Exterior redesign on a dime!
Warm weather is finally here! Now that coats and boots are no longer cluttering up your entryway, why not turn your attention to your home’s exterior? With a little elbow grease, a few low-cost tweaks and additions can refresh your home’s appearance and make it even more inviting. Here are a few items to add to your summer to-do list!
1. Give your front door some TLC
Over time, doors can lose their lustre. Luckily, a thorough cleaning and a few strokes of a paint brush will have your door looking good as new in no time! If you want to take things a step further, you could also swap out your doorglass—it’s an easy and economical option if your door is otherwise in good shape. Pro tip: opt for a model that goes with your home’s architectural style.
2. Freshen up your home’s façade
Is the brick you picked out 15 years ago looking faded and weather-beaten? Paint it! Has your home’s clapboard siding in engineered wood, aluminum or asbestos cement discoloured over time? Don’t replace it: some specialized contractors can restore it to its former glory. Look into it!
3. Camouflage garbage (and compost, and recycling) bins
These days, we have not one, not two, but three wheeled bins to contend with! A row of blue, green and brown bins standing next to your home isn’t the prettiest of sights. Some cities even require you to cover them up! If you want your bins to blend into their surroundings, why not build them their own little home? It’s a simple and low-cost DIY project. For ideas galore, head over here!
4. Liven up your front yard with plants
Whether or not you have a green thumb, there’s no better way to give your home a little extra curb appeal than adding a few lovely flowerbeds! Here are a few tips to keep your garden bright and happy:
- Put down new mulch as needed
- Pull weeds
- Clean your garden occasionally (overdoing it is just as bad as underdoing it!)
- Remove plants that are irreparably damaged
- Prune shrubs and the edges of flowerbeds
Space permitting, place potted plants or shrubs on either side of your front door. If your front entry is too confined, hanging plants or flowerboxes full of your favourite annuals are great ways to achieve a similar effect.
5. Sweat the small stuff
As they say, the devil’s in the details! Every little detail, no matter how unimportant it may seem, affects the overall appearance of your home’s façade. Think about fixing or replacing damaged or outdated features.
A few examples:
- House number
- Welcome mat
- Door hardware (hinges, handles)
- Light fixtures
- Decorative furniture
