Ideas for Freshening Up Your Home’s Exterior

It's highly likely you take a lot of pride in your property and, therefore, want it to look its best, whether that be for guests or potential buyers.

One of the most important ways to put your home's best foot forward is to make sure the exterior is at it's best, which can be achieved with simple updates here and there during your time living there. If you feel it's time for your home to get a makeover, or you think there are areas of your home's exterior that could improve, below is a list of areas to get you started.

Update Your Windows
One of the first things people notice about a home is its windows. Consider replacing your windows with new, energy-efficient models if they are outdated or need repair. These modern windows not only improve the overall aesthetics of your home but also help reduce energy costs by providing better insulation and reducing drafts. Opting for windows with larger panes can increase natural light, making your interior spaces feel brighter and more inviting.

To further enhance the look and functionality of your windows, consider adding or updating exterior shutters, interior blinds and curtains, either yourself or through services like Integrity Blinds & Shutters Inc. Exterior shutters come in various styles and materials, such as wood or vinyl and can add a touch of charm and sophistication to your home's façade. Interior blinds, available in options like wood, faux wood, or aluminum, offer privacy and light control while complementing your décor. Lastly, curtains or drapes can add warmth and texture to your rooms, allowing you to play with colors and patterns to suit your style. By combining these elements, you create a cohesive and polished look that boosts curb appeal and enhances your home's comfort and energy efficiency.

Add Some Color
A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for the exterior of your home, instantly revitalizing its appearance and giving it a modern touch. Consider painting your front door a bold color like deep red, navy blue, or vibrant yellow to make a striking statement and create a focal point that welcomes guests. Complement this with colorful accents such as shutters, trim, or window boxes in coordinating shades to add depth and character to your facade. Choose colors that enhance your overall exterior palette for a cohesive look, whether you prefer subtle contrasts or eye-catching combinations.

In addition to enhancing aesthetics, adding color can reflect your personality and style, making your home stand out in the neighborhood. Opt for high-quality, weather-resistant paint to ensure longevity and resilience against the elements. Don’t forget smaller details like repainting the mailbox or refreshing planters to complete the transformation. These colorful updates not only brighten up your home but also increase its curb appeal and market value. By thoughtfully incorporating color into your exterior design, you can achieve a refreshed, inviting and contemporary look that makes your home shine.

Enhance Your Curb Appeal
Simple landscaping updates can go a long way in improving your home's curb appeal. Start by planting a variety of flowers and shrubs to add color and texture to your garden. Use seasonal plants to ensure year-round beauty, and consider adding mulch around your flower beds to maintain moisture and reduce weed growth. Outdoor lighting is another effective enhancement; strategically placed paths and spotlights can highlight your home's architectural features and provide safety and security. Adding a new walkway with materials like brick, stone, or pavers can guide guests to your entrance while updating your driveway with decorative concrete or asphalt, which provides a polished, welcoming look.

Additionally, consider incorporating features such as a charming front porch, stylish house numbers and a fresh coat of paint on your front door to make a bold statement. Trim overgrown hedges, mow the lawn regularly and tidy your garden beds to create a well-maintained appearance. Small touches like window boxes filled with vibrant blooms or hanging baskets can also contribute to a more inviting façade. These enhancements not only boost the aesthetic appeal of your property but also increase its market value, making it more attractive to potential buyers. Investing in these simple yet impactful landscaping updates can transform your home's exterior into a captivating and welcoming space.

Upgrade Your Exterior
If your home siding looks worn or outdated, consider upgrading it with new materials like vinyl or fiber cement. Vinyl siding is an excellent choice due to its durability, low maintenance and resistance to harsh weather conditions. It comes in many colors and textures, allowing you to achieve any aesthetic, from classic to contemporary. Fiber cement siding offers similar benefits with added fire resistance and the ability to mimic the appearance of wood, stucco, or masonry. Both options are energy-efficient, helping to improve your home's insulation and reduce energy costs.

Updating the exterior of your home, whether yourself or through a business like 20/20 Exteriors, with these materials can completely transform its appearance, giving it a fresh, modern look that enhances curb appeal. Investing in high-quality siding improves your home's aesthetics and increases its market value and longevity. Additionally, new siding can provide better protection against pests and severe weather, ensuring your home remains structurally sound. Whether you're planning to sell your home or want to enjoy a refreshed facade, upgrading your exterior with vinyl or fiber cement siding is a smart and stylish choice.

