Curb Appeal

When I was scrolling through our pictures not long ago, I came across the before pictures of our front and back yards. I was shocked! I had forgotten how bad they were just a mere 4 years ago. So I thought I'd do a quick before and after of the yards from this spring. Fair warning, this post is full of pictures!

Here's a move-in day shot of the yards...obviously we didn't buy it for it's curb appeal. You'll note there is not a lick of landscaping other than the over-grown bushes trees on the corners.

front shot of house

close-up of the front

Notice in the picture below the hideous metal screen/glass door and the oh-so-loverly gas meter in the corner. What you can't tell is that behind that white door is a hollow outside door. I think they just used an interior door instead of a true exterior. It was horrible!

And then there was the backyard...brace yourself.

So basically, the backyard was dirt and weeds. The only thing that had been added was the deck. Hideous. I die. And not in a good way.

The first thing we decided to do, mainly because it hurt my eyes the most, was change out the front door. Well that and it was a security risk. Once that was done, we tackled the back yard.

Sooo much better! Already it looked like a new yard. Over time, we've slowly been working on adding landscaping to the front and back to make it more cozy and "us". I love a functional outdoor space so it's important for me to have curb appeal and a pretty place to sit during the few 3 days of pleasant weather in SC.

What we've done to date...

Front Yard

• replaced the front door and added a glass storm door
• added window boxes
• cut down the tree shrubs against the house 
• added boxwoods and camelias against the house
• put out assorted pots of flowers along the walkway
• added decorative items like the birdhouse, cross and house numbers
• built a bed around the oak and planted cast iron plants with verigated loriape
• added a vegetable garden to the left of the house using raised beds
• put down pinestraw in all the beds

Back Yard

• sodded and created borders
• added beds around the 2 hardwood trees and added flowers
• added flowers, grill and red umbrella along the deck
• replaced the backdoor and also added a phantom screen (you know for those few 3 days you can open up the house in SC)
• planted a few shrubs and flowering bushes around the area
• added chairs for a little seating in the yard
• built a privacy fence on the back property line (versus the wire fence that was falling down)

Here is what the front yard looked like this spring/summer.

And in case you're wondering, we still have ivy poop beside the front door. I'm hoping that when we have the house pressure washed later in the fall that it will take care of it.

And the backyard...

Much improved, don't you think? We still have a list of things we'd like to tackle in both yards - like...

1. replacing the shrubs we planted in front of the driveway (not pictured). They are basically scraggly and not as "clean" as I had hoped they would be. I think loropetalum will look much nicer.
2. adding some flowering shrubs along the fence line in the back - maybe a forsythia and some knockout roses
3. possibly building a flagstone patio at the bottom of the stairs so we could enjoy the shade and also have more outdoor space
4. refinishing the deck (again)
5. BUILDING A SHED - this is top on the priority list. We need it for added storage. What you can't see from the pictures is the back of the shed is non-existent. It basically rotted and is held up by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin
6. removal of the sycamore tree (boo-hiss) before it falls on our house. Lightening has struck twice and it's coming down next week. Maybe that will open up space for a swing set?

But all this is a wish list. As we look at new house projects, we always weigh them on the value and importance, not just for re-sale but also for personal need. Asking ourselves "will we get enough use out of it between now and when we sell to warrant the cost?"

So stay tuned! Any new projects will be posted of course but I at least wanted to share the progress of the past 4 years! So what about you - ever looked at before and after pictures over a long period of time and been surprised? Would love to see them so share with me!