Five steps to refreshing your facade for the year ahead

If your facade is looking dull and outdated, it’s probably time to give it a makeover for the coming year. Stay on track and add a bit of designer dazzle to your project with the following five steps.

Step 1

Start with a blank canvas by getting in and doing a good old-fashioned clean-up. Wash down the house, cut back bushes and hedges, trim back trees, tidy the garden, fix up issues with fencing and letterboxes, and clean the driveway with a high-pressure hose.

Listen to episode one of Domain’s podcast Somewhere Else:

Now you’ve got everything looking spick and span, it’s time to take a really good look at the facade (including fences, garage and yard) and decide what’s lacking. Any alterations you make will affect the entire look, so make sure all the modifications will work alongside each other to form a cohesive whole.

Step 2

Now is a good time to decide whether a paint job is in order. If you decide so, are you going to do the entire house or just the trims? Are you going to keep the same colour or is it time to go for a whole new look? Sometimes a house can be completely transformed by a modern or trendy colour so don’t be afraid to try something new. Jump onto the internet for some great inspiration.

Step 3

Decide if any construction changes are needed. For example, do you want to add a portico or deck? Update the railings or balustrades? Repair steps or roofing?

When you choose the right products, colours and materials, these small changes can make a massive difference to your home.

Step 4

What about the fencing, landscaping and driveway? Do they work with the property, or do they look out of place? Your fencing is important because it creates a frame around your home and is like the cover of a book. Try to ensure that your fence and landscaping suits the home and doesn’t look like an afterthought.

Is there anything you need to do to the driveway? Many driveways take up a lot of “eye-space”, so they have a big impact on the overall look of your home. Make sure it gives the right impression.

Step 5

One thing I believe most renovators don’t give enough consideration is what might be called the “wow” factor. It’s that one key thing on the facade that adds something really special and striking to a home to make it stand out from the rest.

It might be a stylish timber feature, a portico with beautiful vines growing over it, some decking out the front that creates a sensational front entrance and focal point, or it might even be a stunning garden. If you’re stuck for ideas, jump online and look at sites like Pinterest for inspiration. Find some houses that are similar in style to yours and analyse what makes them attractive.

Make sure that whatever you end up doing, it doesn’t sit in isolation but links in some way to the rest of the facade. Often when I add my wow factor element, I link a bit of that back to the design on the letterbox or front fence.

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 project.