Eight ways to give home a fresh look

Changing your home’s exterior can improve its appearance and market value since it makes it look attractive and new.
Boniface Wanja, an exterior designer at Bonre Consultancy Parlor in Bweyogerere says since the first thing people see before entering a house is its exterior, it should be kept attractive.
The designer goes ahead to tip on some ways to improve a home’s exterior to keep the home looking attractive and fresh.

1. Landscape your garden
Redesigning your garden can help your home get a new look. Richard Kigozi, a home designer at K.G Exterior Designers in Kawempe, a Kampala suburb, says garden landscaping is the ideal way to craft an attractive space to grow plants that give you a beautiful environment and design. He says boundaries, fences and paths can be landscaped to give your home a beautiful scenery. He adds that painting trees and shrubs is a unique way to give a homestead an amasing new look.

2. Change the exterior wall
Boniface Wanja, an exterior designer at Bonre Consultancy Parlor in Bweyogerere says: “If your home has stone cladding, pebbledash, mismatching bricks or a mixture of different external materials and designs of the early 1990s, you can remove or cover it up and re-finish the walls using a different material to create a complete new look. The cheapest option is to use sandstone paint in a neutral shade such as off white, to help unify the different materials.”

3. Replace windows
If the windows have seen better days, replace them with energy efficient, double pane windows to significantly reduce heating and cooling bills while adding value and appeal to your home. Remove the old windows without disturbing the surrounding trim or frame, and replace them with new windows or sash designed to fit right into the existing opening.
Replacement windows are a great option when the existing frame is still in good condition or when the trim is attractive and fits the décor of the home.

4. Use sculptures
For art lovers, have pictures of animals in the compound to give your home a better look than. Richard Kigozi, a home designer at K.G Exterior Designers in Kawempe, says animals sculptures are good for the exteriors though he cautions against using unappealing ones that can be scary, especially to children.

5. Update the roof
Consider applying a new roof coating will make your home look fresh and new, as well as help regulate heat.

6. Tackle the front door
A coat of paint and a change of hard ware can give your home a bright look. Paint the door or change its lock. This will make it attractive hence giving the home a whole new look.

7. Convert your garage
A well thought out garage conversion can add value to your home. Wanja tips that this is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve a piece of property’s resale value. An additional benefit is that of increasing the living space without incurring the costs and inconveniences of moving house.

8. Add a porch
A front porch adds immediate value and instant appeal to any home. This can simply be replacing an existing pediment with a roof over the entrance.
Depending on the style of your home, you can opt for a shed roof style or build an appealing gable roof complete with skylights.
Kigozi says in addition to placing a roof over a small entrance, you could extend your porch by building an adjacent patio area for seating.