improve exterior home

At our old flat, I neve really bothered with the exterior of our home. We were fighting a losing battle even with simple things like trying to keep the balcony outside our front door free of empty cans and crisp packets. Now that we’ve moved though, I tend to care more. We’re still in rented accommodation, but this flat was newly decorated before we moved in and although it’s often messy, I do take a weird sense of pride in how it looks – inside and out.

My landlord is always doing little things to improve the flat; he’s hoping to put in a better heating system before the Winter (last year we almost had a race between the cold and the heating bill to see which would finish us off first). He’s also been talking about “doing up” the outside of the flat too. With a new property being built behind us, it highlights how this building looks – but also there will be people living in that building whose main view is the back of my flat! I think he wants to make sure we don’t “let the side” down with the outside of the building, to be honest!

Here are three ways to improve the exterior of your home without going all out…

1. Change the Front Door

You don’t need to actually physically change the door; something as simple as a lick of paint, or new numbers or a knocker on the front can make a big difference. Our front door is in a little alcove alongside the door to the shop below us, and when all of the woodwork was repainted recently it made a massive difference. Similarly, when the police came and put a shiny new lock in for us to replace the old Yale lock, it instantly made the door look brighter and newer.

2. Add Shutters

I love the look of window shutters on a property. Our windows are quite large, but there are only two on either side of the building so it wouldn’t be a massive expense to add shutters. They might also help to keep the heat in during the Winter as well! Some of the buildings further along the street have shutters on their upstairs windows, and these days you can get them in vinyl which is more durable than wood and will maintain that “new” look for longer.

3. Add Window Boxes

Never underestimate the difference a few brightly coloured flowers can make to the appearance of a home. The trick is to choose plants that are hardy yet bright so that you don’t end up with dying greenery beneath your window. Our living room window opens inwards and I’m really hoping our landlord will fix a proper window box (like in the picture above) to the outside so that we can have some nice flowers – and perhaps grow some herbs and salad leaves too!

 

Do you have any other suggestions as to how one can brighten the outside of a property without completely renovating?


Vicky Charles

Vicky is a single mother, writer and card reader.

4 Comments

Elizabeth Rebecca · 20/07/2015 at 21:49

We’ve just added cute little herb boxes to outside our flat and it looks amazing.

Lizzie Dripping

    Vicky Charles · 21/07/2015 at 18:34

    Ah that sounds brilliant, ae you using them for cooking?

Over a cuppa · 21/07/2015 at 12:08

On my list this Summer holiday is to paint the front door! I actually quite fancy shutters too, some of the houses in the street next to ours has them! We planted our tiny, tiny front garden this spring and it really makes when you come home and leave of course! *Now to decide what colour to paint the front door…mind it is an old door so a fair bit of preparation *sighs impatiently!

    Vicky Charles · 21/07/2015 at 18:31

    Ah I’d love to have some flowers outside my front door, but can’t because we’re right on the street. Yours sound lovely!

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