| "> | | | | - Simulated rock/brick for the front porch, corners, and |
| Are you selling your home? Do you just want your | | | | other accents |
| home to look great and make a statement? First | | | | - Well-chosen outdoor furniture and swings for the |
| impressions, they say, make lasting impressions. What | | | | front porch and yard |
| does your home say to people who drive up? | | | | - A new front door and door handle |
| There are so many ways to add sizzle and improve | | | | Now, if money is no object, you'll want to do some of |
| this first impression. You can do it economically or you | | | | the following which will normally require more costly |
| can spend thousands upon thousands of dollars. House | | | | materials and a lot of professional labor: |
| expansions that increase curb appeal would be one | | | | The "Extreme Home Exterior Make-Over" |
| way to spend tens of thousands. In this article, I'm going | | | | - Hire a designer to coordinate colors and home style |
| to talk about how you can improve the curb appeal | | | | features |
| without a major home addition or expansion. | | | | - Add new siding such as vinyl, cedar, stucco, etc. |
| Determine Your Purpose and Budget First | | | | - Replace the front windows, doors and trim |
| If you're selling your home, it doesn't make a lot of | | | | - Add shutters and planter boxes around windows |
| sense to go hog wild. A nice "spruce up" should be | | | | - Replace the roof shingles with tile, metal, or other |
| fine. If, on the other hand, your goal is to make a | | | | visible impact shingles |
| statement and add significantly to your own | | | | - Give the landscaping an entire make-over |
| enjoyment, then you could really splurge. | | | | - Real stone and or brick walls, accents, pillars and |
| Another thing to think about is whether or not you can | | | | entries |
| do some or all of the work yourself. Labor costs can | | | | - Add stone and brick accents, driveways, and |
| be higher than the materials costs. If it's a do-it-yourself | | | | walkways |
| type home improvement you may want to favor labor | | | | - Add archways and permanent awnings to the front |
| intensive projects rather than materials purchases. In | | | | elevation of home |
| addition, when you are purchasing materials, make sure | | | | The Home Value Bonus |
| they are easily installed by the homeowner. | | | | All your hard work should pay off financially. A good |
| Here are some of the most popular and | | | | home will benefit greatly by an exterior make-over. |
| advantageous curb appeal improvements that lend | | | | Even a "bad" home can be helped. The final point I |
| themselves to the do-it-yourselfer: | | | | want to make is that whatever you do, don't over-do |
| The Basic Spruce Up | | | | it! Potential home buyers won't be looking for the Taj |
| - Fresh paint for the exterior siding and trim (color | | | | Mahal in a mobile home park. |
| coordinated) | | | | Wisely done, your exterior make-over can bring back |
| - Well kept or manicured front and side yards | | | | double or triple the value (or more) of your invested |
| - Flowers, bushes, and trees with exterior lighting | | | | dollars. Do some research, make some decisions, |
| - Lighting for featured parts of the front elevation of | | | | implement your plan and enjoy the beauty and financial |
| your home | | | | rewards. |
| - Inexpensive shutters for the windows | | | | |