What are Some Pro Tips for Exterior Remodels?

By Sean Canning

In this video, I want to give a couple of tips regarding renovating the exterior of your home. These tips would apply if you're looking to do a low-cost renovation to add curb appeal to the exterior of your existing home. Here I won't be getting into the weeds of what goes into an interior remodel (stay tuned for future videos on that) as it would drive up the price significantly. 

I would advise that you look at these tips as supplemental to a full renovation. With that said, let's look at a couple of tips for renovating the exterior of your home. 

Invest in a Modern Roofing Solution

First, let's talk about roofs. Depending on the condition of your roof, if you have the budget to replace your roof, this can instantly add a modern + contemporary aesthetic to your home. Especially a metal roof - which while it will cost more, will add significant design value to your home.

Metal roofs generally will have three times the lifespan of an asphalt shingle roof, but they can cost twice as much. So to while it does require more of an investment up front, you're going to get the bang for your buck. And this is also one of the easiest ways to make any home look great in somebody's mind. 

Look Into Replacing The Windows of Your Home

The next thing I would recommend for the exterior of your home is to replace your current windows. Do know however that this improvement can also come with a hefty price tag. But replacing your windows is a great improvement, especially if you have an aluminum window or an old wood window. 

Upgrading your old windows can see huge improvements in energy savings (helping to offset the cost) and instantly increase the curb appeal of your home. 

These days black frame windows are all the rage so I would recommend you check out those types of windows and see how they would look on your home. The windows I recommend are Marvin's lower-end fiberglass windows (they used to be called Marvin's integrity brand). 

For the price point, these are a great value. They're going to improve your energy performance and they're going to add a much more modern look to your home.

Other Tips for Exterior Home Remodels

Now at the lower tier for an exterior home remodel that doesn't cost a ton of money, let's look at some improvements that generally do not require a permit. 

You could add a fresh coat of paint to the exterior of your home. Generally, a two-tone color scheme is going to look great on most homes. If you decide to go a step further and work with a color specialist to paint the exterior of your home,  you could also look into three tone paint scheme to add a more eye-catching look to your home.

Another quick improvement for an affordable exterior home remodel is to look into investing in landscaping. It is a simple way to improve the curb appeal of any residential home. By hiring a landscape designer, you can create exterior patios, add privacy to your home, and install gates to add extra security. 

The last thing I want to mention regarding exterior home remodels is that there are two main concerns if you're going to improve your home from the perspective of exterior improvements. 

Mainly, I would look at the security and privacy of your home and see how they can be improved by an exterior home remodel. As a modern architect, I would use landscaping and gates + fencing to increase the security + privacy of your home. And, none of which require a permit if they're under six feet with certain exceptions in the front yard. But you can use these gates, landscaping, and fences and create more security. I would also advise looking into a motion-sensing light for extra security on your property.

This is one of the biggest deterrents to theft - even more so than a camera which is more of a passive solution. The security light is more of an active solution (to prevent theft in the first place). 

In summary, for improving the curb appeal of your home with an exterior home remodel, I highly recommend you consider improving your roof, windows, paint, landscape design, fencing/gates for security, and some exterior lighting. Overall, these are the best areas to focus on for an exterior home remodel within a reasonable budget.

Looking for some help on a remodel / renovation project in San Diego? Click here to set up an architecture consultation with me so we can map out a gameplan for your project together.

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