Monday, May 30, 2011

It's Curb Appeal Month!

Okay, so I am a little late since May is curb appeal month and here I am at the end of May writing this post. Oh well. It happens.

Anyway, at The Rustic School House we have been busy sprucing up our home and property and enjoying every sliver of sun we can get because it has been one rainy, dreary spring so far in Nova Scotia!

I wanted to share a few tips for improving the curb appeal of your home.

1. Use pre-finished, matience-free material whenever possible. These materials save time and money. When we were discussing a railing system for our deck we chose a vinyl system due to its affordability and matience free properties. Who wants to be painting their deck railing every couple of years? Not Me!

2. Mow/ Maintain your grass regularly. Our lawn is Mr.RSH's obsession. He mows it at least once a week and is a fertilizer, lime and lawn seed junkie (is there such a thing as Lawn Obsessives Anonymous?) Mowing your lawn regularly keeps it healthy and strong. If you have issues with your soil such as moss or bald patches ask a professional how to remedy these issues.

3. Weed/Maintain garden beds. A well groomed garden bed is a huge step in adding curb appeal to your property. After much reflection I have decided that with the exception of a new bed we are building in the front of our home and our veggie garden that will be it for the garden beds around The Rustic School House. One must know their weeding limits. I would rather have no garden beds than several that are over run with weed and look like a tangled mess because I cannot find the time to maintain them. Low matience shrubs and trees are always a great option for those that want to add color and variety to their property with out all the hassle of weeding and grooming.

4. Ensure drainage around your home is working properly and that your windows, doors and roof are keeping out the elements. Nothing is more damaging to a home than water .

5. Maintain the exterior of your home. If your home needs painting, staining or cleaning -do it! Nothing makes a home and property lack curb appeal than a house with flaking paint or dirty vinyl siding. Also, when choosing accents or accessories for the exterior of your home, keep in mind the style. For example if your house is of a Victorian era, choose your house numbers, lighting fixtures, entrance system, mailbox, etc. that is in keeping with this style.

6. Take your neighbours into consideration. When choosing a new color scheme for the exterior of your home, consider the color schemes of your neighbourhood. If your neighbourhood homes consist of mostly natural color schemes and you want to paint your house purple with green trim, that may be an issue. If you live in an attached home, speak with your neighbour about what changes you are thinking of making so that both homes look unified and in turn will increase the value of both properties.

7. Keep any outbuildings the same as or similar in color palette as your home. For example our home is yellow as is our shed and I even stained our dog Macgyver's house yellow! By doing this it gives the property a sense of continuity with no particular building standing out.