Taking care of your home’s exterior

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but everyone who passes by your home judges it by its exterior. Even if you’re not looking to sell, the way it looks on the outside says something to your neighbors, passersby and yourself every time you come home. And if you don’t take care of the exterior, that something is: blah.

Here’s good news: It doesn’t take much to spruce it up and transform a dowdy presentation into a shiny one. A little elbow grease, a splash of color and a little trimming can flip the script on your exterior.

The first thing to do might not cost a penny: clean the place up. Pick up and store toys and bikes, rake up the leaves and bag them, and give it a scrub.

“Pressure washing is huge because algae can get on siding and make a home look dated regardless of the age of the house,” says Katarina West, a Realtor with Realty One Group Coastal. She recommends hiring a pro so you don’t blow off a roof shingle or window seal, or get under siding and cause rot. (Wood rot, by the way, should be treated properly, or replace the wood if necessary.)

If organic debris is a problem, it might be time for a tree trimming. Trees drop nuts, berries, pine cones, needles and leaves on and around a house. Tree limbs that overhang a house are a danger in a storm, so have any trees trimmed that are touching or overhanging the house. Then clean out the gutters both for aesthetics and improved water flow off the roof.

Now let’s consider some free or low-cost items.

Paint the front door, says Joel Cardwell, a broker associate at Brand Name Real Estate. Maybe think outside the frame with a color that makes a statement — red suggests excitement, green offers calm, teal depicts the ocean breeze. Whatever color you choose, $30 or so will take care of the door with plenty to spare. Stay away from primary colors, he says, unless your statement is “look at me, look at me!”

Use that leftover paint to play matchy-matchy with the shutters. Paint them the same color, or maybe update them with a new style, Cardwell says, like the wood plank, barn door or pallet shutters that are a bit of a rage these days.

Back to the front door, installing a new doorknob will set the right tone for buyers looking at your house. A bright, polished latch conveys a good feeling to those approaching. “As an agent, when I get to the front door, if the doorknob is changed out, I can expect a better experience inside the home because of the attention paid to that detail,” said Cardwell. Doorknobs can be had for $25 and require a screwdriver and half an hour to install.

Upgrading your landscaping will bump up the curb appeal, West says. If you have a green thumb, says West, install some plants and remember that mulch is your friend. If you don’t, hire a landscaper.

Start with larger foundation plants that shape the garden beds and bloom at least once annually. Then add plants that bloom in different seasons, depending on your geography, like tulips and daffodils in spring, petunias and roses in summer and mums in the fall, says Cardwell.

Another home brightener is outdoor lighting, particularly along the path to the front door. Illuminating the pathway isn’t just an aesthetic refresher, it’s a safety feature too. By lighting the front path, you reduce the chance of tripping.

Speaking of lights, invest in some updated outdoor light fixtures and you can enjoy a new look without much investment, says West. It’s not just the lights themselves — the outlets, light switches and switch plates can yellow in the elements.

Other key improvements to consider include paying attention to the front porch, repaving the driveway and adding potted plants in key spots. But the bottom line, says Cardwell, is to make the place yours.

“Try to match your personality,” he said. “This is your home; it should reflect who you are.”