The front of our house has been looking a bit lack lustre lately with weeds growing up through the block paving and a broken fence. I know that if we were to sell our house I would need to do some serious work on those all important first impressions. But even though we are not selling up, I still want the approach to our house to look nice and welcoming to people. So we have started a little front of house revamp, which has got me thinking about the main things we can all do at the front of our homes to make them look more appealing and give them that enhanced ‘kerb appeal’.
Spruced Up Fences
Our attempts at smartening up the front has begun with replacing the dingy, falling apart fences, replacing them with a row of smart new ones. But you don’t always have to replace your panels – most of ours were beyond repair, but you might have some that you are able to salvage, making a few repairs or even swapping them around so that the most visible panels are the better ones out of the bunch. A fresh shade of fence paint can work a treat, too – Cuprinol Garden Shades have an array of gorgeous colours that would turn heads!
Weed Removal
I know from experience with our block paved driveway that sprawling weeds are not a good look, so fortunately there are several ways to tackle them. We have a gas weed burner which is quite a quick and easy process, you waft the burning flame over the weeds and it kills them, sometimes down to the root. They’ll crumple and die over a few days without the need for herbicides. If you choose to use weed killer, make sure it is safe to wildlife, children and pets. The other way is to spend a bit of time with a special weed removing tool; there are different ones designed to get the weeds out of the cracks, such as pullers that are great to remove dandelions from grass. I think these sort of tools can be the most effective, although they require a bit more effort (think of it like a work out!)
Smartening Up Doors
Your front door and garage door can convey a really bad impression if they are not in tip top condition. If you have a wooden front door you could sand it down and give it a new, shiny coat of paint in a lovely welcoming shade. If it is beyond redemption, like ours was, you might consider buying one like our new Yale door which is smart, safe and secure. With payment options, it can be more affordable than you think. A scruffy old garage door not only looks bad, it won’t be as secure as a new one. A quality, new garage door will secure your car or belongings more effectively. Don’t make it easy for the criminals to get in and help themselves to your stuff.
Planting
Plants and flowering shrubs can really invigorate the front of your house. If you plant your own hanging baskets and pots by the front door you can save money on ready made planters and baskets. Why not look around for unconventional containers you may already have at home? Like the old wooden crate/trug I upcycled. They can give your house added character and style too.
Rubbish removal
Regularly take your rubbish to the tip, don’t let it pile up at the front of your house as it looks unsightly and can start to attract vermin, or you’ll find little creatures looking for somewhere to nest may set up home like dormice, which are a protected species. You may want to start looking for companies that offer rubbish collection in Battersea. Otherwise, erecting some trellis can be an effective way to disguise ugly wheelie bins and this is something I’m going to be looking into soon.
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© Copyright 2015 Antonia, All rights Reserved. Written For: Tidylife
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