Install Outdoor Features
Consider installing outdoor features like a pergola, deck, or patio to add some personality to your home's exterior. Pergolas add elegance and provide shade, making them perfect for outdoor dining areas. They can be customized with climbing plants, fairy lights, or curtains to suit your style. Decks extend your indoor living space, offering durability and aesthetic appeal with materials like wood, composite, or PVC. They are ideal for hosting barbecues or simply lounging. Patios, made from stone, brick, or concrete, offer versatile spaces for dining, lounging, or play. These low-maintenance features enhance the beauty and functionality of your home's exterior, creating an inviting environment for entertaining guests or relaxing with family.

Freshening up the exterior of your home doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. By implementing these simple ideas like updating windows, adding color, enhancing curb appeal, upgrading the exterior and installing outdoor features, you can easily give your home a facelift and improve its overall appearance. Remember that small changes can make a big impact when it comes to refreshing your home's exterior!

Read more at Rismedia.com

Related Links

• Real Estate Still Holds the Title of Best Long-Term Investment

• Homeowners Gained $28K in Equity over the Past Year

• Patterned Flooring is Back: A Look At This Hot Design Trend

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Patterned Flooring is Back: A Look At This Hot Design Trend

Home decor in 2024 is all about color, pattern and personality. There's been a huge shift away from neutral tones and warm grays into bolder, brighter colors.

Julee Ireland, an interior design architect and founder of Home Renovation School in Santa Monica, California, says there's a sense of nostalgia in home design today. "For example, the '50s and '60s style of midcentury modern is making a big resurgence," she says. Naturally, she adds, herringbone, parquet and checkerboard flooring are returning with it. "Patterned flooring is sophisticated, timeless, fun and adds a dynamic visual interest to the space."

Installing a patterned floor may seem risky given flooring's high cost and permanence. However, it can achieve a flawless look when done correctly.

Patterned Flooring Is a Timeless Look

Jenny Slingerland, home designer with Black Ink Interiors and a content creator with the Instagram account @Black.Ink.Interiors near Phoenix uses the word trend carefully. "It implies something is in right now but might leave in a year or two or three," she says. To her, patterned flooring isn't a trend, it's a timeless design element.

The origins of patterned flooring date back thousands of years. Herringbone has roots in ancient Italy, while checkered flooring appeared in Egyptian temples.

The resurgence of traditional home design is bringing back patterned flooring with a playful twist. Some people pair traditional herringbone or parquet with patterned wallpaper or bright paint colors. Others are also mixing bolder tile colors, like a deep red hue instead of traditional black for a checkerboard tile.

Patterned Flooring Options

Patterned flooring can be any material from wood to cork or tile that creates a specific pattern when laid. It will not be horizontal but zigzags or intricate squares that repeat themselves. Some of the most common patterned flooring options are:

• Checkerboard tiles

• Hand-painted tiles

• Hex tiles or pinwheel tiles

• Herringbone

• Parquet squares

• Versailles parquet panels

• Mosaic or brick tiles or parquet

Tiles are a popular patterned flooring material because they are easy to personalize. There are tiles cut into shapes of flowers, pinwheels and geometric designs. Hand-painted tiles take it further, offering more intricate designs in endless color options. There are also checkered tiles, which uses two traditional square tiles in a checkered pattern. This can be done with any color tile, but black and white are the most common colors for pairing.
Parquet and herringbone flooring are made from wood and used in more traditional spaces that date back to the 1600s and early 1900s. Versailles panels is a variety of parquet with a specific pattern and, as its name suggests, is the flooring used in the Palace of Versailles in France.

Rooms That Work Well With Patterned Flooring

Some rooms naturally lend themselves to certain patterned flooring materials. "Checkerboard tile is great in entryways. I love mixing that with wood. We're also seeing a lot of checkerboards on patios and outdoors while handmade tiles are really big in bathrooms right now," says Ireland. The classic pattern of parquet or herringbone is great in a dining room or study, but can also be used in a living room or throughout the entire home.

"Any time I take on a project, I like to think of the building architecture and try to stick to that," says Marco Zamora, a designer and creator with the Instagram account @want.zamora who renovated his 1920s French-style building in Los Angeles with peel and stick checkered tiles. "Patterned flooring is not specific to one area or generation, it's more of a nod to older design and architecture across the globe."

A patterned floor can work in any style of home. in "You can choose a sleeker marble to match a more modern home, versus an older home, you may want to use a more classic look like hardwood herringbone," says Slingerland.

How Much Does Patterned Flooring Cost?

