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Sell > Tips for Smart Sellers > 17 Easy Home Exterior Makeovers

Even if you are not planning to sell your home in the near future, a fresh and welcoming exterior is a wonderful thing to come home to each day. From front doors, house numbers and verandah furnishings to colour schemes, landscaping and basic repairs, this smorgasbord of ideas will hopefully inspire a few changes around your own home.

1. Add big, bold house numbers
It’s so easy to replace house numbers, and this one task can make a huge impact. Echo your house style in the numbers you choose – a clean sans serif font for a modern house, handpainted tiles for a cottage, aged copper for a rustic-style home, etc.

Photo by Sourcery Design

2. Paint the front door
A front door that ‘pops’ can be hugely cheering. A relatively small effort can make a huge difference to your home’s exterior.

Photo by Highgate House - more beach style deck pictures

3. Add fresh verandah furniture

A pair of matching rocking chairs, Adirondack chairs or cosy, reclining armchairs are a must when you have a front verandah that is visible from the street.

Shop outdoor furniture online

4. Upgrade verandah lighting
Try replacing tiny wall sconces with a big, statement-making pendant light, add recessed lighting beneath the eaves or install solar-powered lights along the entry path.

5. Add a hot-red accent
Red has such vibrancy; a little goes a very long way. Try a bright red bench, planter or letterbox to add zing that can be seen from across the street.

6. Do some landscaping

Built-in concrete planters, a low stone wall or new garden paths are all great ways to add structure to your front yard that will last for many years to come.

Photo by DesignBlue, Inc. - Discover traditional garden design ideas

7. Spruce up the side yard
Camouflage an eyesore with attractive fencing, clear out weeds and lay out a neat path to the backyard.

8. Add depth with a fence
A low fence around a property not only adds a welcome boundary between a hectic street and a private space, but it also makes the front yard seem larger.

9. Replace a lawn with flowers

Dig up part or all of your front lawn and plant perennials instead for a lush landscape that sets your house apart.

10. Repair the driveway and paths
Cement and pavers can split and crack over time. Repairing or replacing damaged areas can do wonders to freshen up your home’s street view.

Find a driveway and paving professional in your area

11. Paint the garage door
The garage takes up a lot of visual space, so it pays to make sure it looks its best.

12. Re-finish the verandah floor
If your verandah floor has seen better days, renew it by stripping off old layers of paint and finish, and brushing on new paint or stain.

13. Add a shiny new doorknob or knocker
Gorgeous hardware (plus a glossy paint job) can make even the plainest door look very classy.

14. Try a unique front door
A really eye-catching front door can be just the thing to give a plain exterior a big dose of personality. Whether it’s sleek and modern with steel or a beautifully detailed traditional-style door, it can set the tone for the entire house.

Photo by Couvaras Architects

15. Match plantings to your house style
Let the plants and pots you choose reflect the style of your house for a cohesive look. Accent a modern home with succulents and spiky-leaf plants in simple round pots, or surround your residence with lush beds of flowers.

16. Echo the architecture with paths
Another way to accent the style of your home is by repeating the lines of the architecture in the paths and landscaping surrounding it. Wide, angular paths echo the geometry of this home.

17. Create street appeal even in the city
When you live in the inner city, it can be hard to personalise your home’s exterior. Work with what you have by adding neat window planter boxes, good lighting and clearly visible numbers.

Guest contributor: Laura Gaskill; this story first appeared on houzz.com.au

Laura Gaskill 29 April 2015
Houzz Australia Contributor. See more: www.lauragaskill.com