We’re all at least a little bit houseproud. We look to make sure that our homes are clean and tidy, and any little faults that develop we seek to repair. And every once in a while, we’ll make some enhancements to bring the house up to date. It may be a coat of paint here or a kitchen-diner there. But when we’ve done the work to make it like new, we feel a sense of accomplishment.
We do this with the inside of our homes because we are constantly reminded of what the inside is like. When we come home from work, we see the outside, but are often busy thinking “I’m hungry/tired/fed up, I want to sit down”. And as a result, we can sometimes blind ourselves to one fact. We’ve done all of this work to make the inside welcoming. When did we last give some love to the outside?
This is particularly relevant if you have in mind that you might want to sell the house one day. Imagine you’re buying something. Anything. You go into the store, and the item lies there in front of you. The outside is stained, scratched or tattered. The salesman offers to demonstrate the item to you. Do you nod along, or go elsewhere? First impressions count: you’re unlikely to buy that item in that store.
If the outside of your house looks like it has not been cared for, potential buyers will feel exactly like that. When they get inside, the living areas may be spacious, clean and bright. But they’ll still be thinking about the mess outside. It’s a buyer’s market.
What Can You Do To Give “Curb Appeal”?
Your home needs to be looked after on the outside as well as the inside. Even if you’re not planning to sell it, the look of the exterior can affect how people think of your home and of you. This may not worry you, but what about your kids? What about potential business customers or employers? As a minimum, you need to keep the outside looking fresh.
For a start, when was the exterior of your home last painted? Experts say that although it may only need it every 10-15 years, halving that time period is important to keep it looking new. Window and door frames should be done more often – the elements give them a tougher time. And your front door is walked through, and therefore touched, multiple times a day. Wash it as often as you like, but it will need retouching every couple of years.
What Additions Can You Make?
Depending on the amount of land you have around your house, there are various additions you can make to give it appeal. An obvious example is keeping the garden in good condition. Planting and maintaining on a regular basis matters, but also how you accessorize it. If your garden is visible and accessible from the road, you don’t want to put anything valuable that can be taken. But a plumbed-in water feature can be a great addition.
You may also want to consider an external seating area. At ground level, a pergola is an increasingly popular option as it provides shade and shelter. You may prefer, though, to put something in higher up. For a great view over your garden, and a spectacular addition to the exterior, a balustrade makes a real statement. Perfected by SHS among others, an elevated outdoor area is a perfect place to entertain guests.
Adding An Outbuilding
Many of us have come to consider the idea of an external building on our land as being function over form. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but we don’t need to think in such limited terms. Do you have a swimming pool? Add an attention-grabbing pool house. It makes for excellent additional accommodation, and a place to chill out and greet guests.
You can also put in place a gazebo, which with a few pieces of outdoor furniture will be a great spot to take drinks and grab a few quiet moments. Having this kind of space will not only make your home feel more yours, it will attract buyers. All of these additions can be made for a surprisingly low price and add a considerable amount to the value of a property.
Of course the inside of your house needs more attention, more often. That’s where you live, sleep and eat. But by making improvements to the exterior once in awhile, you can increase your living standards more than you’d imagine.
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