Patterned flooring usually costs more than traditional flooring due to the detailed woodwork or tile cutting involved. Some companies make parquet flooring in engineered hardwood and luxury vinyl plank at a comparable price to nonpatterned floors of the same material. However, most patterned flooring is a premium price compared with traditional flooring options.

Expect to pay around 80% to 90% more for a patterned luxury vinyl plank or hardwood. Tile is usually a more expensive flooring option. The tile material impacts pricing. For example, marble will cost more than ceramic tiles. Patterned tiles can also be more challenging to install due to the detail of laying the cut tiles.

Is Patterned Flooring Right For You?

Flooring is a fairly permanent home improvement. You can always change out flooring, but it's an expensive job. Replacing flooring also requires you to remove things like cabinets or vanities in bathrooms, which could increase costs further. Understandably, some homeowners may be hesitant to install patterned flooring.

"If you're nervous about adding patterned flooring, start in smaller rooms, like the laundry room or a powder room," says Slingerland. If you are renting and can't make permanent changes to flooring or simply want to test the waters, try using peel and stick tiles to create patterned flooring.

Zamora added peel and stick tiles to the existing tile flooring in his rental kitchen. It matched the style of his home but the burgundy tiles added more color and made it feel more personalized, he says.

With temporary solutions like peel and stick tiles, you can go bold with color like Zamora did and change it without spending a lot of time or money. However, if you're going the permanent route, it's better to stick to neutral, timeless colors and go bold with wall paint or crown molding.

Read more at RealEstate.USNews.com

Related Links

• Real Estate Still Holds the Title of Best Long-Term Investment

• Homeowners Gained $28K in Equity over the Past Year

• What To Do When Your House Didn’t Sell

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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What To Do When Your House Didn’t Sell

If your listing expired and your house didn’t sell, it’s totally natural to feel a mix of frustration and disappointment.

And as you’re working through that, you’re probably also wondering what went wrong and what you should do next.

If you still need to move and want to get it back on the market, here are some things to consider as you look back.

Was It Priced for Today’s Market?

Setting the right price from the start is key. While it might be tempting to try shooting high with your price, that can slow down the selling process big time. If your house was priced higher than others similar to it, it may have turned away buyers. And that’s likely why it sat on the market. As Rocket Mortgage explains:

“Buyer interest in your home is highest when it first comes on the market. That’s why it’s so important to start with the right price on day one. . . If you overprice your house, buyers may just raise an eyebrow and move on to the next listing without even coming for a showing. . . It can be easy to think your home is worth more but try not to let sentimental value color your judgment. Your home’s true value is whatever a buyer is willing to pay for it.”

Was It Easy for Buyers To Tour?

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when selling your house is overly restricting the days and times when potential buyers can tour it. Even though it might feel stressful to drop everything and leave when buyers want to see your house, being flexible with your schedule is important. After all, minimal access means minimal exposure to buyers. ShowingTime advises:

“. . . do your best to be as flexible as possible when granting access to your house for showings.”

Was It Set Up To Make the Best Impression on Buyers?

If buyers weren’t interested in your house, it’s worth taking another look at your home through their eyes. Are there outstanding repairs that may be distracting them? Even if it’s a small thing, some buyers may see it as a sign the maintenance on the home is falling behind.

Just remember, you don’t always need to make big upgrades. Selective small repairs or touch-ups go a long way. Things like tidying up your landscaping, a fresh coat of paint inside, or removing personal items and clutter can work wonders in sprucing up the house for potential buyers. You could also consider staging the home.

Were You Willing To Negotiate?

If there were offers coming in, but you weren’t ready to negotiate, that may be another reason why it didn’t sell. While you want to get top dollar for your house, you also need to be realistic about what your house can net in today’s market. The market is still tipped in a seller’s favor, but the supply of homes for sale is growing and buyers are feeling the sting of higher mortgage rates. So being willing to play ball can make closing a deal a whole lot easier. A skilled agent can help. As Ramsey Solutions explains:

“If you don’t have the money or time to fix home issues, consider offering some other form of incentive to buyers. . . An experienced real estate agent can help you arrange a deal where you and your buyer both come out on top.” 

Did You Listen To Your Agent?

If you want an expert’s advice on why it didn’t sell, rely on a trusted real estate agent. Whether that’s the agent you used previously or a new one once the listing has officially expired, a great agent will sit down and take the time to talk it over with you. They’ll want to hear your honest opinion on what worked and what didn’t, and where you want to go from here.

