Exterior home improvements can boost your home?s curb appeal and help you save more money down the line. Viewing your home?s outdated exterior can make the project seem daunting, so we?ve come up with a list to help you figure out how to take this on. Here are eight suggestions to improve the exterior of any home!
1.New Front Door
You may be surprised how much value a new front door can add to your home. If you replace a low-quality door with a strong steel one this can bring you in up to 80% ROI. Beyond that, consider adding a pediment or moldings around the door so that it stands out even more. All of these details create depth and make your home appear more interesting from the street.
2. Front Porch
Whether you are looking to put in a porch, a deck, or both, this is a great idea to win over home buyers. A deck can net you 70% ROI, but a front porch is one of the first things people will see walking up, making it just as valuable. Combining this with a new front door really ups the wow factor as people approach your place. Creating a transition between the inside and out is also a nice touch, so consider updating your steps leading there, putting in a portico overhead, or installing tapered corbels, columns, or brackets.
3. Windows
It may not even cross your mind, but updating your windows makes a vast improvement on the outer appearance of your house. Make them energy efficient so they will eliminate leaks and drafts, deflect heat in the summer, attract heat in the winter, and reduce your energy costs up to 35%. If you use fiberglass windows you can paint or stain them and they will look good over time. Then you have wood windows, which are protected by exterior cladding and can last up to 20 years! And finally you have vinyl windows, which come in a broad range of colors. So no matter which option you choose, picking new windows will add security, reduce cooling/heating bills, and lend a more modern element to your home?s appearance.
4. Exterior Lighting
Lights in a home are a big deal to most people. 90% of home buyers want to see good exterior lighting. This entails accent lighting, lighting within landscaping, or lights by the front door. These can work to show off details in the architecture of your home, drawing more attention to a well crafted area.
5. Landscaping
High-quality landscaping will increase the value of your home 28%, so ensure that it complements all of your exterior home improvements. Aim to highlight areas of your home you would like to show off, so get rid of any overgrown plants in your front yard that prevent that from happening, and maybe add planters instead. You want the front landscaping to welcome people to your entryway, not scare them off.
6. Power Washing
It might surprise you how much of a difference a solid pressure wash can make to your home?s exterior. Your driveway, walkway, and porch take on so much more dirt than you realize every day. Watching it wash away is downright mesmerizing!
7. Siding
Having siding which is rotting, warped, cracked, or peeling will turn away anyone viewing your home. Fiber cement siding won?t cause any of these issues, and its fire and insect resistant, so it?s a great investment for improving your home?s durability. This siding imitates wood and can last up to 50 years! If you?d rather go with a more traditional siding you can try vinyl, which is virtually maintenance free, lasts forever, and looks beautiful. Another option is everlast, which has a resilient polymer base combined with an inorganic mineral base so it will last a very long time and doesn?t require any priming, painting, or staining.
8. Exterior Painting
Exterior painting is one of the most effective home improvements you can make because it covers such an expansive area. A tired facade needs to be livened up every once in a while so make sure you don?t leave out a good paint job. Using a neutral exterior color is your best bet so as not to overwhelm any potential buyers. This is appealing to a larger number of people across the board and will help them envision themselves inside your home. For more information, check out these tips on how to get a high quality exterior paint job.
Pro Painters always power washes before painting on exterior jobs so that we can make sure the work comes out as fresh and clean as possible. We are here ready to help if you are in need of some home improvements and are happy to work with your HOA?s requirements. Give us a call if you are waiting to take the plunge into creating your best looking home now!
