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As such, you’ll want to ensure that its appearance — from the house itself to the landscaping — is pristine and inviting. According to Realtor Magazine, homes with excellent curb appeal usually sell for 7% more than listings that need some work. Whether you’re looking to sell or just want to take more pride in your dwelling, these six upgrades can help you revamp your home exteriors.

Update the Siding

Weathering and age can make your home’s siding peel or warp. Some homeowners might be able to give their home a fresh coat of paint, while other conditions may call for drastic measures.

Installing brand new siding might be the ticket for the ultimate home exterior makeover. According to Remodeling magazine’s 2020 Cost vs. Value report, homeowners can see a 74.7% return on investment (ROI) when they replace their vinyl siding. Additionally, fiber cement siding accrues a 77.6% ROI.

If done correctly, new siding can make an older home look like new construction. 

Enhance Outdoor Lighting

Make your home exteriors sparkle with nighttime lighting. On average, homeowners can expect to spend $2,000–$6,000 on outdoor lighting features, depending on how intricate the lighting design is and whether they install smart lighting, such as solar, motion sensors, or smartphone-operated technology. 

Outdoor lighting —and the necessary wiring and electrical components — must withstand varying weather conditions and extreme temperatures. Often, landscape lighting comes with several warranties and water-resistant specifications that might also boost the price.

Consider walkway lights, spotlights on trees or bushes, and colorful, ornamental lights for a distinctive design.

Upgrade Your Garage Door

In most cases, the garage door is the first part of a home that people see — meaning any upgrades can dramatically improve your curb appeal. 

You might want to consider replacing a garage door over 20 years old, as simple fixes might not be enough to enhance the overall appearance.

Otherwise, you could decide to paint it, add new side lighting, or install new windows to give it the modern touch you’re going for — a surefire way to increase your home’s market value and impress passersby.

Spruce up Your Landscaping

The obvious way to create a beautiful home exterior is to spruce up your landscaping. Your options are endless, from perfectly manicured lawns to stylish hardscaping and elaborate garden beds to unique yard decor. 

Although most home improvement shows make landscaping seem like a straightforward DIY project you can finish over a weekend, nothing could be further from the truth. Achieving a beautiful outdoor oasis takes time — and a budget.

Homeowners should allocate 10%-15% of their home’s value to their landscaping budget. About 65% should go toward fixing the backyard, while 35% is best spent in the front. 

Add a Water Feature

Consider adding a water feature, such as a fountain or pond, to turn your home exterior into a tranquil outdoor sanctuary while improving the look and biodiversity on your property.

Studies show that water sounds significantly affect positive mental health outcomes over other biological sounds found in nature.

Water features are ideal for creating a particular focal point for a restful, meditative atmosphere. Aside from traditional fountains, bird baths and ponds— you might choose to install a small channel for water movement, formal pools, a built waterfall, or a water sculpture.

Build a Patio, Porch, or Deck

American homeowners love a gorgeous outdoor space for spending time in nature and entertaining. According to Fixr.com, patio additions accounted for 20% of outdoor renovations in 2018, while 17% built a patio. Meanwhile, 32% of homeowners invested in both patios and porches for their homes.

Whether you prefer reading with the sounds of nature, sitting in a rocking chair, or barbecuing out back, building out these spaces is an excellent way to augment your home exteriors.

Create Beautiful Home Exteriors With a Few Upgrades

Improving your curb appeal doesn’t have to break the bank. Even simple fixes can make an enormous difference. Consider what would work best for the look you hope to achieve and your budget as you decide what to include in the changes.

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Bathroom tiles may start to crack and fall off as time progresses. Appliances may begin to malfunction or stop working altogether. Pipes become rusty and corroded. The task of repairing things in your home can often seem daunting, but it’s fairly easy to repair things yourself these days because of the wealth of information available through free do-it-yourself sites.

Repairing Damaged Doors and Windows

Replacing a glass windowpane is easier than it looks. You can simply remove the old pane and seal the new one with caulk. Door repair may seem challenging, but it’s relatively easy to replace a broken hinge or fix a damaged frame. The hinge screws on fairly easily, and the use of power tools can make the act of replacing a door take fewer than five minutes if you know what you are doing. Wood glue or wood filler can be used to repair a cracked door frame. Replacing the entire frame should probably be done by a professional, but you won’t likely need to do this unless the frame is completely destroyed.

Dealing With Drywall and Fixtures

Many homes today are assembled using drywall because it’s cheap and easy to set up, but drywall isn’t the most durable material. A slight knock can dent drywall. It’s fortunately pretty inexpensive and easy to patch a hole in the drywall. It only takes about an hour to patch and sand a small hole. You may want to have professionals fix larger holes because it’s difficult to keep the drywall even.

Some patching kits come with objects you can attach to the back of the hole to use as a base. This is necessary for large holes because the drywall will simply fall through to the other side. Some people use newspapers or other materials to fill the space between the wall, but this will be a losing battle if the space between the wall is too large. Carefully examine the drywall before you decide to do proceed with one of these projects on your own.

Fixing damaged light fixtures can be relatively simple. Many of these fixtures contain parts that can be easily replaced by searching for them online. You generally only need to unscrew and replace the broken part of the fixture. Bathroom fixtures generally also take only a few minutes to repair or replace. Toilet seats can be unscrewed and replaced within minutes. Broken tiles can be reattached using inexpensive adhesive. You may enjoy using a grout marker pen to paint the faded space between the old tiles white. This can make a shower look brand new.

Replacing Kitchen’s Backsplash and Wallpaper in the Bedroom

Remodeling a kitchen typically costs thousands of dollars, but you can replace the backsplash on your own without spending very much at all. You can use peelable tiles to quickly brighten up an existing kitchen setup. You may also want to consider replacing the kitchen cabinet handles while you are at it. This is often relatively easy to do because most handles screw on with standard size screws. You may want to use wood filler on the holes if the handle you are replacing is bigger or smaller than the one that was previously there. The results may not be the same as if you had a professional company remodel your entire kitchen, but you’re completing the work at a tiny percentage of the comparable cost.

You may want to replace your old bedroom wallpaper if the room is feeling a little bit musty and worn. Wallpaper should be replaced every decade if you want to keep a room looking fresh and new. Some companies now offer adhesive wallpaper that doesn’t need to be attached using glue. You can remodel a room within just a few hours, and children may enjoy participating in this project. You’ll probably know that it’s time to replace things when they start becoming problematic to use. There’s a difference between a bathroom shower door that looks unsightly and one that is physically difficult to open because of rust damage. Carefully consider cost-effective ways to improve your home’s look and feel, and make the repairs on your own if it seems feasible.