So you've been in your house for a while and you're starting to realize things you walk past every day are looking a little, well….. dated, to put it nicely. And not just like, oh those concrete countertops were soo 2014. No, you're looking around saying to yourself, "Who's the chief in this village?"
You walk out front to grab the morning paper, turn around and look at the door you've been walking through for years. And suddenly, like a cold shower on a January morning you realize the maintenance guy hasn't been maintaining the estate. The paint is chipping enough to see the old color underneath, the shutters are crooked, that tree you planted when you moved in is overgrown and half dead, the scalloped fascia boards over your front porch just aren’t cutting it, and that awfully painted front door, the one you said you'd replace as soon as you moved in, yea….well it's still there.
Find yourself here lately? Well here's a few ideas on increasing the curb appeal of your home by fixing up the front porch.
1. Column Wraps
Add column wraps to the existing posts on your front porch. This doesn’t have to be a crazy expensive renovation either. A column wrap is a combination of architectural elements, such as brick, stone, steel or wood veneer, that matches the rest of your home (or stands out if that’s what you’re going for). More simply put, make the 4”x4” post look like an 8”x8” or even a 12”x12” by adding a wrap. This saves you huge dollars in your project budget because you get the look of a large post without paying for it. Check out these column wraps:
2. Replace the Front Door
Rip out that painted door with the 80s flower pattern etched in the glass and add a door with charm. Not only will a new front door add character to the architecture of your home, but it'll save you $$ by making the house more energy efficient. This is a sure-fire way to really enhance your home’s curb appeal.
3. Remove the Shutters
This may feel at first a little like shaving off an eyebrow, but I promise it will give the place a fresh look. Once removed, add trim work around the windows to give them emphasis. Click below to see an example:
4. Frame the Front Door with Landscaping
Show people where to go to enter your house by framing the front door with trees, shrubs and plants. Just like a picture frame guides your eyes to look at a piece of art, so too can landscaping frame the entrance to your home.
4. Add Planter Pots
A relatively inexpensive way to make an impact on your front porch is to add planter pots. Buy the large ones too, 30” minimum height. Then add annuals and change them with the seasons (you can even change them out in the winter with fresh cut evergreen branches, bright red berries and birch tree logs). Make sure they're large enough to make a difference from the street. Flank the front door with one pot on either side. Or, if you want to kick it up a notch, buy 5 pots of varying heights and add 3 pots on one side of the door and 2 on the other.
The front porch is the first impression people get of your home. Make it count, but have fun with it. Your home can be an expression of you, hopefully it's the dressed for success version and not the I just rolled out of bed five minutes ago look.
Thinking about fixing up your front porch or house facade? We’d love to help you with that. As a design build construction company, we can help you bring your vision to life. We’ll design a plan better than you ever envisioned and build it for you. To learn more about how to make building projects easy, click here.