Summer is the perfect time to make improvements to your home’s exterior. Good curb appeal not only increases your home’s value, making it easier to sell — it also makes it easier to enjoy. But it’s important to strike the right balance between going overboard and keeping your expenses on track.
We all have an idea of how we want our little slice of paradise to look, but we also don’t want to overspend on improvements that eat into our ROI (return on investment) when it comes time to sell. The key is choosing durable materials that’ll save you money over time while making your house look fabulous.
Fiberglass or steel front door
A fiberglass or steel front door doesn’t just look good — it also recoups most of its cost when it’s time to sell. The front door is the first point of contact welcoming potential buyers into your home.
Fiberglass doors, like steel doors, are more energy-efficient than older wooden front doors. But unlike steel doors, they’ll look good for a long time. Fiberglass resists weathering and damage and won’t suffer from dents and rusting. They also come in finishes that mimic wood so they complement an older character home much better. However, steel doors, along with being less expensive, are the stronger, more secure option if you’re interested in security, and are less prone to warping in our extreme winters. They also offer a cleaner look for a modern home style.
Rock or cedar mulch beds
A well done and attractive rock or mulch bed is a great way to introduce low-maintenance appeal.
The trick is not to just use any old rock because you don’t want your yard to resemble a gravel pit. Instead, choose a non-porous stone like decomposed granite or trap rock, which gives you that classic “rock” look without breaking down. You can buy it from any garden centre, and it comes in many styles and colours. Think of it as outdoor flooring for your yard.
As for mulch, cedar, and even rubber, comes in different colours and is treated to reduce the growth of weeds. If you have lots of big trees in your yard or neighbourhood, this is the better option as pesky weeds are still able to grow in a rock bed if you don’t keep debris out of them on a regular basis. Add a few larger decorative stones, a tree, and some interesting plantings like flowering shrubs, and suddenly your yard looks like the cover of a gardening magazine!
Concrete or brick edging
There’s no better way to highlight and contain your rock beds than with concrete or brick edging. Edging transforms your garden from a blah blob of mulch to an intentional, beautiful space.
Edging also has a purpose. When you have a clean line to follow, mowing and trimming become much easier. If you inset the edging to grass level, all you have to do is run your mower’s tires along its curve and the trimming is done at the same time. Edging also does a great job of containing the mulch or gravel you laid down and preventing it from spilling into your lawn. And, if you chose to plant a ground cover plant instead of using rock or mulch, the edging prevents it from spreading out into your grass.
Or, you can choose to raise your beds, in which case you can use interlocking edging stone or flagstone for visual interest. Just remember that you’ll have to trim your lawn after mowing around them, unless you extend a brick edge out into the lawn.
Whichever option you go with, spend the extra money on concrete or brick edging, which survive our harsh winters better than plastic, don’t pop out or damage easily, and offer a more permanent look.
Concrete pavers
Ideally, the architecture of your home should drive the selection of your hardscape materials. Flagstone looks compelling for a traditional home but would be out of place as an approach to a modern design.
There is a one-size-fits-most solution for pavers, though — concrete. Not only can you find enough sizes, colours and designs to mimic almost any style, but the material is also more durable and less time-consuming to install than brick. If you have a badly cracked sidewalk, it’s less expensive to lay down new pavers than to have a new sidewalk poured, and with proper site prep, this is a project you can tackle on your own. With the variety of pavers to choose from nowadays, you’re able to make the approach to your home far more interesting.
Low-maintenance native plants
The fastest landscaper-approved route to long-lasting curb appeal is native plants. Because they’re uniquely suited to your location’s natural rainfall and temperature range, you’ll spend less money running the sprinkler and less time nurturing out-of-their-element trees and bushes. Or watching your investment die because they can’t survive our harsh winter.
Choose plants that require the least amount of maintenance and that will regrow every year on their own. Spreading plants like hostas, for example, require minimal fuss and prevent weed growth. Best of all, native plants don’t need toxic pesticides or fertilizers to thrive. Your nearest garden centre will be able to tell you which plants are the best choice for our climate, and will suit your landscape and home.
Acrylic latex exterior paint
Never underestimate the appeal of a freshly painted house. Nothing makes it look shabbier faster — other than an unkempt lawn — than peeling paint. When choosing paint, latex is the best choice. Your home’s exterior will settle and shift over time and during extreme temperature fluctuations, and latex is designed to accommodate that without cracking.
Oil-based paints are a common alternative to latex, but they tend to turn yellow after a few years and take significantly longer to dry. However, if oil-based paint was previously used on your home’s exterior, you’ll need to use oil-based because latex might not stick to it and could peel. Other than oil-based paint, latex covers everything from vinyl to aluminum, fiber cement, stucco, brick and even metal equally well.
Insulated garage door
Like front doors, fiberglass and steel are the two most common garage door materials. While wood does have an undeniable classic appeal, modern insulated doors offer the most bang for your buck — and take up less time with tasks like repainting or staining.
Again, steel is the less costly option and the most durable, but fiberglass offers a more aesthetically pleasing look and is resistant to rust and corrosion. Whichever option you choose, don’t skip the insulation, especially if your garage is attached to your house. Garage door insulation is sandwiched between two layers of steel or fiberglass, helping with durability and saving on energy costs. If your garage walls are also insulated, you can potentially extend your indoor space out during cooler months.
Composite or wood decking
Wood decks look nice, but keeping them weatherproof requires hard work and regular sealing. Wood decks are less expensive, but with composite decking, the most maintenance you’ll have to do is sweeping — no sealing, staining, replacing of rotten boards or risk of insects, giving the deck a longer lifespan and saving you thousands over the years.
Composite is as easy to work with as wood, and comes in many different colours and styles that never need repainting. It’s also generally made from recycled content, making it a good choice for the environment. But unlike wood, it has a less natural look and damages more easily. It also isn’t 100% waterproof and can warp or fade over time depending on the amount of direct sunlight it’s exposed to.
By utilizing even a few of these curb appeal tips, you’ll have the nicest house on the block. And with the help of REALTOR®, you’ll potentially get the best ROI for your efforts whenever you choose to sell.