Mr Skill

Whether you are thinking of moving or just improving, at this time of year our thoughts inevitably turn to sprucing up the outside of our house. First impressions definitely count and, whether it’s friends and family or potential buyers, visitors to your home will judge the outside before they even step foot in your house. If you are planning on putting your house on the market it’s worth remembering that viewers are buying into a lifestyle – you want to ensure that lifestyle looks as attractive as possible.

Example of kerb appeal

For instant kerb appeal, think about fitting a new front door. Whether wooden, PVC or glass, a new front door makes the world of difference to how the front of your house looks. If you have an existing wooden door, it may be possible just to paint your front door – an inexpensive way to make a big impact. However, unless you’re an aspiring artist it might be best to bring in a professional painter and decorator – drips of gloss or untidy edges can spoil the whole look in an instant.

Take this one step further and refurbish or paint your windows, fence and gates. The uniform look that this will achieve will far outweigh the extra financial outlay. Choosing the right colour is important – if you want to stand out from the crowd why not pick a bright colour that complements your neighbours’? This way you set your house apart but maximise on the collective look of the neighbourhood.

Pointing and tidying up your brickwork can transform the way your house looks. A good London builder will be able to do this quickly and easily. Our eyes enjoy symmetry and perfect brickwork looks a lot better than shabby, crumbling bricks and mortar. Especially if you are thinking of selling your home. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and, when you consider that it can take buyers as little as eight seconds to decide whether they want to buy a house, your property needs to look as good as possible at first glance.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, make sure it looks as tidy as possible. A landscape gardener will be able to transform your garden into an oasis of calm and luxury, but you don’t have to blow your budget. If you can’t stretch to landscape gardening, simply planting a few flowers, re-turfing the lawn or even just giving it a trim and tidying the hedges can make a huge difference at a low cost. Our eyes are automatically drawn to the edges of a lawn so, if you don’t have the correct tools, get a gardener in to use a round edged lawn cutter to get a crisp, even finish. Planting a few bulbs and tidying borders also enhance the appearance of your garden easily, as does adding window boxes and hanging baskets. Gardeners are relatively inexpensive and you might find that it makes sense to get someone in to maintain your garden once you’ve got it looking spick and span – after all, you want to have time to enjoy it!

Hone your exterior style by tidying up paths and driveways using monoblock or, less expensively, woodchip, gravel or crazy paving. The former will give a gorgeously uniform look to the front of your house but, if price is a factor, woodchip, pebbles, gravel or crazy paving will achieve the look on a budget. Building a new wall to surround your entrance will finish off the look perfectly.

If you want to be a little more extravagant, why not consider creating a garden pond or water feature? The sound of running water is perfect for disguising traffic noise and giving your garden a tranquil feel. While this is a bigger job than simply tidying up the garden, the effect will definitely be worth it and will transform your outdoor space.

So, next time you get home after a long day at work, have a look at the front of your home and see what it says about you. After all, it’s the only bit of your home that 99% of people ever get to see. If you don’t feel it shows you in the best light, why not put together a ‘to-do’ list and get quotes from our tradesmen today?