A five-point plan to update your facade and stay under budget

When you first start to renovate the exterior of your home, it can be tempting to try and change absolutely everything. However, that’s the quickest way to blow your budget and overcapitalise on your property. So how do you decide what to tackle and what to let slide? 

Here’s a five-point plan to help you choose:

1. Identify the major issues

The first thing you need to do is take a good look at the facade and identify exactly which things contribute to what you don’t like about it. The problems could lie with any number of areas. For example, the roof might need redoing, the colours might be outdated, the front door might need repainting or replacing, the landscaping might need a makeover, or the fence might need painting or replacing. 

Whatever the issues are with your house, ask yourself questions like: What can I do here? What can I work with? Can I re-use some of what I already have? How can I introduce new elements that work with the original architectural style while still creating a modern effect?

2. Create contrast

Aim to create interest through contrast. Ideally, you want to have a variety of colours and textures. Depending on your house, you might decide to add a pop of timber or a combination of light and dark colours. 

Your goal is to offset what you already have. If you’ve got brick, you want to introduce something smooth. If you’ve got a smooth exterior, introduce more texture and colour. For example, a house I recently worked on had a rendered exterior with nothing else going on, so it was quite a featureless house. We introduced some timber and cladding detailing together with strategically positioned plants that instantly added depth and interest to the facade.

3. Aim for modern and crisp

Older-style houses tend to lack the crispness of a modern exterior so look for ways to add elements that provide this. A house facade I re-designed a few weeks back was mainly brick and I wanted to add a crisp, modern element for the entrance point. This has given a beautifully sharp and up-to-date look without needing to render the entire house. 

4. Create a focal point

To truly make your facade pop, you need to create a clear and strong focal point. Usually, this is the front door and entrance. Work out what you can change to draw attention to that area. It might be that you add a new portico or small fly-over roof, feature wall or landing, or even some solid looking landscaping to draw attention to the entryway. 

After

Before

5. One major change + small tweaks = staying within your budget

Decide on the major thing you need to change and budget for this, then make minor tweaks to the rest of the exterior. It might be that you need to be practical and add a carport or render or repaint the house and so this becomes your major outlay. With that in mind, work out the minor things you can do over and above this to add a bit of wow factor. 

Overall, you need to prioritise what has to be done and work with what you’ve got so you can stick to a budget. The last thing you want to do is run out of money and leave your facade half-done.

Jane Eyles-Bennett is one of Australia’s top exterior designers and owner of design firm Hotspace Consultants. Join Jane in her Facebook group Home Renovators Network Australia for design and renovation inspiration and insider tips for your home improvement projects.