Improve Value of Your Home By Upgrading the Exterior

Just like any house up-gradation, the exterior needs to be changed as per the current style of your house. You can explore some design recommendations given below for upgrading the look of your house exterior. But before jumping into that, let’s find out the reasons why you need to change your house exterior. If you have a sloped yard, for instance, you might consider installing a concrete retaining wall to add some depth and dimension to your outdoor space.

If you don’t want to spend too much, you can go for simple changes like changing the cladding or paint of the exterior. But if you want something more noteworthy, you could consider changing the structure of your roof, adding an extension to your front garden, or any other impactful change for noticeable architectural change.

Just like any house up-gradation, the exterior needs to be changed as per the current style of your house. You can explore some design recommendations given below for upgrading the look of your house exterior. But before jumping into that, let’s find out the reasons why you need to change your house exterior?

Why Change Your House Exterior?

Although many people see the house for its functionality and the way it can serve their family, the aesthetics of a home is equally important. The traditional homes often ooze a classic character and charm. So, if you want to upgrade the look for a house that was built in the 1960s, you need to look for professionals who specialize in renovating vintage houses.

If any incongruous or inappropriate exterior features are spoiling the look of your house, you may consider replacing those features. For instance, you can replace the old wooden patio with contemporary tiles or other materials. By making small or huge changes to the house exterior, the overall look of your abode will change to a great extent.

Here are some different ways you can upgrade your home exterior:

1. Change proportions of your house exterior

For an impactful renovation, you need to change the overall proportions of your property. This can be done by extending your home outwards or upwards. But always create visually-appealing balance with better symmetry for replacing the badly designed exterior.

Depending on the planning permission in your location, you can even consider adding a second story to your bungalow for transforming its look. Even various small extensions can be added as per the permitted development rights (PDRs), without even applying for specific planning permission. Such extensions can be done on either sides or back section of your property.

It is best to consult a professional renovation company to help you with the permit requirements and guiding you about any changes to your property.

2. Paint your front door

The first impressions are long-lasting. Since the visitors often look at your front door before entering the house, it’s essential to give it a visually-appealing makeover. You can consider changing the paint of your front door with something bold and dramatic to make it appear more inviting and interesting.

A fresh coat of paint on the front door is likely to enhance the overall look of the exterior while jazzing up the shutters, rails, patio, and trim too.  A big part of your home exterior is your front porch column. So it is important to make it look fresh and vibrant. Either you repaint it or install a vinyl column wrap, either way, you can save up on time and budget for your maintenance. This will not only enhance the overall look for your house exterior but also saves a lot of money than other changes made to a property.

3. Add lighting for improving the ambiance of your house

Nothing can improve the look of the house better than amazing lighting options. Of course, it will be visible only at night but lighting can easily change the overall appeal of your property. You can add soft lights for highlighting the architecture of your home, porch lighting to add a welcoming glow to the front door, and ground lights to accent high bushes or trees.

Also, add a lighting fixture near the number sign of your house. This is essential for visitors and guests. But don’t add lighting to make your number sign appear like an electronic stock exchange board. This is not what you want despite its amazing function. All you need to do is just accentuate the number sign just enough that visitors can read it without any issue.

4. Garage door dilemma

If there is a large garage at the front section of your house, don’t make it the center of attention. This is because its position is already very strong. You can consider painting it for blending with the rest of your house. But if you have orange bricks, don’t paint it orange. Instead, add a neutral paint (closer to the mortar hue) to the garage doors. This helps blend the garage doors with the surrounding area while allowing you to have a great architectural balance.

If you’re looking to upgrade the exterior of your home, there are several types of garage doors to choose from, each offering unique style, functionality, and durability. One popular option is the traditional raised-panel garage door, which features a classic design and suits various architectural styles. For a more modern and contemporary look, you might consider a sleek and minimalist aluminum or glass garage door, allowing natural light to filter through. If you prioritize energy efficiency and insulation, insulated garage doors are an excellent choice, helping to regulate temperatures and reduce noise. Additionally, carriage-style garage doors offer a charming and rustic appearance, ideal for homes with a traditional or country aesthetic. With various materials, finishes, and designs available, you can select the garage door that best complements your home’s overall aesthetic while providing convenience and security.

By improving the overall look of your garage door can add a stunning visual appeal to the exterior of your house. Plain doors can be morphed into ones with more detail and striking design. This upgrade adds stunning aesthetics to the front of your house. You can look for shaker, paneled, and carriage style details to such a stunning effect. All these details are way more interesting than the conventional ‘chocolate bar design’ of your doors.

5. Choose the right roof

You may not notice your roof a lot, but it’s an important part of your home exterior. If you are thinking of adding a new roof to your house, the functionality must be the very first thing to think about. However, on narrowing down your options, you can come across some good options with a varying price range. It’s worth consulting a designer for helping you choose the right material that goes well with the overall color of your house and its landscape.

6. Replace windows of your home

Another great idea to transform your home is by replacing the existing windows with modern and practical window style. Since windows cover a large proportion of your facade, changing it could easily transform the overall look of your property. Meanwhile, it can add a whole new personality to your entire home, especially in combination with the overall redesigning scheme.

As per the permitted property development rights, you can select and fit replacement windows of your choice. You can even consider altering the size and shape of the window opening. But for this change, you don’t require planning permission.

If you want to maintain the authentic look and style of your period property, you can choose doors and windows that suit the overall look of the building. But if you want to give a contemporary update to your house, you can consider adding metal-framed windows with a unique focal point.
With the help of property renovation experts, you can decide which window style suits the design of your house exterior.

7. Upgrade the roof shingles

It is quite a pricey upgrade, so you need to do proper research before changing this area. Earlier, asphalt shingles were a changing design and used to be flat. Nowadays, so many different shapes and textures are available in the market so that they appear thicker and richer everywhere.

Even black roofs are trending these days, especially for homes with boldly colored homes to give them a neutral feel. Moreover, the lighter-hued asphalt shingles are not considered to add much value to a home, unlike darker or mid-tone roofs. The lighter shingles also start showing signs of discoloration, as well as markings compared to darker ones. Therefore, many homeowners prefer to add darker shingles to their property.

8. Extend the flower garden

Many years ago, studies showed that adding colored flowers to the front section of a house enhances its value. The colored flowers make people happy and adorn the neighborhood. However, another interesting fact that came through the studies. When an extended flower garden was added to the front portion of a property and was in a similar tone as that of the front door, it gave the illusion of a larger house exterior. It might sound strange to you, but it’s true.

9. Add flagstone

This upgrade is for those who want to invest in a dark flagstone on the stairs and porch of their house. This change does enhance the value of a building, but it’s not a budget solution. However, this is a permanent solution for people living in less than ideal climatic conditions and also adds visual appeal to the house exterior. It even creates a similar sense of permanence, which is a crucial aspect to potential buyers when they are looking for investing in a new house.

10. Add a gate

Adding a wooden fence or low masonry along with a metal or wooden gate can instantly improve the presence of your home exterior. When paired with perfect landscaping in front of the gate, it appears visually attractive and makes even a small front yard seem large and deeper. Hence, adding a gate in front of your house is a great idea to improve the overall aesthetic appeal of the exterior.

Conclusion

The house exterior deserves the same attention as the interior. While we often neglect it and think only about interior decor, the exterior is equally important to make your house look beautiful in the entire neighborhood. If your house is one entity and for a minimal amount, you can upgrade the exterior to feel happy about living in a well-styled abode.