Looking to design a home exterior that turns heads AND adds serious value?
If there’s one thing that any homeowner can do to get major curb appeal, it’s designing a cohesive exterior.
Curb appeal:
- Increases home value
- Creates trust with potential buyers
- Helps your home stand out
And it’s crazy affordable to boot.
Here’s how to design the exterior/details of your home that customers will notice and love…
What you’ll learn:
- Why an Inviting Exterior is More Important Than You Realize
- How Floating House Numbers Factor into Your Home’s Exterior
- 5 Exterior Upgrades that Make Your Home Look Cohesive
- How to Bring It All Together
Easy peasy.
Why an Inviting Exterior is More Important Than You Realize
Your home’s exterior is like your first impression to the world…
Do these numbers say your home is taken care of?
Studies show that homes with great curb appeal sell for 7% more than other homes in the same neighbourhood. Just by improving your home’s exterior you can drastically increase your home’s value.
But how?
Well it’s not about spending thousands of dollars on one big project. An inviting exterior comes from making small intentional design choices that flow together. Front door, house trim, mailbox, front porch light and yes, even your house numbers should match and complement each other.
Floating house numbers are a quick and easy way to spruce up your home’s entrance. Swapping your current house numbers for some hand crafted house numbers instantly elevates your home’s exterior and creates that “everything belongs” feeling.
But let’s dive a little deeper into why your exterior is so important…
How Floating House Numbers Factor Into Your Home’s Exterior
Your house numbers are easily one of the most underrated aspects of your home’s exterior. Believe it or not, when people pull up to your home those are some of the first things they notice.
When your house numbers pop they give your home’s exterior that “wow factor”.
Floating house numbers create dimension. Mounted on standoffs they create shadow and depth which help them stand out. They also add a modern touch we don’t normally see with typical house numbers.
They also happen to be pretty practical too.
House numbers that can’t be read from the street won’t help your UPS driver find your home. But easy to see house numbers like floating house numbers will.
Pro-tip: When choosing floating house numbers, make sure the font matches the style of your home. Also, consider choosing a finish that matches your home’s exterior hardware.
Speaking of which…
Match your house numbers to the rest of your exterior hardware. Door handles, light fixtures and even your mailboxes should be connected by the same finish.
5 Exterior Upgrades That Make Your Home Look Cohesive
So how do you actually make your exterior look cohesive?
Well you HAVE to upgrade a few key areas. These upgrades have to work together otherwise you’ll never reach that wow factor we’re looking for.
Paint or Replace Your Front Door
The front door is the center of attention on any home exterior. That old beaten up door? It needs to go. Either paint it or replace it with something fresh.
Replacements and exterior paint jobs were numbered 2nd in the cost vs. value report. That means they don’t cost much but provide tons of value. Make sure your door either contrasts or compliments your home exterior siding and coordinates your door hardware.
Use Matching Exterior Lighting
Lighting is something most people forget about when renovating their home exterior.
Good exterior lighting will:
- Accent architectural features
- Keep everyone safe at night
- Make your home feel inviting and warm
Match your light fixture style on your porch, driveway/pathway and garage. Lighting really ties everything together.
Touch up Your Landscape
If your home was a person, their yard would be their body. You can have the sleekest modern front door but if your landscape looks like a weed funnel then nobody is going to care.
Keep landscaping simple and minimal. Mowed lawn, trimmed bushes, add some colour with flowers by your front door and make sure you clean up any debris in your walkways.
You want everything to look clean and like it was easy to maintain.
Coordinate Your Exterior Hardware
This tip is usually skipped by most people…
Your door handle, mailbox, floating house numbers and any other exterior hardware should match each other.
Brushed nickel door handle. Matte black mailbox. Polished brass house numbers. STOP.
Pick one finish and use it throughout your exterior. This small step can make your home look so much more put together.
Fresh Coat of Paint or New Siding
If there’s one exterior upgrade that changes a home the most it would be painting or replacing the siding.
Neutral toned paint and siding are your friend. Bright white, greys, blues and greens are popular because they appeal to a lot of people. Don’t be afraid to use an accent color either. Front doors and shutters look great with bold colors.
Similar to your hardware, you want your colors to flow together. Pick one color palette and use it all the way down.
How to Bring It All Together
There’s one golden rule when it comes to designing a cohesive home exterior…
Pick a style and run with it.
Are you going for more of a modern look? Traditional? Farmhouse? Coastal?
Don’t mix them. Once you pick the style your home is going to make sure everything else you choose fits that same style.
Here’s a quick step process to take:
- Choose your home exterior style
- Pick your hardware finish
- Choose 3 color palette you’ll use
- Upgrade your door, light fixtures and floating house numbers
- Fill in the gaps with landscaping and other details.
Boom. If you start with the largest changes and work your way down your home exterior will come together.
Wrapping it Up
Designing a cohesive home exterior is easy as long as you stay committed to your design style. Start with the largest details that people see first. When they notice your home has personality they’ll spend more time noticing other finishing touches.
Small improvements like your floating house numbers and mailbox greatly increase your home’s value. Once your colors match your hardware matches your exterior upgrades everything else will fall right into place.
Save this guide and come back to it when you’re ready to sell your home or just want it to look amazing.