Spring is that time of year when many of us emerge from winter ready to make changes and do some serious home maintenance both inside and outside our homes. With spring just around the corner, see the outside of your home in a new light. Ways to reboot your home exterior in spring include putting the spotlight on the windows, paying attention to the driveway area, and transforming your porch into an outdoor room.
Tips on how to choose exterior home improvements.
If you want to add some personality to your home exterior – a covered entryway, replace the garage doors, upgrade the windows – make sure it matches or complements its architectural style.
Drive around the neighbourhood and check out what other homeowners are doing. You want any home improvements you make to stand out, not stick out.
You might have great plans for your home – a new roof, cedar siding, and copper gutters – but the bottom line is “How much do I want to spend?” Even if it’s a small project such as painting the front door or adding carriage lights to the garage, making a budget is a good way to stay on track.
Put the spotlight on your windows.
Clean them. Dirty windows can really kill your curb appeal, making the property look untidy or even unkempt. Double up on the sparkle by cleaning them inside and out.
It might seem strange to prepare for next winter this spring, but if you have older, one pane windows replacing them in the spring with double or triple pane glass will make your home’s exterior more eco-friendly.
Decorative shutters add charm to a home’s exterior. Attached to the exterior walls, one shutter on each side of the window, they don’t open and close. But non-functional shutters define the windows and give your home character and personality.
Install functional shutters. They open and close, helping you protect your home from the elements such as gale-force winds or pelting rain. Curb appeal aside, functional shutters also control how much light comes into a certain area – handy if you can’t watch TV in the family room during the afternoon because of too much glare.
Attach window boxes to the exterior walls directly beneath the window frame if you don’t have window sills wide enough to accommodate planters. Flowering plants add colour and can be an alternative to landscaped flowerbeds in small front yards.
Another way to showcase the windows is to repaint the trim. Select a colour that complements the gutters, siding, or roof.
Give your entry door a makeover.
Clean off the winter grime with mild sudsy water and rinse well.
Clean and polish the hardware – hinges and knobs.
Make the entrance to your home more inviting. Paint or stain the front door in a bold colour (to stand out) or a complementary shade (to blend in).
Consider adding door accessories like a brass doorknocker, latch pull, or stylish letterplate.
Pay attention to the driveway and garage.
Another big curb appeal drain is a stained driveway or outdated garage doors.
If power washing the driveway still leaves it looking old and tired consider resurfacing it with brick, textured concrete, bluestone, or flagstone pavers.
What condition is the garage in? If it’s outdated or worn-looking instantly improve the curb appeal of your garage by installing new siding.
Especially when the garage doors are clearly visible from the street, replace the doors if they are older than 15 years, never really matched the style of your home’s exterior, or are dented or damaged in some way.
Transform the porch into an outdoor room.
Like the gutters or siding of your home, a porch is a prominent component of your home’s exterior. An underutilized porch is a perfect opportunity to create a welcoming place for family and friends. And it won’t hurt your curb appeal either.
Whether it’s open to the air or enclosed with screens or glass panels, transform the porch into an outdoor room by choosing comfortable outdoor chairs, stylish tables with added storage, and a porch swing. Include lighting – a hanging lantern, outdoor floor lamps, wall sconces – so that you can enjoy the space after the sun goes down.
Place large pots with flowering plants and hanging baskets to add colour to the “room.”
