Want to get your home noticed? There are many ways to add value and design appeal to your house’s exterior, and doing so is important, say experts.
“If you're selling your home, updates add value and curb appeal. And if you're staying long-term, these improvements will boost the functionality and form of your home for your own enjoyment,” says JJ Rogers, sales operations manager with Fypon, a manufacturer of decorative millwork elements.
Rogers and the experts at Fypon are offering some tips on projects to consider in time for August, which is National Curb Appeal Month.
Think 24-Hours
If you think your home's curb appeal matters only during daylight, think again. After-hours curb appeal can be just as important.
“A well-lit home has a warm, welcoming glow and adds to the security of the home," says Rogers.
Here are some ways to light up the night with evening curb appeal:
• Place solar-powered lights on walkways and key landscape areas to create safe pathways and highlight the home. Flank the entry door with lights for guests’ convenience, and to better see who is visiting after dark.
• Replace burnt-out bulbs and do a good cleaning of light fixtures.
• Install motion sensor lighting to make it easy for visitors to safely enter your driveway, while helping to deter burglary attempts and to know when roaming animals are in the yard.
Daylight Curb Appeal
• Replace rotting wooden trim, shutter, louvers and balustrade systems with easy-care polyurethane products that require minimal upkeep while resisting insects, decay and moisture.
• Accent the tops of windows by adding a crosshead and keystone.
• Never underestimate the power of flowers. Adding window boxes, as well as planters on the porch, steps or throughout the yard, instantly increases curb appeal.
• Add a low-maintenance timber or smooth polyurethane trellis system over a garage entry to add dimension and appeal to the door you drive through daily.
• Install a Door Surround Kit around a home's entryway. Each kit comes with a set of pilasters to flank a standard single door and a decorative crosshead to "sit" on top of it. Fypon offers these kits in Colonial, Craftsman and Empire styles, plus a different variation in Stone.
• Add pops of complementary color using a top- down approach. Start with the roof, then work your way down to siding, trim, doors and landscaping. For a free "FRESH Color Schemes for Your Home Exterior" ebook, visit fypon.com/design/ .
Makeover Your Door
Your home’s entryway should be welcoming, beautiful and energy-efficient. For a chance to make this important home upgrade for free, homeowners can enter a 2015 Door Do-Over Sweepstakes sponsored by Therma-Tru, for a chance to win a Classic-Craft or Pulse fiberglass entry door system valued at $5,000. Enter online throughout August at www.todayshomeowner.com/DoorDoOver.
Keeping home exteriors clean, clutter-free and colorful can go a long way toward boosting curb appeal. Take time to focus on the beauty of your home’s exterior with a thorough clean-up and strategic upgrades.