1. Decorative Door and Door Step
The front door is the focal point of your homes curb appeal. Consider replacing your doors at the Lake of the Ozarks if they're really old or maybe just splash a new coat of paint on there to make them stand out. Clean off any dirty spots near the knob and polish up the fixtures. Possibly add a wreath to the door as a reflection of your personality and how the inside of the home looks. Create a permanent welcome mat by tiling or painting a design that contrasts with the porch floor or front stoop. Impress your visitors with your creativity and don't worry about replacing that ratty old door mat anymore.
2. Updating Hardware
Hardware elements can add style and interest to your home's exterior. Consider adding or replacing house numbers, the entry door lock set, a wall-mounted mailbox, and/or an overhead light fixture. If these elements are out of date, dingy or mismatched, you may not be conveying the aesthetic you want.
3. Upgrade Railings
If not treated properly, porch and stoop railings can deteriorate quickly. If your railings are past their prime, look for quality wood or metal components to replace the existing material. Make sure the color, scale, design, details, and material are compatible with the home's main features.
4. Extravagant Entry
You can draw attention to your front door, even with a small budget. Molding acts like an architectural eyeliner that you can apply around your doorway to make the door pop. Make your home feel warm and inviting with well-designed walkways. For a dramatic improvement to a straight concrete path, replace it with a contoured one made of stone or brick. For a simpler upgrade, resurface the old walkway with color, then edge with stone or brick borders.
5. Luminous Lighting and Symmetry
While providing safety and security, low-voltage landscape lighting makes a huge impact on your home's curb appeal. Fixtures can illuminate a walking path or add accent lighting to the trees and house. Solar fixtures are a great alternative if you aren't able to use lights that require wiring. Symmetry is simple to arrange and pleasing to the eye. Symmetrical compositions of light fixtures and front-door accents create welcoming entryways.
6. Garden Glamour
If you are looking for quick and affordable, container gardens add a welcoming feel and colorful appeal to any home exterior. For most landscapes, a staggered, asymmetrical arrangement works best to create a dynamic setting. If you are feeling a little more adventurous, consider creating a new planting bed. Add contrast and color to your home with flowers and plants at the front corners of the yard, along driveways or walkways, and immediately in front of the house. When creating a new bed, choose features that will frame your home rather than obscure it. If you already have one, renew it by pruning growth, pulling weeds, planting flowers, and adding new mulch to restore color that was taken away by sunlight and harsh weather. Clean and reset any stone or brick pieces that are soiled or dislodged from the border of your garden.
7. Window Boxes
A fast, easy way to bring color and charm to your home's exterior is by installing window boxes. For a traditional look, use boxes made from copper or iron or use painted wood for a cottage-like feel. Mix and match flowers and plants to suit your lighting conditions and color scheme.
8. Art Ambiance
Add weather resistant artwork to your yard for a little spunk. Some good choices for outdoor art include birdbaths, metal cutouts, sculptures, and wind chimes. Use your home's natural palette and exterior elements to choose complimenting pieces. Water sculptures not only function as yard art, but the burbling sounds soothe and make hot days feel cooler.
9. Mailbox Makeover
Your mailbox is another reflection of your personality and should compliment the home. When choosing a hanging drop box, pick a box that matches your home's trimmings. Dress up mail boxes by surrounding it with flowers or painting the wooden post to match your home's exterior.
10. Arbors or Fence Panels
Enhance your garden and the value of your home with arbors, garden gates and/or short sections of decorative fence panels. You can find these in easy-to-build kits or prefab sections you simply connect together. For best results, paint or stain these additions with colors already on your house.
11. Dress-Up the Driveway
If your driveway is cracked or stained or has vegetation sprouting from it, you can upgrade it without doing a complete redo. Start by killing any weeds and then repair the cracks and stains. Once its all fixed, dress it up by staining the concrete or affixing flagstones. You can even widen the drive with stone, brick or pavers for more room to move your car around or park.
12. Paint, Siding, Shutters and Trim
An exterior face lift automatically transforms the look of a home. Keep your house looking its best with periodic maintenance of the exterior surfaces. Any obvious defects, such as cracked or rotting material, can downgrade the aesthetic and quickly turn away potential home buyers. For your new siding at the Lake of the Ozarks, call All-Star Home Renovations to install it. After the defects are repaired, use color, trim or shingles to add personality to the exterior of your home. Add a welcoming layer of beauty through shutters and trim. In addition to design advantages, shutters control light and ventilation, as well as provide additional security. Exterior shutters can be made of wood, aluminum, vinyl, composite, or fiberglass.
13. Gutters and Downspouts
Older gutter systems that are suffering from peeling paint, rust spots and more, convey a sense of neglect. You can replace old systems with newer, snap-fit vinyl gutter systems that go together easily and don't require painting. While pricier, copper systems convey an unmistakable look of quality.
For the full article from Better Homes and Gardens visit: http://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/ways-to-add-curb-appeal/
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Adam : 573-286-2569
adam@all-star-renovations.com
Jay: 573-480-4757
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