Halloween is the season for spooky houses! But come November, you’ll want to be planning upgrades for curb appeal that you can enjoy for years to come. Start from a perspective of how to WOW yourself, your neighbors, friends, and family, and create a look that welcomes and delights.
Even if it’s time for just a simple refresh, here are several ways to increase your home’s curb appeal through an exterior home remodeling project. Start dreaming about turning that unremarkable front facade into a home you are proud of.
Describe your perfect home:
Welcoming…charming…cozy…palatial…quaint…sensible…safe…sunny…picturesque…low maintenance…coordinated…show-stopper… The possibilities are endless—and achievable!
Create Focal Points
Your front door, and what surrounds it, usually lends itself naturally as the best focal point for your home, but may not be living up to its potential. Or perhaps your garage is the most prominent feature of the front of your house? There are ways to enhance garages so that they complement, rather than detract from curb appeal. Or maybe there really is no focal point. Some houses are rather flat, lacking in detail, while others are busy and lacking organization. We estimate that 75% – 90% of homes in Northern Virginia could benefit significantly from a professional remodel of the front facade.
Proportion
Classical Architects were taught to utilize the Golden Section, a ratio of 1:1.61 in design, which has, unfortunately, been lost or overlooked by modern homebuilders and remodelers. It has become all too easy to throw together a haphazard collection of walls and roofs, windows and doors, details and colors. So step back to the curb and assess whether your front door, windows, trim, portico, steps, and all of the accompanying details work together or against each other to create the welcoming, charming aesthetic you wish for. If not, contact a professional with the background to assess and recommend improvements to suit your budget and aesthetic sensibilities.
New Exterior Finishes
So often roofs, siding, and windows are replaced, but in the process, an opportunity is lost. When something significant needs to be replaced, it is an opportunity to reassess the whole package through the eyes of a professional, who can guide you to make the whole greater than the sum of the parts. Fiber Cement siding such as HardiPlank and Architectural Shingles such as Certainteed lines that simulate slate or shake have become the standard for Northern Virginia home remodeling projects. Stone and brick (even painted brick) are durable and upscale finishes that, while more expensive, can be strategically employed for effect. But simply choosing separate components won’t give you the impact that choosing them in relation to each other will. Complementary proportions, finishes, colors, and styles are an art!
Commonwealth Home Design modernized the interior and exterior of a French Country home in Vienna, VA.
Details Matter
Even small details impact the overall look—lighting, landscape lighting, floodlights, house numbers, colors, proportions, windows, gutters & downspouts, window boxes, flowers, plants, front walkway, portico, porch, columns, overhangs, seating, benches, mailboxes, door mats—all these and more, contribute to a successful (or mediocre) result. For example; windows can have grills, no grills, snap-in grills, simulated divided lite, or true divided light grills. (The word “grills” is the homeowner version of the correct terms “muntins” or “mullions”.) Which one you choose should be carefully considered, as it impacts both budget and end results.
Porticos and Porches
Outdoor living enhances lives to a significant degree. Instead of thinking only about the backyard, why not combine outdoor living with curb appeal—give yourself a connection to your neighborhood, and correct curb appeal issues in the process.
Most importantly, your exterior home remodel should express your family’s unique style and character. Transforming your curb appeal provides an opportunity to make a long-lasting impression on visitors and your neighbors alike.
If you’re considering an exterior home remodeling project for curb appeal contact us today (703-255-9861) and we’ll help turn your dreams into reality!
