Fall is a wonderful season to boost your home’s curb appeal. The weather isn’t as warm so it makes it easier to work outside. While you’re enjoying the autumn weather, here are a few projects I recommend you do to spruce up your home’s exterior this fall.

Plant a tree on your lawn. Trees add value to property. If you have room for a tree on your lawn, fall is a great time to plant a tree. That’s because the tree is in a dormant state. That makes it easier to transfer from the plant or tree nursery to your home without the tree going into much shock. Choose the tree wisely because it’s an investment. You don’t want to pick the wrong tree for your yard only to have to remove it because it’s growing too tall for your liking or it doesn’t fit in with your landscaping.

Paint your house to boost curb appeal. Since the hot summer sun won’t be beating down on you, fall is a good time to paint your home. Repaint your shutters to freshen up the paint, or choose a different color completely for your shutters. It’ll feel as though you have a brand new house!

Use fall-themed yard décor. You can get whimsical with the yard décor during the fall season. Place pumpkins on your porch or put a mini scarecrow amid your fall garden. These types of yard decor can make a nice touch for adding curb appeal to your lawn.

Choose fall plants for added curb appeal. You don’t have to work in your garden this fall if you don’t want to. You may want a break from gardening. It would be a nice touch though to have a couple flower pots on your porch. Plant some fall flower favorites. Some great flowers to plant in the fall are chrysanthemums and autumn joy sedum.

Clean the gutters. During the fall, trees lose their leaves. And sometimes these leaves land in your gutters. If you have trees on your property or nearby, make sure the gutters stay clear of leaves and debris. Clean the gutters before it gets cold and the snow starts to fall. You don’t want gutters clogged with leaves and melting snow. Clean gutters also boost your home’s appearance. Ever what looks like mini trees growing out of the gutters? Not a good look.

If you’ve ever noticed houses with red front doors you may have wondered- What does a red front door mean? Why did they paint their front door that bright color?

The history, origin and meaning of a home having a red front door is varied. There is no one origin for the red exterior door. 

If you are thinking of painting the front door of your home red, consider some of these meanings to decide if red is the right color choice for your front door. Your home’s exterior is important and how you paint your home reflects on you.

Consider these meanings before heading out to buy home exterior paint:

In Feng Shui, a red front door means “welcome.” Feng Shui is a Chinese philosophy in which the arrangement and color of objects in a room relates to the flow of energy. The front door is known as the “Mouth of Chi” where energy enters. If you believe in or follow Feng Shui, painting your front door red would create welcoming energy.

A red door means “welcome” in an old early American tradition. If a family had a red front door tired travelers traveling by horse and buggy would know that a home was a welcoming place to rest. They would be able to spend the night there.

A red door provides protection. In Biblical times, the Hebrew slaves were instructed to smear blood of a lamb on their front doors to protect their first born from the angel of death. In old Catholicism churches painted the doors of the church red to represent the blood of Christ. Passing through the door would mean that you were on holy ground. Some believe a red door protects the occupants from evil.

A red front door means mortgage-free. In Scotland, homeowners would paint their front door red to signify that they had paid off their mortgage.

Now that you’ve read some of the meanings and origins behind having a red front door, you can decide if painting your front door red is the right choice for your home.