Are you sick of the exterior of the home looking like it hasn’t received love and attention in years? Mastered the interior décor but left the outdoors to its own devices for too long? Or do you simply want your guests and neighbors to get the best possible first impression of your home? Here, we’re going to look at the big upgrades you can make to bring your dated, faded exterior roaring into the present. It’s time to look at a few curb appeal projects well worth considering.
A little coordination goes a long way
Starting with the simplest solution first, a lick of paint might be able to do the home a lot of good. You can add a little life to fading facades, as well as creating an overall aesthetic that matches the different elements of the home’s exterior with one another. Take a look at www.hgtv.com for different palettes you can try with the front of the home. Choosing the right one is all about taking a closer look at the environment that your home fits amongst. If it doesn’t get a lot of natural light on the front side, then a brighter scheme might look pale and lifeless, for instance.
Green is always good
There’s one color that always suits your home and it’s green. You might have a little separation space between your garden and your home. Make the exterior of the building itself feel a little livelier and lighter by gardening closer to the wall. Using planters or vertical gardening, it’s easy to add a dash of green that’s not going to potentially endanger the foundations of the home. What’s more, vertical garden and planters are much easier to maintain and care for than plants that are connected to the soil, since there’s a lot less space to have to maintain. So long as you have a blank wall, fence, or windowsill, you can add a touch of life to the home.
Welcome with a smile
If you’re updating the color scheme of the home, then don’t forget the front door. Naturally, if you have a door made of PVC or similar materials, painting it might be out of the question. That doesn’t mean that it’s completely helpless, however. If you don’t already have one, invest in a welcome mat to add a touch of sentimentality to the entrance. Once that’s done, look at some of the home décor ideas featured at www.decoratedlife.com. It doesn’t have to be Christmas and it doesn’t have to be a wreath. There are plenty of ways you can add a little personality and style to the front door. It’s also another great place to get that dash of green if you hang planters on either side of it.
A whole new face
Perhaps your walls could use a lot more than a lick of paint. If it’s looking a little old and busted or you simply can’t stand how it clashes with your other exterior fixtures, then you can completely transform the look and feel of the wall. Exterior cladding is all about fitting a new surface over the original wall. Besides the aesthetic upgrade, it has a few practical advantages, too. For one, cladding is very low maintenance and has a long lifespan, so you don’t need to think about replacing it too often. What’s more, it offers real protection against noise, air pollution, water, and even helps to insulate the home.
Transform your windows
The windows are the eyes of the home and they are easily one of the most attention-catching fixtures on the entire exterior. For that reason, they demand a little attention. If your windows are looking old and outdated, it might be time to consider replacing them. Besides new windows, new exterior treatments can help you completely change how they impact the overall style of the home. For instance, exterior window shutters like plantation shutters draw plenty of attention can add a real traditional and rustic charm. Take a look at websites like www.diynetwork.com to see the different styles of shutters and consider using a window treatment to give the eyes of the home a little more room to shine.
Take a little off the top
It might be out of sight and out of mind for you, but a worn-down, dilapidated roof can really suck the life from the home. This is naturally even truer if your home has one floor, a low sloping roof, or gutters that need cleaning. If you don’t maintain it at least twice a year, you can miss cracks, chips, and other signs that something is wrong up there. If you’re unsure on what to look for, firms similar to Clean Pro Gutter Cleaning Columbia SC have websites for any information you may need, specific to different types of roofing or guttering dependent on what you need. It’s always worth seeking professional advice before taking on a task like this on your own, as you may do more harm than good. With regards to the roof, if there’s any discoloration, you may need to get it professionally washed or even replaced. If you are surrounded by natural greenery, you want to take care to wash moss of it as well. Not only does it add an unpleasant liveliness to the roof, but it can also cause real damage over time, meaning you may need to replace it.
Add some personality
There are a lot of ways you can update your garden, but few of them are as impactful as investing in a full landscaping. Check out services like www.allenoutdoorstl.com and think about the best way to make use of the outdoor space available. If you’re on a hill or uneven ground, for instance, a retaining wall can help you set a stylish, natural looking barrier as well as protecting your ground from the risks of erosion. There are plenty of landscaping projects that can help you make your personal mark on the front garden, from ponds to raised gardening beds, and much more. The key is to plan it advance with a landscaping service rather than starting to add features only to find yourself running out of space sooner than you imagined.
Make a space for you
If you have a little space between the front door and the lawn, or you’re willing to add a little, then you can really attract the envy of your neighbors by creating a space that’s perfect for relaxing and lounging in. Adding a patio, decking, or front porch to the home brings not only an aesthetic appeal but practical, usable space that’s perfect for sitting or socializing in when the weather permits it, allowing you to make the best use of your outdoor space, especially in the summer. That’s not to say you can’t use it in the cooler seasons of the year with a little extra heating and cover from the elements, like awnings. What’s more, it gives the home a much more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.
Update the furnishings
If you’re adding an outdoor space like a porch or you already have one, you can’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right outdoor furniture. Sites like www.rusticelementsfurniture.com offer plenty of tips to help you get it right. Practicality comes first. You want to choose furniture that’s relatively hardy and able to resist the elements. For instance, natural upholstery might not be the best option because it isn’t able to breathe very well, meaning it retains moisture for longer. For wood furniture, you have to make sure that its effectively sealed and finished to stop rot from taking root after it rains, too.
Let there be light
If your front yard and porch are looking particularly dark and gloomy after the sun sets, then it might be time to add a little light to the equation. There are all kinds of different outdoor lighting options, but it’s wise to start with the most practical and obvious. For instance, adding recessed lights under the lip of the patio or house roof can make the front of the home a lot more visible. If you have any steps or walls in the garden, you want to keep them well lit for safety sake as well. However, accent lighting can also help you add a warm glow to the home, making it feel much more comforting and atmospheric in the night. This is especially valuable for those outdoor socializing spaces.
Making the conversion
The garage might have a practical use, but to many homeowners, it’s little but an eyesore. Updating the garage door to something a little more aesthetically harmonious can help, but you might be able to go a step even further. If you have driveway space and you don’t particularly need it, you should take a look at www.realhomes.com for garage conversion ideas. Not only does it give you a lot more usable space, but it can help you increase the window coverage on the home, making it look all the more active and livelier. Conversions aren’t cheap, of course, so you have to take the time to prepare your budget and fully address your wants and needs before you spend a dime.
There are lots of smaller ways you can update and upgrade the exterior too. Here, we’ve simply put together the most impactful ways to make over the face of your home, to give it the first impression that it deserves. Hopefully, you spot a few ideas that inspire you to tackle that transformation.
There are a lot of ways you can update your garden, but few of them are as impactful as investing in a full landscaping.If you’re adding an outdoor space like a porch or you already have one, you can’t underestimate the importance of choosing the right outdoor furniture.There are lots of smaller ways you can update and upgrade the exterior too.