Home makeovers are not just for the inside of your house. In many cases, the exterior of a home can be in desperate need of a makeover. The exterior is the most visible part of your home, but too often it can also be the most neglected. Try any of these easy exterior home makeovers to perk up the outside of your house.
1. Clean up the yard. Unsightly weeds, scattered mulch, and overgrown grass don’t do much for the appearance of your home (nor your relationships with the neighbors). Spend a weekend getting your yard into shape with this easy makeover. Trim the hedges and pull the weeds. Take a picture of your front yard to a local garden center for suggestions for plants and ground cover that can improve the look of your home’s exterior.
2. Clean the shutters, porch, doors, and windows. A nice color may be hiding underneath all that pollen and dirt caked onto your shutters, porch, doors and windows. Buy an attachment for your water hose (an actual pressure washer can be too harsh) and spray these areas clean. Remove the screens from the windows and clean the glass with glass cleaner.
3. Brighten up the exterior lighting. Another easy exterior home makeover involves upgrading the lighting. You can add more lighting or simply upgrade the fixtures that you currently have. Consider putting in either solar-powered or electric walkway lights. Add lighting to highlight a tree in your yard. Or, be creative and hang paper star lanterns from your front porch for a unique look.
4. Paint the shutters and trim. Painting the whole house can be expensive. If a full paint job is not in your budget, painting just the shutters and trim can give your home a fresh look. You may want to consider hiring a professional for this home makeover.
5. Create an outdoor room. This can be an impressive makeover for the exterior of your home. It doesn’t have to mean that you add an expensive deck or screened-in porch, either. Instead work with the space that you have. Add furniture and personal touches to your front porch to create a welcoming, outdoor room. Or, you can define a space in the backyard to use as an outdoor room. Include some indoor elements such as fabric for an eye-catching makeover.
Try these and other easy exterior home makeovers to spruce up the look of your house. It doesn’t take much time, and you will be happy with your home’s improved look.
Published on February 01, 2007