There are several ways to use exterior paint to spruce up your home. One interesting fact is although trim is such a relatively small part of your house’s exterior, it’s one with the arguably largest impact. If you are going to put your home up for sale on the local real estate market and want it to stand out in buyers’ minds; or, you just want to give it more curb appeal, you can use exterior paint to create a great impression.
Before you drag out those cans of primer and paint, rollers, brushes, and other tools and materials, take some time to inspect your home’s exterior. This is important because you’ve got to take certain steps to get your home ready for an exterior paint job, even if you’re only changing a few small parts of it. You might discover small splits in the wood or cracks to make repairs before you begin.
A fresh paint job has the power to totally transform the look of your house in less time and for less cash than any other remodeling project. That thin skin of resin and pigment also protects your investment, shielding it from sun, wind, and rain—until the paint begins to crack and peel, that is. Then it’s time to button up with a couple of new coats. Properly applied, new paint should last for a good 15 years, provided you use top-quality materials, apply them with care (and with an eye on the weather), and, most important, clean and sand every surface first. –This Old House
Once the necessary repairs are made to your home’s exterior, you need to move onto key preparations, such as filling holes, sanding surfaces, and applying the right type of primer. If you skip any of these preparatory steps, the final results will look mediocre, at best and horrible in a worst case scenario. If you’re unsure about your skills, then hire a commercial painter to do the job for you so it looks great. Now that you’re ready to get started, here are some great ways to use exterior paint to spruce up your home to increase its curb appeal:
- Paint decorative brackets, window trim, and panels. What makes some homes look way better than comparable properties (as in size, location, floor plan, and more) is they simply have a more impressive pop to their curb appeal. While landscaping can provide a part of this wow factor, the decorative brackets, window trim, and panels are prime candidates for exterior paint. Think seriously about color and contrast so it doesn’t look chaotic but cohesive. Keep in mind just changing color tone and shade are neat tricks which work well for interior paint but, you might want to be a bit bolder when it comes to exterior paint.
- Paint your existing front door or replace and paint it. Did you know replacing the front door provides one of the largest returns on investment when it comes time to resell? It’s one of the most desirable features and you know this instinctively when you see a home with a beautiful front door. You can get the same look with a fresh coat of exterior paint and this is another chance to go bold. If your entry door is old, take the opportunity to replace it and then brush on a fresh coat of paint with a complementary color.
- Consider painting your exterior entryway steps. Here’s another idea you might not otherwise consider: paint the entryway steps. Chances are excellent the steps in front of your home are dull and boring. After all, who cares about entryway steps? Well, your home will most certainly stand out from others in the neighborhood and will impress your guests when they arrive. Once again, you can use the opportunity to be a bit bold. Add some sand for better traction and consider painting other features with the same color.
- Add an additional color to exterior columns. You can also paint exterior columns with a fresh coat and of course, you can go bold. The goal is to make them simultaneously stand out as a feature but also blend-in and be complementary to the rest of your home’s exterior. You can either paint the entire column or just part of it; for instance, if the columns are equipped with any type of trim. This trick works equally well with both round and square columns.
When you are ready to paint your home and want a professional look, just contact us. Our crew is experienced in all types of residential painting and we serve the entire Sarasota area, from the John Ringling Parkway, over to Bird Key and Meadow Lark Drive, and all around Bayfront Drive.
