Mini-Makoevers: Five Ways to Update the Facade of Your Home

They say you should never judge a book by its cover but when it comes to judging a home, let’s face it – it’s hard not to judge the exterior. The facade of your property is such a defining factor in the overall look and appeal of your home because it’s a visual introduction to your style. Whether your style is modern, art deco, farmhouse or Hamptons, achieving the perfect facade is the ideal way to make a lasting first impression.

If your home is looking a bit drab or dated from the outside, here are five ways take it from drab to fab.

1. A CLEAN SLATE

You’d be amazed by how much of a difference a little spring-cleaning can have on the exterior look of your home. Set aside a weekend or two and make over your exterior by:

• Removing all unnecessary rubbish
• Pulling out overgrown shrubs and weeds
• Pressure cleaning windows and doors
• Removing peeling paint
• Cleaning out gutters

If you don’t have the time to overhaul the exterior yourself, why not hire a professional house cleaning company to do the dirty work for you?

2. INSTALL NEW WINDOWS AND DOORS

It might sound expensive, but installing new windows and doors is actually a relatively cheap way to enhance the street appeal of your home without doing major renovations. Aside from being visually appealing, installing a new front door can also increase natural light flow in your front entryway. If this is a priority for you, look for front door designs with glass panelling that will obscure views from the outside without deterring natural light flow.

A graffiti door adds a visual punch to this modern Australian bush home from Collins W Collins and Shipway Constructions.

Installing a new garage door is another way to modernise the exterior of your home, even more so if you choose the same design as your new windows and doors to tie the whole look together. If your windows are fine as they are, another option is to add contemporary window dressings such as plantation shutters to spruce things up a bit.

3. EXTERNAL CLADDING

If you’re looking for a way to add that high-end factor to the exterior of your home, add a textural element with external cladding. Whether your existing exterior is brick or timber, external cladding such as Linea™ Weatherboard or Stria™ Cladding can be used to revitalise your exterior walls. Aside from looking visually stunning, external cladding is a cost-effective and contemporary way to overhaul a dated exterior. What’s more, external cladding will add a higher level of fire-resistance than other exterior materials. Before going ahead with any installations, make sure you consult with a professional, as building permissions may be required.

Three Birds Renovations turned this tired suburban home from drab to fab using Linea Weatherboard to update the facade!

4. SHINE A LIGHT

Evening aesthetics play an essential role in the nighttime feel of your home, so make sure your exterior lighting scheme does more than just light the way to the front door. Aside from installing necessary garage and front door lights, add a touch of sophistication and whimsy around flowerbeds, pathways and driveways with solar lights or lanterns. You can also highlight feature trees and plants with upward facing spotlights to really kick up the contemporary factor.

Kyal and Kara light up this facade with sconce lights that highlight the deep shadow lines of Linea Weatherboard.

5. LANDSCAPING AND HARDSCAPING

Another cost-effective way to revamp your homes façade is with some landscaping and hardscaping. Begin by assessing the layout of your front garden to see whether rearranging or adding tweaks here and there will do the trick. For example, is there space to add a stone walkway? Can you maximise the use of your nature strip? Can you save space by replacing a garden bed with garden hedging?

When installing a new landscaping theme, it’s a good idea to think about which plants will create the most striking first impression without adding too much upkeep. Hedging plants such as Murraya’s are attractive and low maintenance when planted correctly. Succulents are another low-maintenance genus that can create an elegant and ornamental look in a garden. For a splash of colour, lavender is a delightful perennial that will treat you with gorgeous pops of purple throughout the year.