Home Improvement

Upgrading Your Home’s Exterior: The Do’s and the Don’ts

Story Highlights
  • Boosting curb appeal
  • Replacing the windows
  • Replacing the old, dilapidating roof
  • Accentuate the house’s architecture
  • Get into landscaping

The outside of your house should be the pride of your household. Beautifully painted walls or colorful windows shutters are just some of the details that passersby and visitors will immediately notice.

In fact, if you manage to boost your home’s curb appeal, you stand a greater chance of increasing your home’s market value.

Here are the steps you should take when upgrading your home’s exterior, as well as several interventions you should restrain from executing:

Boosting curb appeal

Have you stopped and thought about what the first thing a prospective buyer sees when they pull up your driveway? The front facade, of course. For this reason, boosting the curb appeal of your home has the greatest potential out of all interventions to increase the real estate’s market value.

The best thing about increasing curb appeal is that you don’t need to break the bank to start showing results. Repainting the exterior of the house is actually the biggest investment you should make.

Just don’t choose a dull color like grey but try to spice things up with a shade of yellow or light green. The front door should be painted in a different, yet cheerful color. If the door is damaged in any way, repair the damage before applying a new coat of paint. 

The front lawn should be well-trimmed and radiant green. The pathway leading from the driveway to the main entrance to the house could feature a nice floral border.

Furthermore, the pathways should be spruced up as well. If they are made from stone bricks, tiles or concrete slabs, then power-washing them should do the trick. If the paths and the driveway are made from gravel, then you should replenish it every six months.

Replacing the windows

Windows are an integral part of beautifying your home’s exterior. Even the best-quality window frames can only last a few decades, after which period, it is recommendable you replace them. After all, windows are responsible for preventing water damage to the inside of your home.

Another reason you should replace the windows is energy-efficiency. Studies show that nearly a third of all lost heat in winter is lost through the walls and the windows of the house. Therefore, replacing all the windows on the house is more of an investment than an expenditure. Of course, don’t just buy any windows but the ones whose design and quality match the rest of the edifice.

Replacing the old, dilapidating roof

Another thing noticeable from the driveway is the roof. A sagging roof that is missing a couple of tiles is never a good thing, so you should consider replacing it altogether if it’s beaten down. This is a huge investment in financial terms but luckily, this expenditure can be avoided by proper maintenance.

As far as the back of the house is concerned, there are lightweight aluminum retractable roofs that can be installed on the patio. They are ideal for the backyard because they allow you a great view when retracted and protect you from the sun and rain when extended.

Accentuate the house’s architecture

Have you noticed how all residential structures look pretty much the same?

Plainness in terms of architecture is not something you should just accept, so try to accentuate the existing architectural details and even add new ones.

The details don’t have to be anything fancy, such as a new set of beautifully designed shutters promises to revamp the whole façade. Earlier we mentioned the importance of the roof structure, so adding brand new gutters and downspouts will boost the aesthetics of your home. In addition to looking nice against the façade, fully functional gutters will ensure there is no water damage to your property.

Get into landscaping

Even if you don’t have green fingers, there is no reason not to use some landscaping to upgrade the exterior of your home. You probably have a lot of houseplants inside the house but, why not make the outside verdant as well.

We’ve mentioned earlier that the front lawn should be kept in excellent condition but the same goes for the back of the house. Moreover, you could plant an organic garden where you’d grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers. The addition of a garden doesn’t initially cost as much as greenery can add up to the final selling price.

Bottom line: Upgrading your home’s interior is a practice that lies somewhere in-between regular maintenance and home improvement. If you take good care of your home’s exterior, you have to invest less in the long run but that should not prevent you from continually upgrading the exterior, bit by bit. 

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