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HVAC units, trash cans, outdoor pipes: These may all be necessary, but they’re not always the most attractive things to look at, and curb appeal is incredibly important for both resale value and first impressions. If you don’t want that ugly propane tank, sprinkler valve, or row of trash cans to be the first thing people notice about your house, don’t worry—there are some easy ways to hide all that stuff.
Artificial stumps & rocks
For smaller items that interrupt your landscaping or garden—like pool pumps, sprinkler pipes, or electrical boxes—you can use an inexpensive fake rock like this to cover them up. If you match the color and texture of your fake rock with what’s already visible, it will blend in seamlessly. You can also buy hollow fake stumps like this if that’s a better match for your landscaping or if you need to hide something taller (or you can buy a taller fake stone, like this 34-inch high model).
Privacy screens
Hiding larger items like an HVAC unit, propane tank, or trash and recycling bins requires something larger than a fake rock. Exterior privacy screens are a simple way to get the job done—all it takes is a little thought on the style and material to make sure it matches or complements your house’s exterior. You can even find privacy screens with built-in planters, like this, so it looks less like an awkward barrier and more like a part of your curb appeal plan.
Trellises
If the planter screen seems like a great idea, consider the power of a trellis and a climbing plant, which creates a privacy screen with a more natural look. You can buy a trellis in different shapes, too, so you can train your climbing plants to cover up just about anything—like a tube trellis to cover a downspout or an ugly section of exposed pipe. And you can make your own trellis, so you can cover up just about anything with a climbing plant.
Paint
A couple of coats of paint can transform just about anything from eyesore to purposeful decoration. If you can’t easily cover up a large propane tank, HVAC unit, or other piece of equipment drawing the eye outside your house, consider painting it. A bold pop of color that complements the rest of your home’s curb appeal might be sufficient, but you can also let your creative sparks fly a bit, transforming a propane tank into a piece of folk art.
Potted plants
If you’ve got small stuff marring the exterior of your house, like a natural gas service line or an exterior meter, it’s easy to install a couple of potted plants around it. With minimal effort, you can place several plants strategically around whatever it is you want to hide. Depending on your location and the existing landscaping around your house, the best plants to use will probably be evergreen shrubs, because they grow pretty tall and full. The downside to evergreens is that they can take a while to grow in, so instead you could opt for a faster-growing plant, like hydrangea.
Outdoor furniture
If the ugly thing ruining your house is on a sidewalk or faces the street, you could also consider adding some furniture, like a bench, that fits over the ugly bit. Instead of a random screen or collection of plants that make it pretty clear you’re hiding something, a bench, storage box, or patio set looks more purposeful.
Consider a storage bench that’s large enough to cover what you’re hiding, then remove the back or bottom so it can be placed directly over what you’re obscuring. If you’re covering a gas line, however, make sure the bench or box is slatted for ventilation before you cover it up—they need to vent to the outside air.
