Give your facade an under-budget facelift

When you start to renovate the exterior of your home, it can be tempting to try to change everything but that’s the quickest way to blow your budget and overcapitalise. Here’s a five-point plan to help you choose what to tackle and what to let slide.

Identify the major issues

Take a good look at the facade and identify exactly what it is you don’t like.

For example, the roof might need redoing, the colours might be outdated, the front door might need repainting or replacing, the landscaping might need a makeover, or the fence might need painting or replacing.

Whatever the issues, ask yourself, what can I do here? What can I work with? Can I reuse some of what I already have? How can I introduce new elements that work with the original architectural style and still create a modern effect?

Create contrast

Contrast creates interest. Ideally, you want to have a variety of colours and textures. Depending on your house, you might decide to add a pop of timber or a combination of light and dark colours. Your goal is to offset what you already have. If you have brick, you want to introduce something smooth. If you have a smooth exterior, introduce more texture.

One house I worked on had a rendered exterior so was quite featureless. We introduced some timber and cladding detailing and some strategically positioned plants that instantly added depth and interest.

Aim for modern and crisp

Older-style houses lack the crispness of a modern exterior so look for ways to add elements that provide this.

A house facade I redesigned was mainly brick and I wanted to add a crisp, modern element for the entrance point. This has given a beautifully sharp and upto-date look without needing to render the entire house.

Create a focal point

Clear, strong focal points will make your facade pop. Usually, this is the front door and entrance. Work out what you can change to draw attention to that area. It might be that you add a new portico or small, flyover roof, feature wall or landing, or even some solid looking landscaping to draw attention to the entryway.

One major change + small tweaks = staying within your budget

Decide on the major thing you need to change and budget for this, then make minor tweaks to the rest of the exterior.

You might need to be practical and add a carport or render or repaint the house, so this will become your major outlay. Work out the minor things you can do over and above this to add the wow factor.

Overall, you need to prioritise what has to be done and work with what you’ve got. The last thing you want to do is run out of money and leave your facade half-done.

Jane Eyles-Bennett is one of Australia’s top exterior designers and owner of design firm Hotspace Consultants.

This story was first published in Domain.com.au and has been republished with permission.