To render or not to render? That is the question

Gigi asks:

Our house is brick so we were wondering about rendering/bagging the outside. We’ve even been told not to do it as we would be just creating maintenance for ourselves down the track.

Jane says:

This is a question I get often! I think a person’s first reaction is always to render or bag a brick home. However, my view is that this is the right solution only some of the time.

Let me first say I can’t stand bagging, so would never recommend it anyway. I think it looks home-made and un-finished.

There are plenty of other things you can do to a brick home to modernise it. For instance, paint the roof and trims, update the garden, re-do the driveway and paths.

If the brick is very dark, then do your best to lighten and brighten the surrounding areas and trims. If the brick is a light colour, add some darker colours to add depth. I’m a huge fan of charcoal painted trims on a brick home, for instance wooden window frames, fascia, guttering, gable et cetera.

Sometimes painting is not always possible, but you can make an impact even with things like the window dressings inside the windows. Wooden blinds provide a nice modern linear effect which can be seen from the exterior through the glass. This can also detract from old anodised window joinery which can be very expensive to replace.

I have also used tricks like adding modern awnings (for instance canvas wedges) over road facing windows to add depth and interest to a brick home.

Brick home styles are extremely varied, so it’s hard to give a hard and fast rule. Yes, you will have that extra maintenance if you render, but rendering can completely transform the right property. With the right windows (updated existing, or newly installed) and things like balustrades or trim details, a home can be unrecognisable once rendered.

My last comment is about over-capitalising. Rendering can be an expensive process on larger homes, so be sure to do your research about what your home will be worth once the rendering and the rest of your renovation is completed. Many assume that they will add value to their home automatically by rendering, but if yours is the only rendered house in the entire suburb, it will be difficult to push through the peak values of your type of home. Spending $15,000 on rendering your home may only increase its value by a fraction of that!

Jane Eyles-Bennett is the founder of Hotspace Consultants and has more than 20 years of interior design and renovation experience.