this Kirkland, Washington, home by Merit Homes.
10 Surefire Ways to Boost Curb Appeal
Changing wall surfaces is a bigger project, but the impact can also be big. Nearly 3 in 5 renovating homeowners (58%) upgrade their home’s exterior walls as part of their exterior projects. Natural wood is the leading wall surface material, chosen by 23% of those with an exterior wall surface project, but fiber cement (22%) and stucco (19%) are close behind. Among homeowners choosing natural wood, the format breakdown is: lap siding (53%), vertical siding (49%) and shakes or shingles (24%).
Among homeowners changing their exterior wall colors, neutrals are the top choice, specifically white (23%), gray (19%), beige (10%) and black (8%). But green is right up there with black, at 8%, and some bolder colors make an appearance too, such as blue (4%), red (3%), yellow (3%) and orange (1%).
The majority of renovating homeowners (71%) choose a wall color that contrasts with the trim color, as exemplified by this Kirkland, Washington, home by Merit Homes.
10 Surefire Ways to Boost Curb Appeal
6. Roofs
Roofing is an integral part of a home’s exterior aesthetic, and among renovating homeowners, more than 2 in 5 (44%) add or redo a roof as part of their exterior projects. Of those who undertake a roofing project, nearly two-thirds (64%) completely replace their roof.
The most common roofing material is asphalt, with 63% of homeowners choosing some form of it, such as dimensional shingles (34%), three-tab shingles (19%) and luxury shingles (10%). Other materials include metal (14%) and a synthetic material or rubber (11%).
The Chicago home seen here, by Studio 1 Architects, has a roof that perfectly matches the look and feel of the modern-farmhouse-style facade.
What to Know Before Selecting Your Home’s Roofing Material
Roofing is an integral part of a home’s exterior aesthetic, and among renovating homeowners, more than 2 in 5 (44%) add or redo a roof as part of their exterior projects. Of those who undertake a roofing project, nearly two-thirds (64%) completely replace their roof.
The most common roofing material is asphalt, with 63% of homeowners choosing some form of it, such as dimensional shingles (34%), three-tab shingles (19%) and luxury shingles (10%). Other materials include metal (14%) and a synthetic material or rubber (11%).
The Chicago home seen here, by Studio 1 Architects, has a roof that perfectly matches the look and feel of the modern-farmhouse-style facade.
What to Know Before Selecting Your Home’s Roofing Material
7. Landscaping
Greenery can be a big part of curb appeal, softening a home’s lines and adding a soothing, natural feel. The majority of homeowners undertaking outdoor feature projects upgrade plants, shrubs or trees (77%). Beds or borders (66%) are also popular. Fewer renovators (27%) add or redo a lawn.
Among homeowners embarking on plant, shrub or tree projects, 82% add flowering plants and 70% choose low-maintenance plantings. Fifty-five percent add butterfly, bee or hummingbird attractors and 52% choose natives. Drought-resistant plantings are also popular (45%), and more than a third of homeowners plant edibles (37%).
As for hardscaping, 46% of homeowners upgrading outdoor features add or update paths, stairs, steps, planters or planter boxes; 39% undertake a patio or terrace project; and 23% work on fences or property borders. Some homeowners (17%) also undertake a driveway project.
Verdance Landscape Architecture created the front yard design seen here for a property in Palo Alto, California, and enhanced other aspects of the curb appeal for the 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival home.
10 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Front Yard Redesign
Greenery can be a big part of curb appeal, softening a home’s lines and adding a soothing, natural feel. The majority of homeowners undertaking outdoor feature projects upgrade plants, shrubs or trees (77%). Beds or borders (66%) are also popular. Fewer renovators (27%) add or redo a lawn.
Among homeowners embarking on plant, shrub or tree projects, 82% add flowering plants and 70% choose low-maintenance plantings. Fifty-five percent add butterfly, bee or hummingbird attractors and 52% choose natives. Drought-resistant plantings are also popular (45%), and more than a third of homeowners plant edibles (37%).
As for hardscaping, 46% of homeowners upgrading outdoor features add or update paths, stairs, steps, planters or planter boxes; 39% undertake a patio or terrace project; and 23% work on fences or property borders. Some homeowners (17%) also undertake a driveway project.
Verdance Landscape Architecture created the front yard design seen here for a property in Palo Alto, California, and enhanced other aspects of the curb appeal for the 1931 Spanish Colonial Revival home.
10 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Front Yard Redesign
Homeowners Are Hiring Professionals
Given the complexity of many outdoor projects, it’s no wonder the majority of homeowners (65%) hire professionals to complete them. Landscape contractors are the most sought-after pros (21%), followed by stone, paver or concrete specialists (17%); general contractors (15%); and landscape architects or designers (14%).
General contracting firm Seydel Construction Group remodeled the Philadelphia home seen here, which features a number of the trends included in the 2024 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study.
Given the complexity of many outdoor projects, it’s no wonder the majority of homeowners (65%) hire professionals to complete them. Landscape contractors are the most sought-after pros (21%), followed by stone, paver or concrete specialists (17%); general contractors (15%); and landscape architects or designers (14%).
General contracting firm Seydel Construction Group remodeled the Philadelphia home seen here, which features a number of the trends included in the 2024 U.S. Houzz Outdoor Trends Study.
See more results and download the full study
Tell us: What roof, exterior, porch and front yard projects are you in the middle of, are planning or have recently completed? Share in the Comments.
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Tell us: What roof, exterior, porch and front yard projects are you in the middle of, are planning or have recently completed? Share in the Comments.
More on Houzz
Read more landscape design stories
Get landscape design ideas
Find a landscape designer or architect
Shop for outdoor products
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Adding or upgrading windows or skylights can improve the interior as well as the exterior of a home, and more than 2 in 5 renovating homeowners (42%) undertake these projects. Among these folks, two-thirds (66%) fully replace their windows. The most sought-after material? That would be full vinyl, chosen by 52% of homeowners. It has a big lead over the next three most frequently chosen materials, which are an aluminum-clad exterior with wood or wood composite interior (16%); full aluminum (15%); and a fiberglass-clad exterior with wood or wood composite interior (14%). Just 4% choose full wood.
The southeast Pennsylvania home seen here has plenty of windows, and automated shades from Springboard Automation make controlling the amount of light an easy task.
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