Five Cheap Ways to Make Your Home Look More Expensive
Turning your home into the home of your dreams can be costly and time consuming, especially if your goals include changing the look. If a complete exterior renovation is still a long way off—or not at all—here are some easy ways to make your home look expensive.
Deep clean everything
Dirty siding and dirty windows harm the attractiveness of your home more than you think. If it’s been years (or decades) since you’ve done a thorough deep cleaning on the outside, this is the perfect place to start. Renting a washing machine is a lot cheaper than repainting a house (and it’s fun, too). Don’t forget to clean the paths and driveways as well – concrete looks much better when it’s not covered in dirt.
Make the right corrections
It may not seem like much, but simply taking care of minor repairs will make a huge difference in how your home looks from the outside. Cracked walkways with weeds, damaged window and door screens, loose hinges, burnt out light bulbs, and a host of other little things can be fixed quickly and cheaply. You may also want to consider repainting the door and window frames to make them look fresher, especially if they are already chipped or cracked.
Update or replace outdoor lighting
When it comes to aesthetics, lighting is everything. Changing the intensity and temperature of outdoor lighting will change how people see your home. It can be as simple as replacing hard lamps with softer and warmer ones, or the complex development of a completely new lighting system from scratch.
Change your front door
Repainting or replacing your front door is one of the easiest ways to change the look of your home without completely remodeling it. If you have a certain look and like to do things yourself, try removing and repainting an existing door (or a new one for you). This is a relatively simple project that gives you complete creative control over the finished product. However, you don’t have to go the DIY route if you don’t want to; By simply changing the doorknob and adding a knocker, you can change the look of your front door for a fraction of the effort (and cost). Here’s a guide to the best and worst front door paint colors .
Decorate your front garden
A colorful, manicured front garden is guaranteed to make your home more inviting. And don’t worry if professional landscapers aren’t on the budget – anyone, anywhere can plant a beautiful garden. Perennials are a great place to start because they keep showing up year after year; small trees, shrubs, succulents, and groundcovers such as clover or creeping thyme are also good. When in doubt, consult your state university’s extension program for region-specific planting and gardening advice.