7 Effective Ways for Giving Your Home Exterior Complete Makeover

There are not many things that are so rewarding and potentially frustrating for homeowners as home exterior makeover projects. While there are many benefits of updating your home’s exterior – from increasing the property value, to transforming your house into a home you’ve always dreamed of, it’s often tempting to jump into a remodel without careful planning. Knowing what are the priorities and projects with the most ROI can help you avoid unnecessary expenses and potential disappointments.

Stick to the plan you created

The worst thing you can do is rush into a remodel without a plan. Start by visualising a bigger picture of what you’d like your home to look like, and split it into small projects to achieve it. For example, if the roof is already leaking, or the façade paintwork is crumbling, focus on those first. You can even hire a contractor as a consultant, to point out areas you should tend to first.

Shop for ideas in the neighbourhood

Probably one of the most useful ways of gaining insight into what you should do to your home exterior is to drive around your neighbourhood. Especially if your house was a part of council development, there will be houses similar to yours, and chances are that some homeowners have already uplifted theirs, so you can see what works for your house and what doesn’t. While you don’t want to copy their solutions, having it blend with the overall style of the area not only looks attractive but helps you sell it down the road.

Repaint the siding

A fresh coat of paint can dramatically freshen up the home’s exterior. If you’re dealing with aluminium siding, use a low-lustre, acrylic exterior paint, which can do wonders in hiding surface irregularities. Older homes might have been originally finished with lead paints. Already banned as an environmental and health hazard, you should try to remove lead paint yourself, but rather hire professionals to do it safely.

Update the roof

When it comes to the roof, the decision whether to replace or repair the covering depends on the aesthetics, budget, and most importantly, the condition of the existing roof. In regions like Australia, when property prices continue to skyrocket, homeowners are adopting more budget-conscious solutions. These specialists for roof restoration in Sydney, for example, are often hired to professionally clean roofs, replace eaves, seal against leaks, install vents and skylights, or re-bed and re-point tiled roofs.

Build a deck or patio

If you can afford to build from scratch, invest something that extends the living space of your home, like a deck that can become an outdoor room in the warm season. Nowadays it’s not uncommon to see decks complete with living rooms, outdoor kitchens, hot spa tubs, and even fire pits. Still, keep in mind that a wooden deck might not work well on older houses, where a stone or brick patio might be a better option.

Add LED lighting

Exterior LED lighting is an inexpensive but extremely effective upgrade that instantly adds appeal. The average homeowner can easily install their own LED lights to bring up the home’s exterior or landscaping. Note, however, that in some countries, like Australia for example, unlicensed electrical work is illegal, so you best hire an electrician. What you can do, though is stick wireless solar lights along the pathways.

Invest in professional landscaping

Unless you have a penchant for gardening, it’s better to leave the landscaping to a professional, at least in the beginning. After the initial landscaping is set up, you can easily maintain it. Ask your landscaper to include native plants whenever possible, as they help the environment and reduce maintenance needs. You can also limit the size of your lawn to reduce watering and trimming needs, and resort to xeriscaping techniques, which have become widely popular in resource-savvy parts of the world.

Although the home exterior can be upgraded by many DIY projects, you shouldn’t overestimate your DIY abilities for the sake of a few hundreds of dollars you’ll save. In some cases, a DIY project can turn just expensive, as if you’d hired a pro.