Ever heard the term that you can’t judge a book by its cover? Well, it’s true, unless you are talking about someone’s home. Because the fact is if our home exterior is an absolute mess, it will most certainly be judged, especially if you try to sell it. And even if your home exterior is run-down and your interior is not, do you really want your neighbors making those judgements? This is about more than garage door designs, this is about the entirety of your home’s exterior. How does yours look?
If It Were a Snake It Would Have Bit You
Here’s the problem with most people: They see their house every day. Okay, I am sure you are asking, “How is that a problem?” Well, it comes down to human nature. There is actually a term for it: Change blindness. Change blindness is a common psychological phenomenon where someone doesn’t notice a change in something because they see that thing so much. In many cases, these changes may be staring us right in the face.
In this case, you see your house every single day, so it is easy to get used to how it looks. Over time, you may not even notice all the dirt and grime that builds up on your garage door or the paint peeling from your trim. In the realest sense, you are overlooking the problems with your home’s exterior.
Of course, it may also be more than change blindness. It could be that you see problems with your home exterior quite well. There may be other reasons why you have not addressed them, the number one of which is usually cost. Giving your home exterior a face lift is about more than a few garage door designs, it’s about the two things people usually notice first: Your roof and your paint or siding.
Big Ticket Items to the Front
It may not be cheap, but the right roof and siding or paint can make or break the look of your entire home. Shingles, siding, and new roof tiles are some of the first things a real estate broker will look at as well. It is important to conduct a thorough audit of your home’s exterior. Don’t make it a cursory glance; you need to dig deep.
If your home’s exterior walls are painted, inspect it carefully. Peeling paint is one of the first things that succumbs to change blindness. The problem is that other people looking at your home for the first time will most definitely see it. If you have paint peeling all over the place, their first impression likely won’t be a good one. And it won’t be something a few lovely garage door designs will distract them from.
You also want to look for rotting or warped boards. Anyone living in Akron, Canton, or the surrounding areas will tell you that wood warping, termites, and moisture are all a problem, especially in the winter. Fortunately, you’ve got windows and doors, but what if they are also in poor condition? If you’re in the market for some fancy new garage door types and styles because your garage door is a hot mess, don’t worry, we can help.
A Touchup Here, a Replacement There
You’d be surprised at what a little touchup can do. Sometimes you may not need to wholesale replace big ticket items. Looking beyond all new garage door designs, simple touchups go a long way. And when it comes to touchups, you may want to start with our front door. While your garage door is important, your front door is almost equally so. This is especially true if your front door faces the street. And while you can replace the entire door if you want, you certainly do not have to.
Consider touching up your front door with a fresh coat of paint! Just make sure to choose a color that offers a compatible contrast to the siding, brick, or paint job on the rest of your home’s exterior. For example, if your home’s siding is a lighter color, consider painting your front door a darker shade of the same color, simply to provide a contrasting, but eye-pleasing balance.
Even something as simple as a new mailbox can go a long way in improving the look of your home’s exterior. If you have a mailbox at the very front of your property, it may very well be the first thing that someone sees when they approach your home. Sure, you can opt for the standard black metal mailbox, but why not spruce it up a little bit. Fortunately, you can find modern, good-looking mailboxes on the cheap.
Get Creative With Your Home’s Exterior
What is one of the ugliest things on your property? The utility boxes. The unfortunate thing is that you usually can’t do much about utility boxes. After all, you did not choose to have them installed on your property, eyesores that they are. Fortunately, you can choose to disguise them in such a way that they don’t stand out like ugly ducklings.
Have you addressed your home’s landscaping? Because when it comes to creating a rockin’ home exterior, landscaping is key. Of course, you can also use landscaping strategically, such as to hide that ugly utility box. Kill two birds with one stone by hiding your utility box(es) behind a few beautiful green bushes or bushy plants. Just make sure to do so in such a way that utility workers can still easily access them, otherwise you might be asked to rip them out.
In order to figure out what you need to do, start by grabbing a pen and piece of paper, then take a walk around your home’s exterior. Take a close, forensic look at every aspect of your house, from windows to walls and doors, and write down everything you see. Once complete, sit down, prioritize, and make a budget. With proper due diligence you can’t go wrong. And should you decide you do, in fact, need a new garage door, we can help you peruse the latest garage door designs. Simply contact us today!