First impressions or your home’s ‘curb or street appeal’ are essential when thinking about the exterior building materials for your home. A home’s façade (the front side that faces the street), is the first impression people see.
What your home looks like on the outside, is often a reflection of what it’s like on the inside, so it’s important to set the right tone, and make a good first impression.
Whether you’re embarking on a new build, or want to improve your current home, there are some simple ways to smarten up your exterior and give your home some head turning street appeal.
How to enhance curb appeal for a new home
If you are building a new home, one of the first steps is to work out your exterior style. How do you want your house to feel – do you picture it making a strong visual statement or blending into the neighbourhood? Should it be classic, modern or a little more edgy?
Consider where your home is located – is it in a metropolitan area, the suburbs, a rural or coastal setting? These different environments can inspire your colour and finish choices.
A good rule of thumb is to stick to three main finishes or colours, and use exterior products that add texture, depth and visual interest. This may include a mix of cladding (aluminum, weatherboard or timber), bricks, feature stonework, and painted render.
My advice is not to use too many colours and finishes on your exterior – less is generally more. I like to follow the same design principles as I do when I design interior spaces – for a timeless and classic house, follow a neutral colour scheme.
Use base colours for the largest areas of your exteriors such as the walls, roof and the garage door, and accent colours on smaller areas such as windows, trims, your front door, or other architectural features.
For that ultimate indoor and outdoor flow, keep your colour scheme consistent by using similar colours, tones and materials. For example, if you’re aiming for a minimal exterior, select neutral and monochrome colours then add texture through feature stone, linear bricks or cladding.
How to enhance curb appeal for an existing home
Small improvements to your front façade, can go a long way in giving you that simple moment of joy every time you arrive home. The two quickest and budget friendly ways to instantly improve curb appeal, is through paint and greenery.
If your front door is in good condition, give it a coat of new paint and update your door hardware. Paint has transformative powers and can really revive the look of a tired entry.
Even if you don’t have a large front entry, simple additions like potted plants, hanging plants or built in planter boxes with flowers, can go a long way to making your home feel more welcoming.
Don’t forget to give you garden some love! A well-tended to front garden creates a great first impression (especially if you are lucky enough to have well-established trees and shrubs).
Small touches, and the right materials, can go a long way in improving your home’s exterior design and the first impression people see when walking or driving by.
