Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Add Sophistication and Curb Appeal to your Home

Beautiful home with great appeal

Beautiful home with great appeal

Curb appeal refers to the amount of ?wow? factor your home has when observed from the street curb.? It is a sum of a number of elements that, when combined, create a pleasing impact.

Having good curb appeal means there are things about your home that make it stand out from the rest.? Of course, its appeal varies depending on the taste of the onlooker.? Some love quaint Victorian style homes with gingerbread trim, while others prefer the sleek, no fuss lines of a modern home.? No matter your home?s style, if the upgrades you make stay in line with its character, the result will be a ?put together? pleasing look.

Whether you?re interested in boosting your home?s curb appeal for your own enjoyment, or to add to its resale value, you?ll want to consider a number of areas such as those outlined below:

Facade:? The fa?ade is the exterior of your home as viewed from the front or sides.? Updating the fa?ade may be as simple as changing the hardware on the doors, updating the house numbers, and replacing the mailbox.? To take things a step further, you can repaint surfaces in modern tones, add architectural details, or have your home completely refaced in siding or stucco. Lightweight natural looking stone or brick veneer products at a touch of elegance, and can be installed directly on existing walls.

Worn or ill suited doors might be a blemish on an otherwise wonderful home. Stylish windows and doors, sometimes with shutters or canopies, significantly add class to a home?s exterior.? Change their appearance with a coat of paint, or entirely replace the door upgrading your existing door with a similar one with a lead glass inserts, or consider ?Garden?, ?French-style?, ?Old World?, or ?Iron? doors for added sophistication.? Garage doors vary from interesting ?Carriage? or ?Craftsman? styles-but, keep your changes and colours fairly in line with the other homes in your community for continuity.

Roofing:? Roofing products vary from asphalt and fibreglass shingles, to rubber-based, clay or cedar shakes.? Each can give your home a unique look.? Bear in mind, however, if you live in a subdivision where homes are close together, it may be wise to stay with a roof style that fits in with the other homes.? You don?t want to draw attention in the wrong way.

Landscaping:? A lush green, weed-free lawn is important for good curb appeal.? Bring a bare or weedy lawn up a level or two with the attention of a trained lawn care professional, followed by regular upkeep.

If your property has areas where water ponds or if it has awkward slopes, consider terracing it with retaining walls of natural stone or timber, with adequate drainage behind them.? Retaining walls can help define areas and add interesting curves and textures to your outdoor space.

Create the footprint of your garden with greenery that looks attractive in all seasons.? Include evergreens and a mixture of deciduous trees and shrubs as foundation plants.? Create interest by varying leaf colours.? Pay attention to what colours the leaves will turn in the fall for even more drama.

Instead of planting in straight rows, plant by following the curved lines of your home. Then, add attention-drawing flowers to the beds or to pots to dress up your yard.

Front Entrance:? You may want to completely redo an existing front porch or change the approach path to the home for practical reasons, or to draw the eye towards the front entrance.? Making your front entrance a focal point can detract attention away from a boxy garage that sticks out.? You may want to add an interesting seating area, creating an inviting visiting area.? Add contemporary or wicker furniture, and surround it with attractive plants.

Driveway: The driveway is often the first thing a person sees when approaching your house.? If it?s cracked and crumbling, it can create an eyesore.? Fill the cracks, or if it?s in the budget, consider repaving it.? You may also consider replacing your driveway with classy concrete pavers or stamped concrete.? Using flagstone for walkways or stairs is an excellent choice for most settings.

Unique Additions:? Unique elements such as attractive latticed fence details, ivy covered trellises, waterfalls, or winding paths lined with landscape lighting, attract attention, making your home more memorable.? Don?t go overboard, however.? Keep extra touches in proportion to your property size.

When boosting your curb appeal, it?s always helpful to get the input of trained professionals, or to hire outside help to create the curb appeal you dream of.? No matter what you choose to do, a good rule of thumb is this: keep it neat, keep it simple and take care of it.? Follow those rules, and you?ll be on your way.

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Tags: additions, driveway, front doors, home curb appeal, landscaping, Roofing, windows

Source: http://www.homeimprovementcorner.com/blog/2012/07/16/add-sophistication-and-curb-appeal-to-your-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=add-sophistication-and-curb-appeal-to-your-home

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