When choosing home remodeling projects, a major consideration in the projects you ultimately decide to undertake involves how much value the given projects will add to your property come resale time.
To this effect, a great way to add some major value to your home is by increasing curb appeal through exterior remodeling projects. The bottom line is that people want to “show off” their house, so if your listed property has the ability to make passersby slow down and take a longer look, your property has a real chance of fetching a premium price come closing time.
Consider the following exterior home remodeling projects to give your property’s curb appeal a boost.
Modernize the Siding with Innovative Fiber Cement
Despite the forward march of time, there always seems to be a significant chunk of society that wants to keep a finger on the past. In the case of home siding, this desire manifests itself through the continued use of wood planks and shingles to protect the house from the elements.
While traditional wood shingles and lap siding do ring up feelings of Americana, the reality is that wood requires near-continuous care and attention in order for it to retain its protective qualities.
Therefore, if your wood siding is looking dry, cracked, or moldy, a good oil and/or paint job will be in order to make it look acceptable come resale time. If it is looking really rough (most traditional wood siding needs to be replaced every 10 to 20 years), it may be time to consider more advanced rustic siding options before listing your property. Fiber cement is a strong choice, as it is nearly indistinguishable from wood while providing elite air and moisture resistance with minimal care required.
Upgrade Your Damaged Driveway to Permeable Gravel
Concrete driveways look beautiful when they are freshly installed. They are smooth, flat, and clean, making them just as likely to serve as a high school gym floor as a holding space for vehicles. Not the best way to enhance curb appeal.
However, by the time you are ready to sell your house, the driveway has settled and cracked, leaking cars have spotted the surface with oil stains, and weeds seemingly pop up overnight to make your driveway look like a wasteland.
With this in mind, the debate between a gravel or concrete driveway come replacement time should be put to rest. While regular gravel driveways do have their own issues (clumping and rutting come to mind), modernized gravel driveways that utilize TRUEGRID permeable pavers feature an innovative, interlocking grid system to hold gravel in place. This allows for an even displacement of gravel throughout the driveway, maximizing permeability and making maintenance a breeze, keeping your home’s driveway stunning from listing day well into the indefinite future.
Add a Customized Exterior Handrail
Most homes feature several steps leading up to the front door. Most homes also have a frumpy Lowes outdoor handrail adorning these steps, which is not an ideal choice for those looking to increase curb appeal.
A simple, DIY project such as getting a customized exterior handrail and matching it with some potted plants and hanging baskets could be a great way to boost your home’s value prior to listing.
Install a Pergola Over Any Patios or Outdoor Seating Areas
Pergolas look fancy, with some featuring creative designs that evoke feelings of old Greek architecture. However, there are many modern pergolas that can be erected in as little as a few hours while still providing the same stately air to your home’s outdoor common spaces. Buyers are willing to pay extra for increased functional space, and a classy pergola on your home’s exterior reveals that in a single glance.
Matt Lee is the owner of the Innovative Building Materials blog and a content writer for the building materials industry. He is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and architects discover materials and methods of construction that save money, improve energy efficiency, and increase property value.
