5 Exterior Improvements for Homeowners to Consider
If you’re a homeowner, you may find that it comes with many perks you simply don’t get if you rent an apartment. For instance, you can decorate your home any way you like. You also need to maintain it, though. That means doing any upkeep inside and outside the house that it needs.
We will talk about improving a house’s exterior in the following article. These tips should put you on the right track if you want your home to look better on the outside.
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Consider Replacing Any Cracked Siding
If you buy a modern home, you may notice that it has siding. If you need new siding, Loveland, CO residents, you might just replace any cracked pieces rather than redoing the entire house.
If you have vinyl siding, for instance, you might notice you have some cracked pieces when you move in. Vinyl siding usually holds up pretty well for years, but maybe you will spot some cracked pieces after a big windstorm.
You can talk to a contractor about replacing the cracked pieces. They will need to see if they can find the right color to match the existing siding.
While that might seem relatively easy, some vinyl siding companies will discontinue a particular color eventually. If you have siding on your house from an installation job 20-30 years ago, the company that makes that color might not have it anymore.
You might also see situations sometimes where the weather impacts the siding over the course of many years. Now, you will have siding that’s a color unlike any of the ones on the market today.
Your contractor must try to find a color that comes as close as possible to matching what you have. Once they get the closest match, they can remove the broken pieces the first chance they get. Doing so does not just make your house more aesthetically appealing, though. It can also prevent pests like wasps or hornets from nesting in the cracks.
Know When to Replace the Roof
You should also know when to replace the roof. A shingle roof might last 20-30 years. If you see that you have some shingles missing, though, then at a minimum, you should hire a roofer to make the repairs.
While they’re up there, you can ask them to look at the roof to see if the whole thing needs replacing. In some cases, when a roof reaches the end of its usable life, you must do a total tear-off rather than just putting on a new layer of shingles.
This can cost anywhere from $10K-$20K, or even more if you have a very big house with an equally large roof. You’re investing in your home if you do this, though, and you can point to the new roof as a selling point if you ever decide to move.
Think About Installing Decorative or Functional Shutters
You can also think about adding some decorative or functional shutters to your home’s exterior. Such shutters don’t usually cost all that much. You might even install them yourself if you don’t mind tackling a DIY project.
Ornamental shutters don’t shut, but they can add a nice splash of color to offset a neutral house tone. If you have something like beige siding, installing some navy-blue shutters can give your house a pleasant contrast that it didn’t have previously.
Lighting Can Add Charm While Also Increasing Safety
You can also think about adding some lights to your home’s exterior. You can either ask an electrician to hard-wire some lights or you can add exterior ones that you operate by battery. You can even get solar-powered ones, though they’re usually not as reliable.
Lighting can add charm to your home’s exterior, but it’s useful from a safety standpoint as well. You can dissuade thieves from approaching your house if you have motion-activated lights that will come on if someone comes up your driveway after dark.
Consider Investing in a New Deck and Fence
You can also consider investing in a new deck and fence around the backyard if you have an older deck and fence that you can’t save with varnish or stain. A new deck and fence can cost anywhere from $10K-$20K in many instances, but you will enjoy spending time on the deck during nice weather.
You might think about putting a new fence around the front yard as well, especially if you have a dog that likes playing out there.
