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The first thing we and our friends, guests, neighbours, or delivery guys see is the outside of our house and if we want to create an excellent first impression with that all-important kerb appeal.
To truly transform and modernise the front of your house, you will have to incorporate your do-it-yourself skills along with help and advice from professional tradespeople.
How Do You Achieve That Designer Look On a Small Budget Though?
It is easier than you would imagine without the need to add too much and work with what you have.
Adding style and character can ultimately increase the value of your property, so get a comprehensive budget in place before you get started.
If you have to employ professionals, ensure they set a definitive price before undertaking any work.
If you are hoping to save money, letting loose on this do-it-yourself project can help with the renovation costs or look for more affordable alternatives to a complete exterior transformation.
Polishing And Scrubbing
Cleaning and tidying will improve the image, and with a few small and relatively cheap additions, you can add the wow factor to your home.
The ravages of time will take their toll on any façade, and your home is no exception. Years of neglect will make it look tired, worn and even worse, dirty, but the solution is easy. Clean it.
Suppose you have a brick or render on your walls. In that case, a simple pressure wash will make it sparkle but remember, most jet washers are very powerful, so maintain a reasonable distance away from any brick or render, as you only want to clean it and not remove it.
Some specialists offer this service, but at between £35 & £85 per square metre, this can be costly as the average UK home is around 70-95 square metres, so why not do it yourself?
If you do not have a pressure washer, why not borrow one from a friend or even go one step further and buy yourself one, as the average price is between £80 and £300.
It is one of those tools that I consider an investment as it can be used on so many other jobs around the home, including the driveway or paving and even your car.
How Do We Reaching Those Heights
If you undertake this task, another good investment is to hire a scaffold tower at £155 per week; it is a much safer option than trying to reach those higher places by ladder alone.
You will be astonished by the results of removing all of those algae and detritus from your exterior walls.
Gutters, Fascias And Soffits
Another way to refresh your home is to get your guttering, fascia’s and soffits cleaned, as this will automatically look like you have invested in new hardware Although replacing your soffits ands fascias is a reasonable simple DIY job..
Again, if they are all white in colour, the grime they have accumulated over the years will be challenging to remove, and this may be one job for a specialist contractor: most window cleaners now offer this service too.
If you genuinely want the house to look like it has had a total makeover, why not replace all the guttering, fascia and soffits with a darker colour which is not only on trend for 2023 but as it is dark it does not show up so much grime.
Painting your windows and doors can freshen up the style of your house at minimal cost.
Now that we have covered the relatively affordable and easy ways to make your house look new and refreshed, we can think about little items that can be added to give it that more upmarket style.
Can I Add Lighting To My House?
Lighting has become a high priority for the current wave of house designers whose focus is subtle, stylish, and understated whilst being integral to the overall ambience they want to portray.
We are not talking about motion-sensitive security lighting here but low output up and down lighting to accentuate certain parts of your outside space.
The installation of mains attached lighting will be better left to an electrician.
However, many solar-powered lights are available that do not need wiring and can be added by yourself, which can be purchased at most garden centres and DIY stores.
If you go for lights wired into the mains, why not look for those with multiple colours?
You can adjust them depending on the season, so Halloween and Christmas can have a different theme if you wish.
Things to look out for in exterior lighting:
- Weather resistant – Must be rated at least IP65
- Brightness
- On/off switch
- Multiple colours
- Easily rechargeable
- Easily replaceable bulbs
Use lights to illuminate the house, the garden, and any pathways you have and again, be brave with your scheme but do not overload it; you don’t want your hose to look like a fairground ride.
Finally, if you are lucky enough to have a front garden or even if it is just a small yard space, clever planting ideas can achieve the designer look without having to become a green-fingered genius.
Big, bold evergreens like palms, ferns, succulents, and bamboo will remain exactly the same all year round and are very low maintenance.
If you want to add a splash of colour, why not try wildflowers Bees & Butterflies Wildflower Seed Mix – TheFinestHoney.co.uk as all you do is sprinkle them and wait. Most packets available will include all year-round bloom age that will be a great contrast to the bigger plants and shrubs you have.
All of these handy yet cost-effective ideas can be applied to your rear garden, too; using that power washer you just purchased to clean paving or decking areas, as well as great and cheaper planting, will all add to the overall appeal of your home.
