If you want to give your property added kerb appeal, either to make it more desirable to potential buyers, or to make it more appealing to your tastes, then there’s a number of simple improvements you can make.
Here are five great ideas Advantage-Properties.com brings you to help make your property turn heads.
Give your front garden a makeover
Our front gardens are increasingly being turned over for parking, which may be practical, but doesn’t do much for the look of your home. Instead, why not invest some time and money into turning your front garden into a thing of beauty? Think buzzing borders, striking shrubs and a gorgeous stretch of green lawn. Climbing plants, including some roses, wisteria and ivy can make your home look beautiful. But be careful to keep them under control so that they don’t cover your whole house.
If you can’t afford to undertake big renovations, then why not simply tidy things up and invest in a few plants in attractive pots or colourful hanging baskets? You’ll be surprised what a difference it will make to the look of your home.
Fit new doors
If your front door is looking old and dated, or a bit battered around the edges, then it will be having a negative impact on the overall appearance of your home. It might be time to think about giving it a makeover. The appearance of your door can make a huge impact on your property overall. If you’re selling your home, it will be the first part of your house that buyers see when they’re waiting to enter your property for a viewing. Make sure you give them the right impression.
If you’ve got a wooden door, all that you might need to do is give it a coat of paint and replace the door furniture. Alternatively, you could think about installing something new.
If you live in a period property, has an insensitive update left you with a door that looks out of place? If so, why not invest in a period looking replacement? Or if your property is looking jaded then why not buy a new door to give it a contemporary makeover? The range of options available is huge.
Replacement windows
What applies to doors is multiplied for windows. The appearance and condition of your home windows has a massive impact on the overall appearance of your home. Tired old windows with flaking paint, that look in a state of disrepair aren’t particularly inviting. Many potential homebuyers will take one look at the windows and decide against making an offer. If you have wooden windows, make sure they’re properly maintained. If you’re not confident about doing it yourself, pay a professional to do it for you.
uPVC windows can soon look dated. If your windows are affecting the look of your house and your ability to heat it, then consider replacing them. If you live in a period home that has been fitted with white uPVC windows, then take a look at the period looking alternatives that are now available. It’s perfectly possible to have modern sash windows fitted that retain all the heat conserving, low-maintenance qualities of uPVC double glazed windows.
If your budget won’t currently stretch to replacement windows, ensure that your windows, frames and sills are kept clean and free of any flaking paint or exposed or rotten wood.
Smarten up the driveway
Your driveway is there to serve a purpose, but it can also be an attractive feature in its own right. Put a little thought into the design and what materials might look best. What can you do to soften the overall appearance of your drive? Curving lines often look more attractive than hard straight edges. Curved borders and patterned edges look inviting. Plant up the borders on either side of your driveway to look attractive and soften it further.
If your driveway is block paved, make sure you get rid of the weeds. Give your driveway a pressure wash and think about statement plants in attractive pots near the house. Add appealing features to your driveway but avoid making it look cluttered by using too many.
Fit aluminium driveway gates
There’s no doubt about it, driveway gates really give your property that extra ‘wow’ factor. With so many different designs and finishes available they allow you to bring some colour and style to your driveway. They look great, and the clear advantage of aluminium gates is that those good looks won’t fade.
While some people still opt for wooden gates because they feel they have a better appearance, they rarely account for the impact the weather can have on them over time. That’s not an issue with aluminium, which is finished so that it can withstand whatever the weather can throw at it. Hard-wearing and light, aluminium really is an ideal material for gates.
The gates come in a wide range of designs, from classic to contemporary. Wood effect aluminium gates look so much like the real thing that the only way you can recognise that they’re not made of wood is when they’re still looking great many months on. This is rarely the case with real wood gates.
Potential house buyers love the looks, convenience and security of driveway gates. They help your property make a great first impression and stand out against the competition.
