Does your home look old-fashioned?

The front door’s looking a little shabby and the shed hasn’t had a fresh coat of paint for five years. Sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve been so busy updating the interior, the outside of your home has been left in the cold. Here’s our list of what’s making it look old-fashioned – and what to do about it now.

1. Windows and front doors

Tatty white uPVC windows, and horror – a battered white uPVC front door – are a sure-fire way of dating your home. If budget allows, consider an upgrade; anthracite grey or soft eau de nil green frames are good contemporary choices. To add value, opt for hardwood. Or what about steel? Rapidly gaining in popularity, Crittall-style steel-framed windows are now energy-efficient and especially suited to 1930s, mid-century and modern homes.

2. Paint color

Speaking of front doors…”avoid bright glossy shades of any kind for a front door and cedar wood stain on the garden shed if you don’t want to relive the ’90s, and steer clear of primary colours unless you run a nursery school. Smoky complex neutrals which appear different throughout the day are perfect for a front door. Try Colour of the Year 2018 Heart Wood, a warm neutral with a hint of heather, Green Glade or Faded Indigo.” says Dulux creative director, Marianne Shillingford.

3. Lighting

And is your neglected security light hanging forlornly by its frayed cable? Replace it, and complement with smart uplighters either side of the front door in brushed chrome or soft copper. Add accent lighting to emphasis your excellent up-to-the-minute taste in stylish greenery, see below.

4. Garden shed

If cedar wood stain is dating your garden shed, pale blue flaking paint is certainly making your fence look like a garden makeover from 2010. Ditch the dreary shades and embrace deep, strong colours says Andy Greenall, head of design at the Little Greene Paint Company: “There is increasing confidence in the use of color in the garden. Safer creams and unimaginative whites are being overpainted with subtle hues – muted pinks, aquamarine shades and even pink or blue greys – that coordinate with flowers, and stronger colors – such as Scree, an architectural grey, or Lamp Black – that frame and accentuate plants.”

5. Garden decking

It once looked like the answer to every garden’s prayer, but nothing dates your outside space like worn-out decking. “During the nineties and noughties, many gardens installed the must-have timber decking,” says Kate Gillanders, marketing communication manager for Bradstone. “However, 20 years later much wooden decking has come to the end of its natural life. The loss of natural color makes it look dated and the build of moss and mold causes the decking to become slippery and dangerous.
“The new alternative for 2018 is wood-effect porcelain paving. It offers all the natural beauty of real wood without any of the issues associated with traditional timber decking.”

6. Plants

If you find any of the following in your garden, it might be time to get tough and dig out the spade, says Jo Pickering, ecommerce manager for garden company Crocus: “Pernettya (prickly heath), Cortaderia (pampas grass) and Cytisus (broom) all seem to have gone out of fashion.”
Depending on soil type and position, she recommends replacing with the following upcoming plants for instant horticultural appeal:

• Allium Millenium
• Anemone hupehensis var. japonica Tiki Sensation
• Berberis thunbergii Orange Rocket
• Chlorophytum saundersiae Starlight (a kind of spider plant)
• Rosa Lovestruck (‘Dicommatac’)
• Weigelia All Summer Peach (‘Slingpink’)

7. Disused garden features

Ditch that rusty water feature and turn it into a wildlife haven ready for spring. “Fancy garden ponds and even swimming pools with their harsh chemicals will be converted to natural eco pools, planted with grasses and ferns attractive to all kinds of wildlife,” says property expert Craig Fuller of Stacks Property Search.

8. Aerials – Antennas

And finally, look up. Who needs an analogue television aerial these days? Nothing screams ‘old house’ more than a tangle of metal and wires sticking out of your chimney pot. Enlist a recommended television engineer – find one nationwide at Aerial Force or through Thomson Local – to remove the offending article once and for all and give your rooftop an instant face lift.

NOTE: This part of Old Fashion Home Exterior was first published on www.CountryLiving.co.uk

9. Cracked Stucco Exterior

By popular opinion stucco is one of the most lasting and most low maintenance option for home’s exterior. That is why most homes in Florida show off this classic option. Even though it is very long lasting, it is still prone to wear and tear. It does develop cracks over time.

Stucco is rigid and not flexible. It doesn’t shift as your home gets older. Temperature changes, small amount of contracting and expanding of your home walls put pressure on stucco. Also home’s settling plays a major role in contributing to appearing of stucco cracks.

So when these cracks become visible and even start to “grow” your home’s stucco finish will start to look worn out and old. Dust will settle in and insects can use these small cracks as their homes. Your home will start losing its curb appeal quickly.

Most of the time you would be able to pressure was your home, use some stucco repair products and paint over these stucco cracks with appropriate paint. We always recommend hiring professional stucco repair contractor. They (we) know ins and outs of stucco crack repair and will do the job right the first time. When your exterior stucco wall looks presentable and fresh it will almost always have a part in your home increased value.

We offer FREE Quotes without any obligations. You can always call our office at (407) 258-2826 to schedule a free quote or consultation appointment. You also can fill out Quote Request Form by going to www.StuccoHQ.com. One of our professional estimators will contact you ASAP to set up an appointment.

It is always a great thing when your home looks updated, fresh and well taken care of. Most of the time it does not take a lot of resources to make your home looks awesome. It just takes some TLC, knowing what to do and and knowing how to do it. Hopefully this article answered some questions for you and helped you in the right direction.

Check out this great video, though it is kind of long about updating your home expterior: