Projects to Boost Your Home's Curb Appeal

Given the amount of time we spend inside the home, it’s no surprise that’s where we spend most of our remodeling dollars. But neglecting your home’s exterior can leave it looking tired and rundown. Here are four projects that will boost your home’s curb appeal and ensure the outside of your home looks as good as the inside.

Liven Up Your Landscaping

Brown spots in your lawn, overgrown shrubs, and worn out mulch do wonders for making your house look more worn down that it actually is. If you’re ready to spruce up your landscaping, you’ll want to do so in the spring or fall when the temps are relatively cool, especially if you’re planning on laying sod or planting new trees or shrubs. While you’re planning your project, be sure to take a look at the grade surrounding your home. Over time it can become compacted and slope towards your house. If that happens, water will no longer flow away from your foundation; instead, it will flow towards it, putting your home’s foundation at risk.

Touch It Up

While your home’s exterior paint should last about 15 years, over time it will begin to chip and peel. Left untouched, your siding could start to rot, mold, or warp. Thankfully, a little preventative maintenance can help prevent any costly siding repairs. If you notice chipping or peeling paint, it’s time to breakout the sandpaper, primer, paint and paintbrushes. Most of the time, it’s a project that you can knock out in an afternoon. However, it could be that your project involves more work than you have time to put in. If that’s the case, now is a good time to start talking to pros. Pro Tip:pressure washing your home each spring removes dirt and can help prevent mold and mildew infestations.

Repair Your Roofing and Gutters

Missing shingles and sagging gutters do more than make your home look shoddy; they can cause seriously spendy problems. Water takes the path of least resistance and exploits any crack, gap or hole it can find. Left unrepaired, the damage can quickly make its way down to your sub roofing, or, in the case of damaged gutters, down to your foundation. If you notice that your gutters are having trouble moving water away from your foundation, or if it’s been a while since you’ve had your roof inspected, it’s a good idea to have a roofing pro stop by for an inspection.

Fantastic Fencing

Has your fence seen better days? If so, taking the time to fix it now could prevent you from having to replace the whole thing down the road. In many cases, all you’ll need to do is pressure wash it, replace missing or damaged boards, and throw a fresh coat of stain or paint on it. Unless it’s really worse for wear, you should be able to tackle the project in a weekend. Don’t have a fence? Now’s the perfect time to start gathering estimates from at least three pros.