| If you are like I am, you look at the beautiful | | | | 2) Examine basic house exterior. Paint or reattach |
| homes in magazines, and fantasize about having | | | | shutters if needed. If you have too many to |
| your own home look that lovely. Then reality | | | | replace affordably, ask yourself if you might not |
| seems to set in, and I think, "If I had tons of | | | | be better off removing all shutters. An exterior |
| money, of course my home could look like that." | | | | which is a little sparse may be preferable to one |
| Well, I've come to a new conclusion. My thinking | | | | that is shabby. Reattach any gutters which are |
| has been wrong. It isn't that, "If I had tons of | | | | hanging down and clean them so that water flows |
| money, my house could look like that," but rather, | | | | away from the house quickly and no weeds can |
| "If I understood the tricks of the trade, I could | | | | be seen growing out of the shutters. Again, use |
| make my home look vastly better with a pretty | | | | your objectivity glasses. I had a birds' nest behind |
| limited budget." So I've worked hard at | | | | my shutters that my family and I found charming. |
| understanding just what it is that the exterior | | | | We loved to sit in the living room and watch the |
| sprucer-upper folks do. I'm happy to share what | | | | birds fly in and out. When I went to sell the |
| I've learned with you. (Because I hope you live | | | | house, the realtor asked why all of the bird dew |
| close to me and I get to see your increasingly | | | | was on the stones near the window. We were so |
| beautiful home...which by the way, increases the | | | | interested in the birds, that we never noticed the |
| value of not just your home, but our whole | | | | gifts they were leaving us. After the birds left and |
| neighborhood. That means my house too!! Thanks | | | | we cleaned up all the mess (I made my husband |
| for your help!) | | | | do that), I had to admit that it did look a lot |
| The first thing I have learned in on-a-dime | | | | better. |
| exterior changes is this: elbow grease goes a long | | | | 3) Look to make enhancements. This is where |
| way. Do the free things first. Weeding, trimming, | | | | the fun really starts. Start at the street. Look at |
| washing windows, scrubbing off moss, picking up | | | | your lamppost and your mail box. Are they clean? |
| trash, putting a sharp straight edge on your | | | | Wash the glass in the light and get rid of any dirt |
| gardens, and getting rid of clutter makes a huge | | | | (usually gifts from birds) on the top of the lamp |
| difference in not only the true appearance of | | | | and the top of the mail box. Does either look |
| your home, but in the feeling of being cared for | | | | shabby? If all it takes is a coat of paint, get going. |
| that it gives. (It's just like in parenting...a lot of love | | | | Pick a paint which complements the rest of your |
| covers a lot of mistakes. The overall plan can | | | | color scheme. If they need more improvement, |
| have a few flaws if the care, interest, and | | | | consider replacing them. Select something which |
| attention that has been lavished on your home | | | | not only complements the style of your home, |
| shines through.) | | | | but something that looks current. There are lamp |
| So where do you start? Put on new glasses first. | | | | posts and mail boxes for every taste and budget. |
| Put on your Objectivity Glasses. They are the | | | | is one good source for mailboxes, house numbers, |
| lenses through which you can see your house as | | | | flags, and accessories for every style and price. |
| you would see a stranger's house. Forget the fact | | | | There are lighting options which are |
| that your 25 disintegrating birdhouses belonged to | | | | environmentally friendly (those which use little |
| your dearly departed Aunt Mary...look at them | | | | energy and point the light downward, so as not to |
| realistically and realize that Aunt Mary passed on | | | | add light pollution to the night skies) and there are |
| 28 years ago and the bird houses should have | | | | mailbox options which are attractive and secure |
| gone too. Look objectively at every element in | | | | so you not only enhance the appearance of your |
| your yard and be ruthless as you determine what | | | | home but keep your mail, and hence your identity |
| goes and what stays. | | | | safer. Use your creativity here to really make a |
| The fence by the front sidewalk...is it fresh and | | | | statement right out by the street. Then go closer |
| new, with a current shape which contributes to a | | | | to your home. Look at your driveway. Consider a |
| welcoming feeling, or does it just divide the space | | | | coat of blacktop sealer if needed. Walk up your |
| and make you feel closed away from the front | | | | front walk. Does the landscaping look well cared |
| entry? These are key points. Every garden and | | | | for and cohesive? Are there nice spots of color? |
| yard element should have a design purpose. The | | | | You can add flowers or decorative hardscaping |
| primary purpose is to be inviting and make people | | | | elements to bring color and interest into this area. |
| want to come to your front door. (Don't worry | | | | If your bushes fairly well fill the area, consider |
| about being overly attractive and drawing the | | | | adding a few pots of plants for color. I even |
| wrong sorts of folks...both solicitors and burglars | | | | added an outdoor table under a window, just so I |
| even go to ugly doors, so your fantastic upgrades | | | | could put seasonal items of interest on it. |
| cannot in any way hurt you!) | | | | If you need some major landscaping and |
| It is often difficult to be objective about your | | | | hardscaping improvements, consider not just |
| own home. There are a few reasons for this. One | | | | materials and function, but current style. Look |
| is that you probably put things out that you loved | | | | carefully at new gardens which are being put in |
| in the first place. In your mind's eye, they still look | | | | near you. You will probably notice that there are |
| as new and current as when you put them out | | | | plantings on both sides of the curved from walk |
| there. Another reason is that we can easily train | | | | now, as opposed to plantings only up near the |
| ourselves to overlook things that we convince | | | | house and bordered by a straight sidewalk, which |
| ourselves aren't really that bad. (I had a house | | | | is a substantially older look. Your improvements |
| once with dark brown carpeting throughout. It | | | | need to incorporate not only new materials, but |
| must have been new when I moved in because it | | | | current shapes and methods for using materials if |
| was in beautiful condition. I couldn't bring myself to | | | | you want the end product to really carry a fresh |
| rip out perfectly good carpet, so I trained myself | | | | look. Again, pay attention to other homes, |
| to overlook this mudpit brown carpet. When I | | | | magazines and landscaping centers to get your |
| was objective, it bothered me for all of the four | | | | ideas. |
| years that I lived in the house. However, most of | | | | Get creative. While pots of flowers remain the |
| the time, I convinced myself to look past it. My | | | | number one choice for colorful seasonal welcome, |
| house sold in less than two days. Don't you know | | | | there are other options too. One year I painted |
| that in less than 4 days after closing, all of that | | | | faces on my Halloween pumpkins instead of |
| still-in-good-condition carpeting was out at the | | | | carving them. Then at Thanksgiving I just turned |
| curb?) The woman to whom I sold the house is | | | | them around and made them part of a harvest |
| the type of person you need on your side. If you | | | | scene with gourds and Indian corn. At Christmas, I |
| cannot look at your home objectively, enlist the | | | | painted a Santa Claus face on one and a Mrs. |
| help a friend whose home looks lovely and who | | | | Claus face on the other. I put Santa hats on both. |
| doesn't mind being honest. | | | | Believe it or not, they were still good at |
| Another person with whom to consult is a friend | | | | valentine's, so I spray painted the whole pumpkins |
| who has a good decorator. I talk with my sister a | | | | white and painted on big pink and red hearts. (I |
| lot...she has a great decorator. My sister shares | | | | was all set to paint shamrocks on them next, but |
| some of the information the decorator has | | | | when I picked them up in March, they were |
| shared in working on my sister's home. In addition, | | | | pretty rotten and fell apart. Next time I put a |
| my sister tells me some of the things she and | | | | plate under them!) The point is, for not much |
| the decorator discussed that my sister didn't | | | | money, I had a lot of fun and really got a lot of |
| choose to do...but they are often great ideas. | | | | colorful impact...people really noticed my Valentine's |
| Specifically, there are a few basic areas for | | | | pumpkins! |
| improvement. In order, they are: | | | | Consider some fresh new accessories such as |
| 1) Neaten up existing landscape and hardscape. | | | | house numbers, a storm door, door bell button, |
| Plants should not extend over the edge of your | | | | door knocker, porch railing, and even a little tiny |
| gardens. If they do, trim the plants, or extend the | | | | seating area. All of these things say, |
| edge of the garden, but plants which are jumping | | | | "welcome...we're glad you're here...come, stay, and |
| out of their designated areas look unkempt. Make | | | | enjoy our home." They all help create the feeling |
| sure your walkways, steps, and railings are neat; | | | | of welcome that extends not just to your |
| there should be no broken pavers, weeds | | | | guests, but to you and your family as well. And |
| between the pavers, and lumpy edges. Keep the | | | | that's what it's all about...making your house a |
| yard trimmed, with kids' toys and trash cans | | | | place that says welcome home to you and your |
| neatly to the side or rear of the house. | | | | family. |