Home Care: 5 Considerations on enhancing home’s curb appeal with paint
(StatePoint) Making your home stand out in a crowd — or fit in better with its surroundings — can help enhance its curb appeal. But most homeowners don’t want to undertake expensive home improvements, like replacing the roof, windows or doors.
Something as simple and affordable as painting your home’s exterior can improve its appearance and distinguish your house in today’s soft real estate market. Painting vinyl or aluminum siding is an option in lieu of replacing it. If you don’t want to tackle the large project of repainting your entire house, painting your front door or trim can do wonders.
“Painting is a great way to give your home a facelift to enhance its overall look,” said Ann McGuire, founder of Beehive Studios and color consultant to Valspar, a global leader in paint. “However, if you’re not ready to paint your entire house a new color, try experimenting with the front door to give your house character.”
Regardless of the scope of your painting project, it is important to consider color, style and the correct type of paint.
* Select the Right Finish: The proper finish or sheen to use depends on the surface you are painting. A flat or matte finish hides imperfections and is typically used for the main surface of your house, trim, shutters and eaves. A satin finish also is low sheen and can be used on the bulk of your home. Semi-gloss paint yields a shinier finish that is used primarily for doors, trim and shutters.
* Make the Door Pop: When choosing a front door color, find a warm, inviting color that complements existing materials. Don’t be afraid to pick a bold color for the door. For example, rich red colors work well, such as Valspar Ultra Premium Berry Blush 1004-1A or La Fonda Antique Red 2002-5A. For a luxurious, creamy look, a gloss or semi-gloss exterior paint works best, like Duramax Satin Finish.
* Consider Your Neighbors: When painting your entire house, it’s nice to harmonize with your neighbors. Drawing from your neighbors’ color palettes will make your home appear bigger than it actually is because it blends into its surroundings. If matching scares you, you can still make your house unique by incorporating color into the door, trim or shutters.
* Match Paint to Architecture: The type of home you have should inspire the paint color you choose. For instance, the colonial style, the most popular home style in the U.S., emphasizes order and simplicity. A wide range of colors work well on colonial homes, from bright yellows like Oatlands Yellow 3004-6B to darker grays such as Ocean Storm 4004-2B. By contrast, today’s contemporary homes give the impression that anything goes, so edgier colors like Baked Scone 3007-8B or Roasted Coffee 2009-10 can work well.
* Test Things Out: Whether you are committing to painting your whole house or just the front door, pick-up a sample can and test the color on the actual structure before you make a final decision. The color you see on a paint chip or in the paint can does not always appear the same on the surface. By performing a test, you can also observe the paint at various times of day to see how sun affects the color.
“No matter if you paint your whole house or just your front door, with the proper color selection, painting can boost curb appeal, make your neighbors green with envy or even spark the interest of a buyer,” adds McGuire.
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