When was the last time you thought about the exterior of your home?
Often we become blind to the outside appearance and choose to spend all our time and money improving the inside of our houses – after all, that is where we spend the majority of our time. However, don’t underestimate the impact of your exterior.
Not only can a few changes make the outside much more functional and upgrade the entire appearance of the building, but if you do come to sell it, it can help gain you more viewings and higher offers, enhancing the saleability of your home through what estate agents often refer to as ‘kerb appeal’. So if the outside of your house looks a little bit tired, check out these transformative tips.
Switch Up The Finish
If your home is on the ugly side and in major need of a facelift, you can work wonders by changing the exterior finish using mediums such as cladding, render or paint. These options give a completely new look, and they range in cost.
The cheapest option is simply to apply some masonry paint in a neutral shade – white, cream and pale grey are great choices – and this approach can help to harmonize if your house’s exteriors has mixed building materials.
Rendering costs more but can be the better option for you if you have damaged original brickwork, as it covers up any chips and indentations. You can expect a clean, modern finish. Rendering can be sprayed on by specialist contractors and also mixed with other mediums such as cladding.
Cladding is a great way to highlight features like a bay window or external porch, and gives a very futuristic look. You can get cladding in a wide range of finishes such as laminate, PVCu, real wood or composite cladding depending on the budget you have and the appearance you like.
Change Your Doors And Windows
Upgrading the external doors and windows is a great way to get a bold new look but also to make your home more secure and help you to reduce energy bills by making your home better insulated. You can complement a more modern finish using graphite colored frames or go for a heritage look.
New windows and doors can be done in durable coated aluminium, solid wood or more cost-friendly and durable PVC – and you can choose from a range of options to complement if you do go for a new paint or cladding finish as well.
New windows and doors are a good investment as they can save you money in the long run and improve the appeal of your home to buyers. You can get a key maker to make sure your new front door is secure, or even opt for a modern keypad lock
Add Some Foliage Or Lighting
Soften the exterior of your home by introducing some complementary foliage and lighting to the front. Installing exterior lights can highlight beautiful features or guide people up the pathway to your door. LED bulbs consume very little power and can make the house feel more welcoming and secure.
Plants help to lend life and color too – simply adding some planters or hanging baskets to the frontage of your home or masking undesirable features like wheelie bins or gas meters with a sculptural potted plant or two can be a real transformation.
