The street-facing exterior of your home is all about making a great first impression; it's the first thing that greets anyone who visits. However, you want to have a home you admire every time you arrive back too.
If you are looking at selling your home, any real estate agent will also tell you that first impressions matter and can make or break a sale. If your home has high curb appeal, it's likely to sell quicker and possibly even for more.
Whether you are looking to give your home a quick face-lift ready to sell, or you're desperate to update a tired-looking home, then sprucing up the outside is a great place to start.
However, exterior makeovers can be costly. Roofs, windows, re -pointing brickwork, or re-cladding are all major projects that can't be achieved on a small budget. Unless these items are in need of replacing or repairing to keep your home warm and weatherproof, it would be advisable to focus your efforts elsewhere.
When you look at a house, your eye is usually naturally drawn towards the doorway. The entrance way says a lot about the style of the home within. Start by tidying, decluttering and cleaning the area around the doorway. It should look open and inviting for family members and visitors alike.
Give your front door a pop of color or some understated elegance with a fresh coat of paint. Make your color choice based on your home's style and period as well as your own personal preferences.
Replace any tatty or mismatched hardware. For a well-dressed look, try to ensure that any metal fixings such as door locks and handles, and exterior hinges coordinate well.
Replacing your door letters and numerals for something more stylish can significantly change the look of your doorway for the better. Door numbers and letters are something every visitor will notice, too. Concealed fixing numerals look particularly elegant. Again, try to coordinate everything with the rest of the hardware for collective appeal.
Adding matching container plants on either side of your doorway can make the door area particularly attractive. Choose simple, elegant sculpted box plants, or an exuberant floral display for a splash of vibrant color, or something in between. Whatever you go for, a pair of matching containers will add symmetry that is pleasing to the eye. Plus, they help ensure your doorway is always a pleasing focal point.
Add a style statement with an updated letterbox. Modern products are designed to be long-lasting and to weather well, so are a good investment. Choose a contemporary or traditional design to coordinate with your home's other exterior trimmings. For easy installation, opt for wall-mounted, post-mounted, fence-mounted or even freestanding.
Another way to reinvigorate a tired exterior is to swap in new outdoor lighting, or even add more. Well-thought-out lighting not only improves curb appeal but can increase safety and security, too. Think about illuminating doorways and pathways with gentle LED lighting, or use it to accent pleasant features in your front yard.
This is one of the more time-consuming and challenging options on this list, but untidy looking guttering and down piping will do the look of your home no favors. You can replace older, neglected and rust-spotted systems with a new vinyl system fairly inexpensively and quickly.
Fully re-landscaping is time-consuming and costly. So, consider how to improve existing planting instead: start by tidying up existing beds and shrubs. Then inject gaps in borders with bedding plants from the local garden center for color. Or, if this is not an option, window boxes can brighten your home exterior and bring it to life. If this proves too time-consuming or challenging, you can always enlist the help of landscaping experts who will take care of this element of your home exterior based on your requirements.
Finally, for a home still lacking in character, consider adding a noteworthy feature. Something like a wall-mounted outdoor clock, a sculpture or a decorative birdbath. Beware of adding too much, however: too many focal points can give your home exterior a cluttered look.
Dedicating some time tidying and updating your home exterior is time and money well-spent. Just imagine how satisfying it will feel when you return home from work the next day to an immaculate looking home, or to hear your home has sold already.