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OTHER GUIDES & TIPS

Make a grand entrance: 6 expert tips to maximise kerb appeal when renovating your home

According to recent statistics, British homeowners have spent an average of £4,035.70 each on house renovations this year. With people spending more time at home and a slowing housing market, many of us have been finding ways to improve our surroundings and add value to our homes.

From complete garden makeovers to long overdue redecorating projects, we’ve been a nation of home improvers this year. Paint sales have soared and Dulux were even forced to limit paint purchases this summer after a huge surge in demand.

An area that is often and surprisngly neglected is front-of-house and the front garden. But with the right care and maintenance, it’s these areas that can actually help to increase the value and desirabilty of your home.

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We all know that first impressions count.  So we’ve come up with the six easiest, tried and tested ways to add instant kerb appeal to your property.

1 - Give your front door a facelift

Smarten up your front door so it stands out when people drive or walk past your home. Choose a matching metal door number, door knocker, mailbox and other hardware to instantly create a polished look. 

Make sure your house number or name is strong and visible. Slate, bespoke name and number plates are popular and stylish, and a great choice for any style of property. 

Paying attention to the colour of your door has its benefits too. While neutral colours are always a sensible choice, Country Life found that estate agents rate blue as the door colour most likely to sell a house.

2 - Elegant entrance ways

There are few building projects that create as much of an impact to the facade of your home, than a stone portico. Designed to transform an entranceway and uplift it to grander proportions, this alternative to a porch will also protect you and your visitors from the elements, as well as shielding your door from harmful UV rays.  

Surprisingly affordable, a portico can easily be installed within a couple of days, creating sophistication and elegance almost overnight. What’s more, adding a portico can significantly increase the value of your property.

3 - The power of plants

Well-chosen flowers and plants can go a long way when creating kerb appeal. However, too many pots and planters can create a cluttered feel to the outside of your home. Remove old pots and add flowers that really accentuate the colour of your property – you can even match them with your front door!

Opt for evergreen plants and shrubs. Simple Buxus sempervirens will provide year-round colour and are available in various fun shapes, including clipped balls to pyramids. Place one either side of your doorway for a quick and affordable update. Native flower beds at the corner of the driveway will make your front garden appear bigger – a bonus if you are planning to sell your property. Whilst lavender will brighten up your doorway and provide a heady scent throughout the long summer months.

4 - A warm welcome this winter

Outside lighting will add a welcoming ambience to the outside of any home. Installing warm LED lights around the facade of your house, within your front border or lawn will create an inviting, magical glow in the cold winter. Carefully positioned uplighting can also be used to illuminate front garden fountains, statues and focal point trees such as colourful Acers.

Security lighting is also a great idea to help illuminate your doorway when getting home in the dark and will act as a deterrent to intruders. This could be one of the most valuable investments you make this year.

5 - Do fix what’s broken

One of the most essential tings you can do to smarten up the outside of your home is to replace broken gutters and gates. These unsightly aspects will, without doubt, lower the desirability and potentially the value of your home. Uplift wooden fences with a simple lick of varnish or paint.  

It’s always a good idea to hide unsightly bins, sweep away fallen leaves and tidy up any weeds from your pathway before visitors arrive. Speaking of which, a quick pressure-wash will usually bring neglected paving back to life, or you could consider revamping your pathway with smart, durable cast stone pavers and steps.

6 - Top it all off with perfect pillars

There’s something about a perfectly symmetrical entrance, that looks so simple but is also extremely elegant. Create gateway envy with handsome piers and pillars that can be topped with smart pier caps and lanterns. This will certainly upgrade the look of your property almost immediately.

Stone finials are perfect enhancements to walls, pillars and piers alike.  Add your own unique style by topping them off with simple cast stone balls, majestic lions and eagles, or even a classic pineapple!

Transforming the front of your property doesn’t need to be expensive or time-consuming.  With just a few smart tweaks here and there, you can add instant impact and create lasting kerb appeal to your home.

By Nicola Clements, Marketing Manager at Haddonstone

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