How to Add Curb Appeal in the Fall

Adding curb appeal to your yard in fall can be a challenge. It is a beautiful season for a little while. Unfortunately, once lots of leaves are down and the weather gets cold, things can start to look a bit worn out. 

Don’t leave your landscape looking bare and boring this season! Choose a couple of these ideas to add fall curb appeal, and keep your property looking fresh and well-cared for all through autumn.

Tidy Up the Lawn

At this point in the year, lawns can start to look a bit overgrown, and maybe a little worse for the wear. Edging lawn to show those clean lines along pathways, driveways, and flowerbeds make the whole yard look neater. This is also an excellent time to give your lawn some fall TLC, so aerate, overseed, and fertilize to give your lawn a boost and prepare it for next spring. 

Keep the Leaves Cleaned Up

If you’ve got a deciduous tree in your front yard, or even if the neighbors do, you’ve probably got lots of leaves all over the lawn. Raking them up every few days doesn’t take long, and it makes the yard look much better. Leaves are an excellent soil conditioner, so add them to your compost or work them straight into garden and flower beds. If you have a lawnmower with a bagger, you can mow the leaves up. This will help them break down and improve your soil or compost even faster.

Freshen Up Flower Beds & Pots

Any annual flowers that you planted earlier in the year are ready to come out. Dig them all out and add some fresh cool-season annuals or colorful fall perennials in their place. There are many great options for fall flowers, including chrysanthemums, ornamental kale, marigolds, pansies, asters, and sedum. 

Add Seasonal Porch Decor

With the leaves gone and fewer flowers, you have an opportunity to showcase some seasonal decor near your front door. Plant up some decorative fall planters with chrysanthemums or ornamental kale. Add pumpkins, sheaves of grain, a fall welcome sign, and embrace some burlap accents. 

If you’re a Halloween fan, you can start building your Halloween decor slowly. Start low-key with pumpkins, and add slightly more spooky items every week or so, capping it off the week of Halloween. 

If you have a porch swing or bench, accessorize it with some pillows or throw blankets in cozy fall colors. Add some warm and welcoming porch lighting to make it comfortable and enticing. 

Add Outdoor Lighting

Integrating lighting into your landscaping can bump it up a notch, and it also has several benefits. Outdoor lighting increases curb appeal, makes it easier to navigate in the dark, creates a welcoming atmosphere, and highlights interesting landscape or architectural features. It can also improve neighborhood safety, as crime is less common in well-lit locations. All these bonuses can also have a positive impact on your property value.

Spotlights on feature trees or architectural features extend the beauty and interest of your landscape and home. Pathway lighting draws the eye through a landscape towards your home, and sconces on your house make it look warm and inviting.

Keep in mind color temperature when you are choosing a lighting scheme, though. Mixing cool or blue light and warm or yellow light doesn’t go well. Our landscaping designers can help you develop a lighting scheme that highlights your yard’s best features and provides the look and feel you desire. 

Freshen Up House Features

If you’ve got a mailbox, consider giving it a fresh coat of paint. Stain or paint the deck and railings. Consider updating or replacing your house number with new paint or more modern numbers. Siding may get dusty and start to look dingy by the end of the harvest season, so consider pressure washing the siding and getting the windows cleaned. 

Clean Your Rain Gutters

The last thing you need to worry about is clogged gutters as the weather starts to get colder and rainier. Gutters full of leaves, or that have seedlings growing in them, give an unkempt appearance. Ensure your gutters are cleaned out and flowing freely to prevent dealing with any mishaps when our Iowa weather turns nasty.

Love what you’re reading? Sign up to our email newsletter, and get inspiration delivered straight to your inbox.

Fall doesn’t mean your yard has to look drab and dingy. A little bit of cleanup and a few minor upgrades can keep your curb appeal fresh and attractive until the snow falls!