Whether you are getting ready to sell your home or you are just proud to own a home there is a good chance that you have heard about curb appeal. Curb appeal is basically just a term that can describe how your home looks from the street. If someone were to drive by your home how would they describe it?
Would they describe it as medieval, modern, contemporary, or nasty? Well, you might be surprised to learn that your exterior walls play a huge role when it comes to the ways that individuals view your home from the curb. So, what are some unique ways that a homeowner can improve their exterior walls?
Make Sure You Are Up To Code
As a home or business owner, you are required to pull permits and adhere to certain regulations. Sure, this can seem like a hassle, but in the end it protects you as much as it protects the local legislation. Certain materials can crumple and fade under certain conditions, which could not only lead to an unsafe environment, but it could potentially harm people passing by. This is why the local law 11 (LL11) was instituted. This law specifically states that any building over five years in age and six stories in height need to be examined by a qualified professional. Just imagine if apiece of loose debris or material dropped from the exterior of a six-foot story building and hit a commuter. This would either kill the individual or result in a major injury.
Go Big Or Go Home
Even if you just have a plain white house with a few plain concrete steps leading to your front door it doesn’t mean that you can’t capitalize on the space. Most individuals in this situation assume that they need to add a porch, patio, or an expensive walkway to highlight the area. Fortunately, that is not the case at all.
The idea is to make the area appear large and exposed. You can easily accomplish this objective by installing large-scale door trim, oversized planters or extra large house numbers. This will not only give the area some unique charm, but it will allow you to customize it your specific needs.
Cover Up Cracks And Loose Ends With Ivy
It is completely natural for a brick to spread and crack over time. While this might be a natural occurrence, it can look completely unruly on the outside of a home. It is true that the splitting and cracking might not pose any real threats, but it really can damage your curb appeal and the overall value of your home. If you want to hide this type of eyesore you can utilize ivy. Ivy purchased and properly installed from any hardware store will not only give off the appearance that the plant is naturally growing in this location, but it will add a certain geometric pattern to the area.
Take Advantage Of Landscaping
It doesn’t matter if your home is ten or twenty years old, the proper landscaping can make all the difference in the world. The properly trimmed shrubs and plants placed at the right height can cover up some of the most unseemly sights of your exterior walls. Just be sure to install them in the right locations, because the wrong locations could attract intruders and reveal imperfections from the curb.