Many homeowners and even real estate agents looking to flip a property tend to focus solely on the interior design of a house or apartment. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with sprucing up your interior and decorating it for comfort and beauty, it’s important to remember that the value of your property and its overall aesthetic appeal will be largely influenced by its curb appeal and highly useful house extensions like garden storage sheds.
Whether you’re trying to restore your property to its former shining glory or if you’re trying to upgrade it to maximize its value in the real estate market, the curb appeal will have a leading role to play. With that in mind, here are the four excellent ways you can improve the curb appeal to breathe new life into your home.
Start some ways away from the house
Curb appeal is not just about the quality of the paint job on the porch, or how beautiful your front garden is – it’s also about those distant elements you never even think about. You see, curb appeal starts some ways away from your property, at the furthest point from which people can see your house. This is usually, you guessed it, the curb at the far end of the street. This is where you need to start.
Inspect this area closely and look for any unsightly elements that might be hindering the aesthetic appeal of your property. Move the trashcans somewhere else, and look for any irregularities in the pavement such as potholes. Now work your way slowly towards the house and fix everything that needs fixing before you move on to the property itself.
Invest in some beautiful landscaping
Landscaping is one of the best and most effective ways to elevate the aesthetic appeal of your home’s exterior, and an excellent way to increase its market value at that. However, it’s not just about maintaining a tidy lawn or removing wild shrubbery on occasion; no, landscaping encompasses the calculated use of natural elements to frame the design of the entire property.
Some of the best low-maintenance design ideas for your garden and landscape, in general, include high-rise plants, trees, artificial grass, water features and ornaments, beautiful rockery, stepping stones, and more. All of these elements should work together to frame the design and lead the visitor on a beautiful path towards the porch and the house itself.
Join the LED revolution
The way you light your home’s exterior can make or break the entire aesthetic design of the property. But beyond pure aesthetics, outdoor lighting needs to be functional, as these features need to last a long time. This is why the LED industry has grown so much in the US in recent years, and across the globe as well. In Australia, for example, electricians specialize in outdoor lighting that boosts curb appeal aesthetics and functionality.
Down Under, homeowners spend a lot of time under the stars, on the front porch or enjoying quality time with their family on the front lawn in the evening, hence the need for an experienced electrician from Inner West to design the external lighting scheme using LED lights to illuminate the entire property and at the same time accentuate key features. Follow the same mindset and invest in LED lights yourself, and don’t forget to illuminate everything from the walkway to the front porch and all other outdoor areas on your property.
Rejuvenate the exterior with new paint
And finally, there’s nothing quite as refreshing and rewarding as the look of a fresh coat of paint adorning the exterior of your home. Repainting the walls and other features such as the front porch and the fence can help you elevate the value of the property in an affordable way, but most importantly, make the property feel more inviting and homier as well.
Depending on the size of the house and the scope of work in general, it shouldn’t take you more than a weekend to repaint the walls, the window frames, the porch, and fence. While you’re at it, be sure to upgrade all of the hardware and don’t forget to replace any corroded wood you might find – it will prolong the lifespan of the element and elevate the aesthetics in the process.
Final thoughts
The curb appeal is the crucial factor that will either deter or invite homebuyers to check out a property. What’s more, the curb appeal of your home has the power to influence your mindset and shape your perception significantly, making you feel positive as you’re approaching the front door. Be sure to tend to these quick-and-easy tips, and you will have created a beautiful curb appeal that will make your home that much more valuable.
Lilly Miller is a Sydney-based graphic designer and a passionate writer. Loves everything about home decor, art history, and baking. Shares home with two loving dogs and a gecko named Rodney. You can find her on Twitter.
