With summer quickly approaching, now is the perfect time to take advantage of the weather, get outside and give the outside of your home a makeover. It doesn’t have to be expensive, and with these top tips, you never need to look enviously at your neighbours again.
Have a tidy up
The inside of your home is elegant and beautiful, but the path to getting there is overgrown with brambles, weeds and windswept leaves. It is time to declutter the rubbish, dig out your sweeping brush and get to work. Once everything is clear, maybe you should give your driveway a powerwash, replace the dirt ingrained welcome mat and fix or replace your wonky mailbox.
Have a look at your garden too. If the grass is overgrown, it is time to take the mower out of hibernation and manoeuvre your way through the artificial forest. Should the shrubbery be taking on a life of its own, make like Edward Scissorhands and chop away, whatever your skills in topiary.
A fresh lick of paint
A splash of paint can do wonders to your worn down property. Brighten up your front door with an exuberant colour to offset the white on the walls, or paint it a more muted colour for the more subtle effect. Remember Tom Sawyer who swindled his friends into painting his mother’s fence? If you have children, consider the same, though it would be kind of you to treat them afterwards. Have a go at the window and door frames too. A fresh coat will make everything appear brand new, almost!
Pave the way
Cracked tiles on the patio or driveway are a health and safety hazard waiting to happen. You don’t have to wait for your child to cut their knee before doing something about it. Hire a concreter to begin work on replacepaving the tiles and perhaps opt for some creative designs too, with an imprinted diamond or checkered pattern or even a mix of stone and grass. Walking to your front door will never be the same again!
Illumination
You needn’t wait until Christmas to light up the outside of your house. There are a variety of lighting options available, designed to create ambience and offer extra security for your family and friends. For example, solar powered lights don’t need any wiring. Place them in an area guaranteed to attract the sun, and they will stay illuminated after dusk has drawn in. Maybe add some porch lights to show off your freshly painted front door. You could even create a craft activity for your children and buy illuminated paint to use on jars and bottles.
Flower power
Whether your garden is large or small, there is nothing more beautiful than the colour and fragrance of flowers. You can even turn it into a family activity, by planting new flower beds ahead of the season. Window boxes and hanging planters are also a good idea, turning a mundane brick wall into an area of beauty.