Whether you’re selling your house or not, curb appeal is important in home maintenance. It’s one of the strongest selling points of a house or a statement feature if you want to stand out in your neighborhood. Because it’s so important, some people overdo their curb appeal. Others lean onto the minimalist style. But either way, developing curb appeal can be a little tricky. It doesn’t take a major issue to ruin the whole thing.

Hence, instead of overdoing or muting down your property’s curb appeal, focus on correcting its issues. The truth is, the best curb appeal isn’t characterized by grand features or extreme uniformity. It’s more about thorough maintenance.

Often, major issues like chipped exterior paints, dated patios, or overgrown landscapes cause curb appeal to degrade. But sometimes, minor issues can do the same. You may think they’re invisible, but to someone who pays extra attention, like a home buyer, those small issues can dampen the beauty of your entire property. So here are the minor curb appeal issues you should fix immediately:

1. Outdated Front Door Design

A front door’s purpose exceeds security. It’s the part of your home that welcomes people. As such, its appearance matters if you want to make a good impression. If its design is outdated, it can give off the vibe that your house is outdated inside, too.

A fresh and modern front door can make a huge difference in the vibe of your home. Your abode can become much more inviting and warm. In turn, its value will boost. Consider upgrading to smart door locks as well. The investment can hike up your home’s value and appeal even more.

2. Overused Plants in the Garden

The use of overused plants is a common problem in residential landscape designs. There’s nothing inherently wrong with overused plants. But the fact that they’re so common diminishes the uniqueness of your property. Everybody has already seen hostas, snake plants, and such. You could use something new, like native plants and blooms. You can still keep your overused plants, but try not to overwhelm your yard with them. Make the unique ones the focal point.

For example, instead of planting a ring of hostas around a tree, consider ferns, trilliums, or wild violets. They don’t need to circle a tree; they look better in little patches around a tree, in fact. The change will provide a refreshing view, rather than the typical tree surrounded by all-too-familiar shrubs.

3. Uneven Pavers

It takes just one sinking or raising paver to ruin the look of your driveway. Leveling issues with pavers don’t just hurt curb appeal but pose a safety hazard, too. You can trip on that uneven paver and fall badly. Children are at risk as well.

Sunken pavers are easy to repair. Remove it from your driveway with a pry bar, lifting each corner until you can use your fingers to lift the paver. Then determine how much sand is needed to level the pavers again. Make sure the amount of sand you’ll apply reaches the required height to level the pavers. Once the sand is spread and tamped down, install the paver back on. Use a mallet to tap the paver in place.

If multiple pavers on your driveway are sinking, hire a concrete lifting expert to fix them. Their skilled hands can make your driveway look newly built again.

4. Old and Rusty Mailbox

Of all your curb appeal issues, your mailbox is probably the most overlooked. With mail arriving electronically these days, mailboxes barely get any attention. When was the last time you even looked at yours? Chances are you’d see rust if you check it now.

Like your front door, your mailbox can also serve as a welcoming feature in your house. A rusty old mailbox can make your property look neglected. Buyers going for an inspection will notice it. Luckily, fixing an old mailbox can cost as little as $20. For that amount, you can replace the old thing with a brand-new one.

However, before replacing your mailbox, check out the regulations outlined in your city or neighborhood. The Homeowners Association or local government can limit what type of mailboxes you can install. For example, if you plan on using a full-size mailbox, installing it can take hours. Authorities need to be notified in advance in that case.

These little issues can be a big menace to your curb appeal. So ensure that you can address them immediately. Failing to notice one may result in these issues multiplying or growing, which would be more expensive and time-consuming to repair.