10 steps to upping your kerb appeal
Now we’re welcoming guests again, you want them to see your home at its best. Follow our tips to help make that first impression a great one
How to keep the outside of your home looking good
1 Update your door
Upgrading your door can be a simple fix but it’s amazing the impact it can have. Weathered wood covered in peeling paint hints at a house that hasn’t been well cared for, while dated UPVC strips the home of character. If the door is still solid beneath the wear, you can transform it easily by sanding it down, painting it and polishing up the door fixtures. However, a new door could be a good investment for its visual appeal, improved security and energy efficiency. Choose one with glazed inserts or panels and it can light up a dark hall.
2 Tend the garden
Do you give your front garden the same attention as your back garden? The former can be neglected as we busy ourselves making outside living spaces that only we or our friends get to see, so they look wild and unkempt to passers by. Spending time weeding beds, cutting grass and trimming bushes can instantly neaten things up, and is an easy way to increase the worth of your house. If you’ve sacrificed the grass for gravel or slabs for parking, you can arrange plants in pots by the door, hang baskets or plant borders – but don’t forget to keep them well watered.
3 Make glazing gleam
Keep windows well maintained. Cleaning them is a quick and satisfying job, though if you don’t have a head for heights, get a window cleaner for the upper floors. If your wooden windows are flaking, repaint with an exterior wood paint; the cost will be exceeded by the value it adds. You can even update UPVC windows by spray painting in an on-trend RAL colour, such as anthracite grey. If your windows are single glazed or the seal on your double glazing has failed and panes are misting, make replacing them a priority.
4 Space to park
Having off-street parking can increase the value of your home by more than 10 per cent compared to similar properties without it. However, simply parking on what used to be your front garden could make it look like you’ve abandoned your vehicle. Making a driveway for one car will cost around £3,500, and you will need to apply to your local authority for a dropped kerb, which can cost between £800-£1,200. If you already have a drive, restore its pattern and colour by pressure-washing away dirt and grime pressed in by tyres.
5 Fence it in
Broken fence panels or empty pillars that once held gates can make a home feel unfinished and uncared for. So make your entrance a little grander with new garden gates and fencing. From ornate designs to the natural appeal of timber, there are a variety of gates to suit your scheme without feeling too imposing or unwelcoming. If you can, try to combine with matching fencing or railings for a cohesive look, or choose a style that complements existing walls or panels. Ornamental metal rails won’t add as much privacy as more solid wooden fencing but they will appear in keeping with a period property. A new gate can also help up your security, particularly if it’s automated.
6 Frame the front door
Add character to a featureless frontage – and a practical rain shelter – with a porch or canopy. A simple canopy is a relatively inexpensive addition but it can frame the front door to make it more of a feature, and blend with the existing house by echoing the roof style. A more substantial porch can be a distinguishing detail, modernising the exterior. It is also useful; creating precious extra space to store outdoor items such as shoes, coats and umbrellas. A porch introduces another front door for more security and soundproofing, and keeping your home warmer.
7 Look to lighting
Outside lighting isn’t just for turning your front lawn into a Christmas wonderland. It can be used year-round to create appealing effects. Outside lights are a useful security feature, especially if they react to movement and are combined with a camera. A light by the door, either traditional or modern, is inviting to come home to in winter. You can also have lights that highlight the house, in the garden focused on planting or marking the gate/driveway. Dusk to dawn lights have sensors that allow them to turn on and off automatically.
8 Clad the front
Layering up with cladding can make your old home look like new, hiding mismatching bricks and replacing grim old finishes. Timber or timber-look cladding can enhance a particular feature, create contrast between levels, or give a fresh look all over. Materials can range from inexpensive UPVC to laminate, composite, timber (including softwood and hardwoods, which weathering only enhances as they age naturally) and fibre-cement cladding, which is extremely hard-wearing and looks like authentic lap boards.
9 Render your home
A more ambitious update to a house, rendering typically covers at least half and possibly the whole of the exterior. It can protect brickwork, conceal an extension join and give a smooth, modern feel to a dated home. It’s also useful for insulating as it cuts heat loss through external walls. It is possible to paint render but choosing one that is through-coloured means it won’t fade. Render can recapture classic period looks, such as the crisp white of Art Deco or ashlar stone on Georgian homes.
10 Lead the way
A cracked concrete path creates an unfavourable first impression, and weeds can thrive in the gaps. So smarten up the steps it takes to get to your door. For modern homes, look at large format slabs. If you have a Georgian or Victorian home, make a statement from the start with colourful tiles, intricate patterns and precise mosaics. Team it with a colourful front door and welcome mat.