$200 Front Porch Makeover

You don’t need a large budget to make huge improvements to your front porch or improve your curb appeal. A little paint can go a long way plus a few fun accessories to liven it up!

Big, full-blown renovations are fun and exciting! They are also expensive. But there is still a lot of satisfaction and joy that can be found in the small, inexpensive changes around your house.

While you may not notice something at first, the longer you live somewhere the more a certain aspect of your home might bother you. My friends have lived in this house for close to 6 years. And the lady of the house slowly started itching for a change with their front door color. It wasn’t bad. Just not her first choice.

Fortunately the door was in EXCELLENT shape. So changing the door color only took 30 minutes!

Paint Your Front Door-$20

I’ve painted many front doors over the years. If you’ve got peeling paint, you can’t just paint over it. You’ll see the ridges through the next layer of paint. Sanding and more sanding is required. The paint on this door was adhered and had weathered well, so the only thing I had to do was clean it!

I used a rag and Windex for most of the door. But to get into the corners of the decorative molding, I used everyone’s favorite bathroom accessory, Q-tips!

Then of course you have to test out some paint samples!

Even though you’re just painting samples, you’ll want to keep your brush strokes pretty. They could be visible through your finished paint when you’re all done.

The colors we sampled are Frozen Pond by Behr* (top left), Harmonious by Behr* (top right), Interesting Aqua from HGTV by Sherwin Williams (bottom left), and Oslo Blue by Behr* (bottom right).

They aren’t quite dry in this picture but they were much lighter than we wanted. So we ended up using another color, Wedgewood Gray by Benjamin Moore, color-matched in Behr paint. Because it’s my favorite.🥰

If you’ve got a door without woodgrain (real or faux), you can watch my door painting video for tips on getting a smooth finish. If you do have a real wood door or version with faux woodgraining, you can watch my painting a front door video for tips!

Spray Paint Door Hardware-$5

While your door is drying, (I recommend leaving the door in the open position for several hours so the paint can cure, not just dry to the touch.) get a can of spray paint and update your old or tarnished knob and deadbolt.

I love the metallic spray paints available these days. But sometimes plain, ole black* is just right.

If you’re ready for a new hardware style anyway, go ahead and upgrade to new locks! Bring your old key to the store with you so they can get your new locks keyed the right way before you leave. Or if your locks don’t match the key to other doors, now’s a great time to get that resolved. Many locks allow a DIY kit to re-key them yourself at home. Otherwise, a call to a locksmith would be in order.

Schlage Rekey Kit*
Kwikset Rekey Kit*

Upgrade Outdoor Lighting-$70

Another small upgrade you can make while waiting on paint to dry is changing out your outdoor light fixture!

You can spray paint old light fixtures, but it requires A LOT of prep-sanding, taping, etc. So consider if it’s worth your effort. For this project, the homeowners didn’t love the fixture anyway and the dusk-to-dawn sensor on top had stopped working a while ago. A new fixture was the best option. They found one they loved for $70. Pretty nice for a 10 minute fix!

Similar lantern-style fixture*

For our house, I searched around on Facebook and found a new/old fixture for $12. When I messaged the seller, they had had it around for so long she gave it to me for free! I’ve seen many new, unboxed fixtures for sale for dirt cheap. So search your local Facebook Marketplace before purchasing new at the home store!

Add Large House Numbers-$30

A fun, yet inexpensive, addition to any door are large house numbers!

And it’s not just cute, it’s practical too! Your friends and favorite delivery driver😉 can easily locate your house from the street.

These are the house numbers we used.* (4″ tall and self-adhesive!)

Accessorize with Chairs-$75

NOTHING gives me instant vacation vibes (without actually going on a trip) like siting on my front porch reading a book, preferably with a glass of wine in the early evening. So I’m a big fan of chairs on a porch. Pillows are a beautiful bonus!

These white ones are from a restaurant supply company which makes me think they are made for abuse from rowdy customers. Aka perfect for weathering life on a porch. They were cheaper (around $35 each) when I purchased, so watch for reduced prices or discount codes!

Plus they are made from metal. So if they do get scuffed up over time, you can just whip out your spray paint and give them a fresh color!

So there you have a front porch makeover for ~$200! Do one thing, do them all! You can make a difference in the look and feel of your home at a pace that suits your time and budget.

Other accessories used, but not included in overall budget breakdown:
–My favorite door mat*
–Similar black lanterns*
–Faux galvanized planter*
–Similar pillows* or also love this neutral option*
–Similar boxwood wreath*
–Black doorbell button*

Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea

*This post contains affiliate links. I will earn a small commission from your purchase without increasing the price for you!*