When you purchase a new home, you must ensure that you can maintain the upkeep and aftercare, especially on the exterior of the house. Weather, in particular, can cause wear and tear on the home resulting in cracked walls, damaged roofing, and gutters, or even just being simply weather-beaten over the years. Now, as a homeowner, you may dismay this wear and tear and believe that the aesthetic and beauty of your home are displayed on the inside. Yes, you are right, the interior does play a huge role in how your home is perceived by yourself and others, however, the home exterior is the first factor you view before the inside, therefore the outside of your home sets the initial perception and first thought on the house. It is important to address factors of the home that need to be restored and that may not always be a costly procedure. We are here to explain how to improve and renovate your home exterior so that the beauty is not taken away from your home interior.

Replace the roof

The weather is the main factor that can negatively affect your roof. Over time, it is completely natural for your roof to get slightly worn down, and this may be hard to detect as your roof is not particularly an aspect of your home that you view every day. Most homeowners do not check their roofs at all. Although the overall appearance of your roof may look fine, it is important to ensure that you look out for signs of sagging, water damage, lost tiles, and leaks or mold. We believe these are some of the main factors that will signify that you need a new roof. Roof replacements can be pricey renovations however, they are important, especially for your health. Why not change the dynamics when installing a new roof and opt for a different colour or style? Or, if parts of your home can incorporate a flat roof, why not opt for that? It may work out less expensive. 

When replacing the roof, we recommend that you get rid of that old aerial and reinstall a newer one, particularly if your aerial remains on the roof. Why go to the extreme effort of replacing the roof to then place an old, battered aerial back on it? Click here for any aerial installation inquiries. 

Update the front door 

A simple yet effective change may be to update your front door, either by replacing it completely or giving it a slight touch-up. Older homes may have an older style of door that may not even include windows, so why not opt for a newer style of door that can add extra natural light into your home with panelled windows? If investing in a whole new door is not on the agenda, your old door can simply be spruced up with a touch of paint and gloss. This can be a fun DIY job, however, make sure that you know what you are doing as an unfinished or botched job can actually decrease your home value. To impose a modern style on your door, try to go for a paint colour such as grey, black, white, or dark brown. 

Renovate the front garden

The front garden can quite often be a daunting place to tackle especially if you are not a fan of the outdoors or regular upkeep. Gardening can be quite a time-consuming project when done right however, to renovate the front garden, you do not need to go down the gardening route. If you would prefer to install plants, flower beds, shrubs, and hanging baskets then go for it! However, if less upkeep is your main motive, we would highly suggest opting for the likes of Monoblock paving, wooden decking, or paving slabs. All of which may be on the more expensive side but will be worth it in the long run. 

Lighting 

This is one aspect homeowners may not often consider for their home exterior, and lighting in the garden and at the front of your home may only appear at Christmas time in the form of decorations. Why not install LED wall lights or downlights at the front of your home to illumine the house when the sunsets. This can also add desirability and value to your home and shows affluence. You will notice that newer build homes in particular that appear on the market incorporate outside lighting as it seems to be becoming a trend nowadays. 

Add an extension 

With an expanding family but no desire to relocate, more and more homeowners take the home extension route rather than go down the moving route. Extensions can be pricey however, they automatically increase home value as well as create an extra living space. Extensions are beneficial as they can be personalised to the homeowner’s needs and wants and their personal style can be added to this space. Extensions can be used to create additional space and expansions to certain rooms or can be made to create new rooms completely. Some families go down the extension route of enlarging their kitchen which is extremely popular, as a brand-new kitchen will add value to your home. Experts in home improvements suggest that 5% of the total home value should reside in your kitchen so bear this in mind when renovating.