Owning or renting a home is one of the most exciting parts of adulthood. You get the chance to decorate it and express yourself how you want. If you moved in to a fixer-upper though, you might have some issues trying to make the outside look and feel as lovely as the inside. If a complete external renovation is not in your budget, there are always ways to spiff up your home without spending all your time and money.
Do Some Landscaping
One of the easiest and cheapest way to spruce up the exterior of a house is to create a beautiful garden space. You can put beds right alongside the front wall and re-seed the grass to make it fuller and thicker. If the space you’re working with is full of rocks, use that to your advantage. Dig out as many stones as you can, then create a small wall or raised garden bed somewhere in the yard. In the spring, you can plant vegetables and fruit in, or it can just be a flower garden. You can also use those rocks to create a garden path through the yard. If it’s done well, it can look cute and fresh.
Paint the Window Frames
Painting your whole house might not be in the picture, but refreshing the small details can make a huge difference. Choose a color that you would like the window frames to be. It should be something fairly neutral. If you’re not sure, white is always a good color to fall back on. When you actually start the painting process, make sure that you properly tape the edges of the glass so that paint doesn’t drip onto it. If it does, you can always scrape it off with a razor blade, but that can take quite a lot of time. For more tips on painting window frames, click this link. With a fresh coat around the windows, even an old house will look brighter.
Power Wash
Sometimes things just need a quick cleaning to make your house look better. Rent or buy a power washer to clean things like porches, sidewalks, and even old outdoor furniture. It will remove any built-up dust, dirt, moss, and mold, which can immediately up your home’s curb appeal.
Change the Fence
If your yard is fine, but it’s surrounded by an old, crumbling fence, replacing it can make a huge difference for your entire house. Try to avoid chain-link if you can, because it tends to make yards look a little bit prison-like. For a wooden fence, white paint is usually the best option, but other light colors can sometimes look great depending on the color of your house. If it seems unnecessary, you could even take out the fence completely.
As soon as you’ve taken a few easy steps to spruce up your home, it will look totally different. Even the smallest details can make a change for an old house, and you can feel proud of your home inside and out.
Author Bio
Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/