Your home is part of the neighbourhood. As a homeowner, you want to stand out and be noticed, but you also want to blend in. Curb appeal and the first impressions your home’s exterior makes are important. These simple DIY project can help improve the appearance of your home exterior – and they’re budget-friendly too!
Do you really need to paint?
If your home’s exterior is dirty and looks shabby, you might think you will have to paint or invest in new siding. Try this first. Power wash the exterior of your home. Removing surface dirt, grime, and stains from the siding might give you home exterior the refresh it needs.
Clean the gutters inside and out.
Clean the gutters mid to late spring. Clogged gutters cause overflowing, damaged siding, sagging gutter troughs, and basement flooding. Regular spring gutter cleaning helps prevent structural damage to your home. Remove the accumulated dirt and grime from the outside of the gutter system for the little extra sparkle.
Wash the windows.
Winter can turn windows into tired looking eyes. Wash the windows, inside and out. It will let in more light; elevate the mood of those living in the home; and improve curb appeal. Leaving dirt and grime on glass panes for an undetermined amount of time can etch or pit the surface of the glass, making it vulnerable to cracking or breaking.
Repaint the trim.
Once the outside of your home has been washed, it might expose peeling, bubbling, or wood rot on the trim around windows and doors. Sand the trim and remove the damaged wood before repainting the trim. It will make your home’s exterior look like new.
Make the windows a focal point.
Budget-friendly ways to increase the curb appeal of your windows include installing decorative or functional shutters; painting the trim in a contrasting colour to the siding; or adding window boxes filled with flowering plants in pastel shades that complement your home’s exterior.
Replace the front door.
Front doors can become worn and outdated, making a big dent in your curb appeal. If there are cracked panes, scuffed hardware the refuses to shine up, or gaps between the frame and the door that let in air, it’s time to replace the front door. Especially if the entry doors are original to a home built several decades ago, take this opportunity to choose a doors in a bolder colour, high-end looking hardware such as brass or matt black, and security features that will help protect your home.
Replace the garage doors.
When the driveway and garage is at the front of your property, old, tired garage doors can make your home’s exterior look uncared for. If there is a large gap between the bottom of the door and the pavement, it could be a security risk. Replace the garage doors when it’s too noisy, doesn’t close properly, is no longer energy-efficient, or dented/damaged beyond repair.
Rethink the pathways on your property.
Homeowners often overlook the pathways on their property. Ways to improve the appearance of your home exterior with pathways include:
- Edging them with small, decorative stones, boulders, bricks, or metal
- Planting low-growing shrubs or tall flowering plants
- Replacing old cement walkways with pavers, flagstones, or gravel
- Creating a path using stepping stones
- Adding outdoor lighting on either side
Pathways that are focal points boost curb appeal by creating a welcoming atmosphere for visitors
