Summer is a great time for upgrading the exterior of your home and increasing your home’s overall “curb appeal”-aka how attractive your property appears to an on-looker. While curb appeal is particularly important for people looking to sell their homes, it can also be important for homeowners looking to hold on to them as well. The more attractive your home is, the higher the overall appeal and value of the neighborhood, which will certainly endear to your neighbors who are looking to put their homes on the market.
In addition, keeping your home in good condition will also be a useful asset if the time ever comes that you want to sell your home, particularly if you experience a major life change of some kind that requires you to sell your home quickly. You never know, increasing the curb appeal of your home might also gain you an offer you can’t refuse that you weren’t even looking for! Here are 7 great upgrades you can do this summer to increase both the appeal and the value of your home.
Touch up your paint and siding
Warm weather provides a great opportunity to pressure wash off all of the accumulated grime and muck that builds up on the exterior of your home over the winter. Repainting trim can also give your home a remarkably fresh look without a huge price tag or a great deal of labor. For wood exteriors, remember that paint does more than just decorate your home, it also protects it. Scrape off any areas of chipped or peeling paint and then touch up any exposed surfaces. You can also significantly increase the exterior appeal of your home by painting your front door a bright new color. This is also a great time to give your siding a good inspection to see how well it is holding up and if you might need to start thinking about getting it replaced soon.
Clean, replace or upgrade gutters
Giving your gutters a good cleaning every spring is a must, but you should also consider upgrading and replacing your gutters as well. Gutters not only add to or detract from the appeal of your home, but they also protect it as well. Gutters are meant to carry water off your roof and away from your home to protect from flood damage. Quality gutters are a smooth, seamless, almost invisible extension of your home. When they are designed and installed well, you won’t even notice they are there. Improperly installed or cheap gutters, however, can be unsightly and can even fail when you need them most. When you upgrade to high-quality gutters like K-guard gutters, not only will you increase the overall aesthetics of your home, but you can see a decrease in maintenance costs as well.
Upgrade accessories
House numbers, door hardware, mailboxes, light fixtures and other small details are all simple items that greatly add to or detract from the overall appeal of your home. They are small, inexpensive upgrades that can provide a massive return. You can line walkways with new solar lighting that not only increases the appeal of your home but also makes it safer. While you are upgrading door hardware, you might consider investing in a new security system. Not only will this increase the security of your home, but it can also make it more attractive to buyers if you decide to sell.
Deck out your porch or patio
Whether or not you use your front porch, stoop, entryway or patio for entertaining, enjoying your morning coffee or just hanging out on a weekend, making the entry to your home an inviting space is a great way to enhance curb appeal. Whether it be porch swings, rocking chairs or cafe tables, there are a wide range of accessories you can outfit your front porch with to create a comfortable, cozy space. Plants or flower boxes can also add appeal to even the tiniest of spaces. For those that don’t want to tend to flowers or plants, wreaths, plaques, welcome mats and welcome signs can all make your home a place where guests and family alike will feel truly welcome.
Add outdoor art
Bird Baths, fountains, decorative boulders, statues, metal cutouts or sculptures are all ways to add some aesthetic value to your home. You can plant a flower bed around your mailbox or plant a small garden in the middle of a circular drive. Window boxes filled with colorful blooms also add beauty and warmth to the exterior of your home. You can increase the overall value and appeal of your home by adding anything that transforms your home from merely a house into an architectural work of art. Even the smallest additions can go a long way.
Paint or tile your front porch, entryway or doorstep
Peeling paint on your front porch is as unattractive as it is uninviting. Repainting will certainly increase the aesthetic appeal, but you can increase the value of your home by upgrading to outdoor tiles. The best part is that not only can tiling your steps give your home a fresh, modern look, it’s also a fairly easy and inexpensive DIY project. You can even buy outdoor tiles that have a non-slip coating that will make your porch safer in inclement weather. While you are upgrading the surface of your porch or patio, it’s also a good time to paint, repair or replace porch railings.
Upgrade your walkways
Porches and patios are the only places you can do a tile upgrade. Covering existing concrete walkways with tile or upgrading to walkways made of paving stones can give a high-end look to even the most modest of homes. For a slightly less labor-intensive project, however, you can also apply a colored concrete resurfacer to existing concrete and then simply line your walkways with bricks or stone. This will give your walkways a beautiful custom look without all the labor or expense.
Upping your curb appeal is just a few simple steps away. For any questions or concerns about your home’s needs, don’t forget to consult the experts at K-Guard. Together we can ensure a safe and happy home for you this summer.
