How To Make Your Tract Home Stand Out

Nick Durante
by Nick Durante
Credit: Shutterstock / pbk-pg

Tract homes are often conveniently located, affordable, and quite comfortable. However, they sometimes lack personality on the outside, at least when you look at them from the street. You’re not alone if you’ve desperately wondered how to make your tract home stand out.

You can make your tract home stand out with warm, layered lighting in your yard. Plant some bushes and plants, and stagger them to give an illusion of depth, which can make your home look bigger. You can also make your tract home look custom if you repaint the front door, redo the kitchen backsplash, and add accent walls.

Each of these changes is easy, affordable, and possible without professional help. Follow along as we explore how to make your tract home stand out.

How To Make A Tract Home Look Custom

Infusing your personality into the existing design is the best way to make your tract home look custom. This is much easier if you consider a few things that can make your tract home stand out, including:


1. Focus On Landscaping

Whether your yard is big or small, you can still make a statement with the landscaping. Keep in mind that your neighborhood may have restrictions regarding what you can do with your yard. However, that’s not always the case, and it’s worth getting creative.

To start, it helps to look at your house from the street or sidewalk to get an idea of how you can change things. Even something as simple as adding river rock to some of your garden beds can make your tract home stand out. You can also add character to your yard if you plant rows of shrubs and layer them based on size, height, and color.

This can add depth to your yard, which you can complement with yard decorations. Keep in mind that you can also alter the landscape by leaning into bushes and decorations that complement the specific season.


2. Change The Exterior Lighting Scheme

Lighting plays a big role in your home’s curb appeal. A nice lighting setup can make your home look welcoming and comfortable, even from afar. Similarly, you can make your yard feel bigger and complement your house’s scale with great lighting.

For example, you can make your home look bigger if you install upward-facing lights in front of your house. You can also make your tract home stand out if you install lights and point them toward some of your home’s more unique features. That said, it’s important to space the lights out in your landscaping and on your house.

The last thing you want is to make your yard look like a bright parking lot at night. Symmetrical door sconces with warm bulbs can also make your house look inviting.


3. Make Your Porch Stand Out

A front porch is ultimately a gateway into a home, and it sets the tone. Everything from the decorations on your porch to the color of your front door contributes to this. You can add a lot of character to your home if you repaint your front door a bold color.

Bold shades of yellow, red, and turquoise can make a statement without clashing with too many other colors. Naturally, what you choose for the door will depend largely on what color your exterior walls are. Be careful about clashing with your neighbors’ color schemes too much.

It’s also worth buying an affordable matching furniture set for your front porch. You can tie it all together with some l ow-maintenance plants, like ferns. Whether you hang plants from the ceiling or put them in pots, greenery can make your porch look more vibrant.


4. Infuse The Kitchen With Character

Many homeowners think of the kitchen as a key selling points of a house, and so you don't have to keep your kitchen the way it was when you bought your home. You can make your tract home look and feel unique if you decorate and inexpensively renovate your kitchen.

For example, redoing the backslash is relatively easy and it can transform your kitchen. Doing so typically costs between $500 and $2,000, but you can save money with a DIY project. If you get creative, you can match the backsplash to the cabinets or choose a contrasting color.

Both options are viable, and the best one for you depends on what statement you want to make. A nice monochromatic scheme can make your kitchen look sleek and modern. However, choosing a countertop or backsplash that contrasts with your cabinets can make a bold statement.


5. Lean Into Accent Walls

Some trends come and go quicker than others, but accent walls have stayed popular for many years. That’s because you can drastically change a room’s vibe without spending a fortune if you paint one of the walls a different color. It may seem so simple, and it is. An accent wall can make a statement without the need for renovations.

That said, you shouldn’t necessarily put an accent wall in every single room in your house. Doing so can lessen the impact of a well-placed accent wall in the right room. However, it’s a good idea to put an accent wall in a shared space, like a family room, living room, or kitchen.

You have plenty of freedom, but many people paint the wall that you first see upon entering that room. That way, you can draw your guests’ eyes to a strong focal point, which sets the tone for the room. Get creative and choose decorations, furniture, and art that complement your accent wall.


6. Embrace Seasonal Holidays

Festive homeowners and renters alike often look forward to seasonal holidays. Not only are they fun, but they also give people the chance to get creative and make their homes stand out. Some neighborhoods have restrictions about when and how you can decorate for holidays.

That’s especially true in HOA neighborhoods, but even then, you should have some freedom. Whether it be Halloween or Christmas, you can let your personality shine through with your exterior seasonal decorations. You can apply the same principles you learned from landscape lighting to seasonal holiday decorations.

For example, you can use colorful string lights to illuminate each section of your yard, so no darkness remains. You can also find illuminated decorations, like wall signs, fake gifts, and inflatable characters. However, it’s important to have some restraint, as an overcrowded yard can make it stand out for the wrong reasons.


Summing It Up

The easiest way to make your tract home stand out is to upgrade your landscape with layered lighting and plants. It’s also a good idea to repaint your front door and decorate your front porch like a comfortable, warm lounge. Accent walls and fun color pairings can make your interior spaces feel unique and cozy. 


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Nick Durante
Nick Durante

Nick Durante is a professional writer with a primary focus on home improvement. When he is not writing about home improvement or taking on projects around the house, he likes to read and create art. He is always looking towards the newest trends in home improvement.

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