Then, they’ll offer their perspective. This includes tailored advice and effective strategies for re-listing your house to get it sold. As Better Homes & Gardens says, an agent should be your go-to resource in this situation:

“If you’re frustrated with the timeline of your sale, chat with your real estate agent. Agents want what is best for you and the sale of your home, and having open communication about any frustrations will be key.”

Bottom Line

It’s natural to feel disappointed when your listing has expired and your house didn’t sell. Connect with a reliable real estate agent to determine what happened, and what changes you should make to get your house back on the market.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

Related Links

• Real Estate Still Holds the Title of Best Long-Term Investment

• Homeowners Gained $28K in Equity over the Past Year

• The Most Common Questions Buyers Ask Real Estate Brokers

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Homeowners Gained $28K in Equity over the Past Year

If you own a home, your net worth has probably gone up a lot over the past year.

Home prices have been rising, which means you’re building equity much faster than you might think. Here’s how it works.

Equity is the current value of your home minus what you owe on the loan.

Over the past year, there have still been more people wanting to buy than there are homes available for sale, and that’s pushed prices up. That rise in prices has translated directly into increasing equity for homeowners.

How Much Equity Have You Earned over the Past 12 Months?

According to the latest Homeowner Equity Insights from CoreLogic, the average homeowner’s equity has grown by $28,000 in the last year alone.

That’s the national average, so if you want to see what’s happening in your state, check out the map below. It uses data from CoreLogic to show how much equity has grown in each state over the past year. You’ll notice every single state with sufficient data saw annual equity gains:

What If You Bought Your House Before the Pandemic?

If you bought your house before the pandemic, the equity news is even better. According to data from Realtor.com, home prices shot up by 37.5% from May 2019 to May 2024, meaning your home’s value has likely increased significantly. Ralph McLaughlin, Senior Economist at Realtor.com, says:

“Homeowners have seen extraordinary gains in home equity over the past five years.”

To give context to how much equity can stack up over time, Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains the total equity the typical homeowner has today:

“With home prices continuing to reach new highs, owners are also seeing their equity approach the historic peaks of 2023, close to a total of $305,000 per owner.”

How Your Rising Home Equity Can Help You

With how prices skyrocketed a few years ago, and the ongoing price growth today, homeowners clearly have substantial equity built up – and that has some serious benefits.

You could use it to start a business, fund an education, or even to help you afford your next home. When you sell, the equity you’ve built up comes back to you, and may be enough to cover a big part – or even all – of your next home’s down payment.

Bottom Line

If you're planning to move, the equity you've gained can really help. Curious about how much you have and how you can use it to help pay for your next home? Connect with a local real estate agent.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

Related Links

• Real Estate Still Holds the Title of Best Long-Term Investment

• How Long Will It Take To Sell My House?

• The Most Common Questions Buyers Ask Real Estate Brokers

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Real Estate Still Holds the Title of Best Long-Term Investment

With all the headlines circulating about home prices and mortgage rates, you may be asking yourself if it still makes sense to buy a home right now, or if it’s better to keep renting.

Here’s some information that could help put your mind at ease by showing that investing in a home is still a powerful decision.

According to the experts at Gallup, real estate has been crowned the top long-term investment for a whopping 12 years in a row. It has consistently beat out other investment types like gold, stocks, and bonds. Just take a look at the graph below – it speaks volumes:

But why does real estate continue to reign supreme as a top-notch long-term investment? It’s because, even today, buying a home can be your golden ticket to building wealth over time.

Unlike other investments that can feel a bit like riding a rollercoaster with all the ups and downs and ongoing risk factors, real estate follows a more predictable and positive pattern.

History shows home values usually rise. And while prices may vary by market, that means as time goes by, your house is likely to appreciate in value. And that helps you grow your net worth in a big way. As an article from Realtor.com explains:

“Homeownership has long been tied to building wealth—and for good reason. Instead of throwing rent money out the window each month, owning a home allows you to build home equity. And over time, equity can turn your mortgage debt into a sizeable asset.”

So, if you’re on the fence about whether to rent or buy, remember that real estate was consistently voted the best long-term investment for a reason. And if you want to get in on that action, it may make sense to go ahead and buy (if you’re ready and able).

Bottom Line

When it comes to building wealth that stands the test of time, real estate is the name of the game. If you’re ready to start on your own journey toward homeownership, connect with a local real estate advisor today.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

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• How Long Will It Take To Sell My House?

• The Most Common Questions Buyers Ask Real Estate Brokers

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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