Exterior facelift for your home can translate to better resale value

Though the real estate market has cooled of late, the average American homeowner can still enjoy tremendous benefits when it comes to sprucing up the home's exterior.

Nothing speaks more to pride of ownership than the exterior appearance or "curb appeal" of the home. And curb appeal goes well beyond the borders of the lot on which a home is situated. Nice communities are comprised of good neighborhoods and good neighborhoods are built from well-cared-for homes.

The hard work also will pay big dividends when it comes to home value. Real estate professionals agree that all else being equal, a well-maintained home with good curb appeal will sell faster and command more money than one that is starving for attention.

Curb appeal doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. And many home improvements are do-it-yourself projects. What's more, unlike a bathroom makeover that requires everything to be done at once, an exterior "facelift" can be "phased" or performed in steps to coincide with both your budget and schedule.

The biggest challenge that most people deal with when it comes to a facelift is where to begin. The answer is simple: First, tackle the projects that will improve safety, protect your investment and improve energy efficiency.

For example, an element that will have a significant impact on the appearance of your home is the roof. Replacing an old, worn-out three-tab shingle roof with an architectural grade laminated roof can have a tremendous impact on a home's appearance. Plus, replacing a leaking roof can prevent water damage and rot that could threaten the safety and integrity of the home.

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders to improve the appearance of a home. The right combination of colors can dramatically transform a home by accenting certain elements such as shutters, the entry door, trim or other architectural elements. Good preparation that includes caulking joints and trim, filling gaps with foam, and priming raw material will prevent rot and preserve the exterior cladding.

Where the exterior cladding has been neglected and is too far gone, new siding presents the opportunity to tweak the architectural appearance, add insulation and install a more maintenance-free finish as a vinyl, fiber-cement or a composite material.

Whether you will be installing new siding or just sprucing up with a fresh coat of paint, trim can go a long way in contributing to a successful facelift. For example, trim around windows and doors, window shutters or shingle mold at barge rafters are subtle elements of that "much needed" touch that may have been missing.

Stone and brick are other marvelous means of sprucing up the appearance of a home. An otherwise monolithic appearance of stucco or siding can be dressed up quite nicely with stone or brick wainscoting, pillar masonry, decorative columns or other tasteful applications that bring life to the home's exterior appearance.

Lighting is an essential part of any facelift plan because it offers a host of benefits. Aside from being a decorative element, lighting can improve safety and security. A well-lit path can prevent a nasty fall and an amply lit porch can discourage an unwelcome intruder. Motion detection lighting and low voltage landscape lighting are energy-efficient upgrades that will save money in addition to improving the safety, security and appearance of your home.

A new entry door can do wonders to improve the curb appeal of a home. Add decorative glass, one or more sidelights with decorative glass, a decorative glass transom, energy-efficient and maintenance-free fiberglass construction and a new decorative lockset.

A garage door can account for up to 40 percent of the exterior appearance of your home. If your garage door is one of the old one-piece tilt-up style doors or if it is a "sagging sectional," consider replacing it with a new sectional door constructed of steel or fiberglass.

Finally, when it comes to curb appeal, not enough can be said about the importance of a well manicured yard. There is no substitute for neatly mowed and edged turf, nicely pruned shrubs and trees, and pockets of seasonal color.