17 Outdoor Design Ideas That Are Detracting From Your Home’s Appeal

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The first thing people see when approaching your home is the outside area, and an attractive landscape increases the visual appeal of a home. However, many times, those creative or pragmatic decisions negatively impact the aesthetics of the design.

Whether you are going for a sale, or just want to give your house an upgrade, there are some design features that can work against the home’s appeal. Here are 17 specific outdoor design ideas and possible drawbacks to each.

Overgrown Landscaping

the landscaping debacle
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Pretty and green trees help a home to gain character but let plants overgrow and you will have a dilapidated house. It is messy, uninviting and the detail of the architecture is hidden by overgrown bushes and trees. Just as basic, trimming and choosing less-high maintenance plants are proven to be a lifesaver.

Outdated Lawn Ornaments

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Lawn gnomes, plastic flamingos and other sorts of lawn ornaments can make your outdoor area look rather old fashioned. Although such products are unique, they cause a lot of disruption to the natural aesthetics of your gardening. Choose elegant contemporary lawn ornaments that inject character easily into the lawn without being overbearing.

Cracked or Damaged Driveways

Gray Stone Pathway
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Any cracked pavement or pothole on a driveway will hence lower your home’s aesthetic value. First of all, it does not look good and on top of that it is dangerous. Sometimes maintenance or in extreme cases repaving can be done to give a new look and an added advantage to your curb appeal.

Cluttered Front Porch

Boxes over the Wooden Porch
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Old furniture or shoes or whatever is placed on the porch makes a pile and that does not look good at all. One of the design approaches is to have no clutter on the porch so that this feature could fully stand out. Choose basic home decorations and accessories for outdoor living that blend with your home’s architecture.

Faded Exterior Paint

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Exterior paint also starts to fade or chip due to sun and weather, making your home to appear old. Another technique is painting in an up to date, contrasting color to reinvent your home’s outlook. Pay attention and stick to innocent or more traditional colors to keep it trendy for a long time.

Mismatched Patio Furniture

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Combining different styles, colors or materials of outside furniture can create a very awkward look. Although such styles can sometimes be used, furniture which has been chosen haphazardly will be more related to a mess than design. Choose related themes or colors for a better look.

Too Many Garden Beds

Crop unrecognizable gardener in gloves and jeans planting green plants into fertile soil while working in garden on summer day
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Although flower beds bring colors and textures in the yard, placing too many can clutter the yard and make it busy. It is preferable to have a few classy well-placed or to punctuate a specific area with beds or planters. Infact, sometimes the phrase ‘less is more’ works well when it comes to designing gardens.

Artificial Grass

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Despite that it may look easy to maintain. Artificial grass may feel unauthentic and unwelcoming in areas where natural grass grows perfectly. Sometimes it may appear too formal and too well-designed with scenery that plays a role of a sharply defined contrast. It is also beneficial to choose a type of lawn or precede the area with rocks or other elements of close to nature appearance.

Neglected Fencing

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A fence that is falling down, damaged or in bad state can negatively affect the appearance of the house in question. This is one of the first things one will notice. The shambles of the fence will give the impression that everything after it is junk. If your fencing is old or broken then restore it or think about modernizing it to horizontal wooden rods or metal rods.

Excessive Outdoor Lighting

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Gardens should be well lit for security reasons but high intensity or excessive lights give an industrial touch to the space. Choose dimmer versions which illuminates some main elements of the territory, for example, pathways of the garden. Isolated lighting makes an area more inviting and is a much better way of balancing complex environments.

Over-the-Top Water Features

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Big fountains or excessive sophistication of a water fountain makes the feature take center stage and looks wrong. The idea of using running water is great, however, that kind of noisy design will not be very harmonious with the neighbors. Select a small pond or a basic water fountain if one wants something more laid back but sophisticated.

Neglected Lawn Care

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One of the fastest ways to change your homeowner’s impression of your home is by having an unhealthy lawn, which ranges from patchy to overgrown or unkempt. Simple activities such as mowing, edging and watering the ground can also count and help a lot. If the area is quite big, then getting a professional service might be appropriate.

Outdated or Damaged Mailbox

Brown and Black Wooden Wall Decor
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Your mailbox is a very small part of your home but it can help make a great impression on your home exterior. A mailbox that has rust, is dented or old looking also makes a very bad first impression. Replacing it with a new design is fast and economical especially if you want to upgrade your curb appeal.

Plastic Planters

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Although plastic planters are cheaper to buy than their ceramic or glass counterparts they make the flowers or plants placed in them look cheap. Use materials such as terracotta, ceramic or wood in case you want your interior to be more classy. While they will blend well with the plants, they will also provide a great deal of texture to the area.

Too Many Personal Decorations

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Although this is a great idea, extra signs, flags, or unique decorations in your yard would give an impression of an untidy space. Choose one or two pieces that catch the attention instead of choosing many that clutter the place.

Weak or Damaged Installed Walkway

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Cracked pavers can lead to tripping. Good installation and a well-lit pathway are always an added advantage in directing attention to particular areas of the yard. Ensure that pathways are flat and well kept to avoid their effects on offsetting the beauty of a home.

Weathered or Worn Decking

A Photo of Brown Wooden Flooring
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A deck is a wonderful feature for an outdoor living space. However, when the wood used to construct the deck is faded, cracking or peeling, it diminishes the curb appeal of the house. This means that once in a while you should clean and stain your deck so that it will remain attractive to anyone.

Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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