How Do I... Boost My Home's Kerb Appeal on a Budget?

Renovating expert Cherie Barber reveals how to make a great first impression without breaking the bank

Georgia MaddenApril 28, 2019

In this practical series, we ask experts to answer your burning home and garden questions. Here, renovation expert Cherie Barber shares some affordable ideas for sprucing up your home’s exterior.

Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors

Why is it worth showing your home’s facade some love?
First impressions are so important. Before a potential buyer or renter comes to view your home, chances are they’ll have checked it out online or even driven past it, and will have made their judgements from that alone.

Kerb appeal can make all the difference. What your home looks like on the outside is often a reflection of what it’s like on the inside, so it’s really important to set the right tone.

Best of all, giving your facade a facelift doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are a few simple touches you can do yourself that will really lift the value of your home and make it more appealing to buyers and renters.

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Luigi Rosselli Architects

What are the most common things that detract from a home’s kerb appeal?

Outdated colour schemes: This is one of the most common mistakes people make. The days of Aussie golds and greens are gone, and thanks to new products on the market, it’s never been easier or more cost-effective to update your home with a modern exterior colour scheme.
Poorly maintained or peeling paint: This can be a real eyesore. People may have painted their properties 20 or 30 years ago and not refreshed it since. Refreshing your paint and maintaining it is vital to keep your home looking its best.
Inadequate maintenance: Poorly maintained fixtures and fittings or unruly hedges and overgrown bushes can be a real turn-off for buyers and renters.

Heartly

What are the easiest and most affordable ways to improve the look of your home’s facade?

A lick of paint: Paint is liquid gold for renovators – it’s the number-one thing that transforms your property on a limited budget and is one of my favourite ways to add instant value to a home.

By bringing your home’s colour scheme into the 21st century, you’ll see fantastic return on investment when selling or revaluing. Opt for strong, modern colours that will stand the test of time. My go-to colours at the moment are Taubmans All Weather Exterior in Oil Shale for external walls with contrasting trims in Tahira White.

Image by White Knight Paints Ultra Pave – before painting

Paving paint: Paths, driveways and steps are often overlooked, but neglect them at your peril – they can really impact the appearance of your home’s facade. If your driveway and steps are concreted and not looking their best, there’s no reason to rip them up – simply give them a new lease of life with a couple of coats of specialist paint, such as White Knight Paints Ultra Pave. Paints such as this can be used to revitalise other concreted parts of the home too, such as porches and pool surrounds.

How Do I… Prep and Paint My Home’s Facade?

Image by White Knight Paints Ultra Pave – after painting

Spruce up your entrance: Give your home personality by adding colour to your front door. Front doors are typically less than two metres square, so you can be really adventurous with the colours you choose. For a bold look, I like a bright, cheery yellow, such as Taubmans All Weather in Zanzibar. For a softer look, I favour pastels such as Taubmans All Weather Exterior in Pitter Patter, which really stands out against a modern neutral colour palette.

Draw attention to your fabulous, freshly painted front door by framing it with a selection of beautiful potted plants. You don’t even need to buy new pots – just make over existing ones with paint.

Do some maintenance: To keep your home looking its best, regular maintenance is key. Poorly maintained fixtures and fittings, unruly landscaping or a dirty facade are instant signs of a less-than-loved home.

A super-easy first step to sprucing up your home is using a high-pressure water cleaner to remove the built-up dirt and grime on the exterior walls and driveway. You’ll find they suddenly look brand new. Afterwards, look at giving them a fresh look with White Knight Paints Ultra Pave paint.

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Saki Architecture

Landscaping: Unruly landscaping is a major turn-off for buyers and renters and can have a dramatic effect on the value of your property. Mow the lawn, pull up weeds and pot new plants to create focal areas and interest points in your front garden. Choose plant sizes that are relative to the size of your house, with taller plants giving your garden an established look. Finish it off with decorative mulch such as wood chips or pebbles.

User

Decorative bling: Adding some attractive finishing touches to your exterior is easy and affordable, and will give your home an instant facelift. They can also bump up your home’s value if you’re looking to rent or sell.

Simple cost-effective changes to consider include putting a new feature light or two near the front door, adding stylish outdoor furniture to your front verandah or deck, adding chic street numbers to the front of your home, or installing a smart new letter box.

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Bask Interiors

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