When it comes to house maintenance, most people are only concerned with the upkeep of the parts of the house they can see the most. You might be the type to ensure your living room is spick-and-span, or that your bedroom is neat, but have you paid enough attention to the outside of your house?
The exterior is extremely important, whether or not you’re planning to sell the house. The first thing you need to remember is that the outside of your home is the first impression you’ll make on guests. If it’s poorly kept, people will assume your house is low-end or unclean. If you’re planning on selling the house, then the exterior is what creates your curbside appeal. Most people forget to maintain the outside of their homes, but with the help of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to deal with exterior maintenance.
When hiring professionals, shop local
When you get around to fixing up the outside of the house, you’re most likely going to need to hire a contractor. The exterior is exposed to the elements a lot more and may require professional help and tools to clean once in a while. Whether you’re getting the tiles on your roof fixed or hiring a power cleaning for your driveway, the best method is to hire a local contractor.
There are some nationwide chains, but the local guys have a better idea of what style works in your neighborhood. For example, Colonial Heights is a great city in Virginia with its unique architecture, but it would look out if you applied the style of the Bronx or Beverly Hills to it. You would need to look up ‘siding contractor Colonial Heights VA‘ on the internet to get the repairs done without losing the look that makes your house so appealing. As a bonus, local contractors are usually cheaper too.
Consider the walkway
The path that leads from the street to your front door can increase how welcoming your house feels. A walkway can be designed in a number of ways, including cobblestone, tiles, brick, and so on. Each of these designs can complement the look of your house and lawn. Like a pocket square on a suit, it can tie the visuals together. You can also go with a curved walkway to create a playful effect or a straight walkway to add a leading line to your house, which is appealing to look at and makes for great pictures when you plan to sell the house.
The straight walkway can also get a level of symmetry to your house, which naturally appeals to people. If you don’t have a walkway yet, you should consider adding one. If you do, ensure it’s clean and polished. You would be surprised by how much the look of a house changes when you add this small element.
Add a covered entrance
At a practical level, an awning is a cover over your roof or windows to protect the entrance from rain and snow. However, these parts of the home design have often been used to add character and uniqueness to the front of the house.
Covered porches are a natural fit for cottages and Craftsman homes and can give your house a vintage and woodsy look. For example, A little portico with a pediment on top goes nicely with colonial-style houses and adds adequate definition to the front door.
You can consult a specialist about which style of door awning would best match your house. If there is space for it, adding a larger awning to cover your entrance will do wonders for your curbside appeal. While you’re sprucing up the front door with a covered entrance, you can also consider repainting it to give it a fresher look.
Maintain A beautiful yard
People are naturally drawn to nature, as it creates a calming and soothing effect. In order to achieve the same charm in a residential area, you need to maintain your garden. When it comes to lawn care, there are a few steps you should be doing regularly, such as trimming the grass, pulling weeds, raking up any fallen leaves, and ensuring your flowerbed is watered. As long as you take the time to do these steps regularly, you should have no problem keeping up with your gardening projects. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, these tasks are pretty easy.
Other aspects of yard maintenance are seasonal, such as pruning disfigured branches after winter. As you don’t have to do these regularly, you can consider hiring a professional. When it comes to tasks like removing disfigured trees, it’s usually safer to leave it up to the experts.
Power clean your driveway
The driveway is one of the hardest parts of your home exterior to maintain. Every time you come home, you’re transferring dirt, mud, and grime from your tires onto the concrete of your driveway, which will gather the most stains over time.
Even if you’re not driving too often, cars tend to occasionally leak fluids, such as oil or antifreeze, which will create more stains. Moreover, when you’re hosing down your car, dirty water is being sopped up by the concrete. In some cases, you can use a do-it-yourself solution to remove the stains. A combination of laundry detergent and a high-pressure hose can get rid of most stains in your driveway. You can buy specialized cleaning fluid from most auto shops for more stubborn stains.
However, there is no substitute for proper power washing. The machines used in this process can be quite dangerous, and you should never attempt to do it yourself. It’s better to take out the money for a professional rather than accidentally damage your home, or worse, hurt someone.
Conclusion
You could have a nice, rustic cottage, a colonial-era style home, or something sleek and modern — they will eventually need some tender love and care on the outside. It can be a bit confusing to know where to start, but after reading this guide, you should have a pretty solid idea of the five main aspects to work on. There are some steps you can handle yourself, which can be quite fun. You’ll get a sense of satisfaction from doing something with your hands and viewing the results. For others, feel free to consult a professional. Whether this home improvement is to get a better price when you sell or to feel better about the place you come home to after a long day’s work, this guide is the perfect way to get started.
