How to Improve Your Home's Exterior

Your home is your castle but how your exterior looks reflects how well you care for it. Improving your house exterior is a great idea when you’re trying to get your house ready for a sale, preparing for a family get-together, or if you simply want to help increase your home’s value for the future. Any improvements you make will not only help your house, but will help your neighborhood too.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paint
• Light Bulbs
• Flowers
• Shrubs
• Deck or Patio

1. 
    
   Landscaping, Bobbi Leder

   Add flowers and shrubs to your yard to make it more appealing. Hire a professional landscaper for design ideas or thumb through design books at stores like Home Depot and Lowe’s. Make sure the landscaping does not over grow or cover any walkways and don’t forget to landscape both your front and backyard.

2. 
    
   Light Bulb, Flickr, mr. beaver

   Change your exterior light bulbs to energy efficient bright bulbs which will maximize light and ward off criminals. Look for modern lighting fixtures if yours is outdated.

3. 
    
   Cans of Paint, Flickr, cuahangexpo

   Paint your front door, your siding, shingles and even your garage door. If you’ve lived in your home for a long time, you might have forgotten how vivid the colors once were. You can use the same colors or something completely different. Red doors are thought to bring good luck.

4. 
    
   Deck, Flickr, rowkitcat

   Add a deck or stone patio to your backyard. If you live in a sunny climate, opt for a covered area with an awning. Pavers and stained concrete are durable and are low-maintenance options for a patio, while eco friendly decks help the environment and look beautiful at the same time.

Tips & Warnings

• Hire a professional handyman and landscaper to get the best results.
• Do not use a ladder without the assistance of another person.

Resources

• Better Homes and Gardens