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Spring Renewal for Your Home’s
Exterior On a Budget!
by Kathleen Wilson
Come every spring, we become a little more conscious of the way our home
looks to all those who pass by. Often times it is out of our budget to
repaint, or remodel the exterior of your home. Here are some great tight
budget tips for dressing up the outside of your home with “Creativity,
Not Cash!” ™
1.Stand out on your sidewalk and take a picture of your home from the
street. Often times we do not really “see” what is there because we have
become so accustomed to it. Take your photo to a copy shop and print out
a few copies of it, blown up to fit the paper. Now you can spend some
time drawing in your wish list for changes…add a fence, draw an arbor
over your entry-walk, add planters…and come up with some low cost ways
to accomplish it! (Kind of a low cost version of that expensive
software) This one step could save you a lot of time, money, and
work…not to mention get you to the home you want in a much smoother
fashion!
2.Consider learning some woodworking skills. With just a little
education and a rented saw, you can build arbors and decorative fences
for a fraction of what it would cost to have it installed. You can often
get free instruction at your local home improvement center. Check out
Garden Structures or Basic Carpentry for some help. Now remember, if you
can’t afford to totally fence in your yard, or build a big gazebo, how
about just adding a little decorative fence at the corners of the yard,
and a simple decorative gate marking the entrance to your yard? It only
takes a little to add a whole lot of character.
3. If you already have a concrete drive and walkway, and you find it
boring, dress it up by lining it with brick. It doesn’t cost much, and
all it takes is a little elbow grease digging a trench to lay the brick
in alongside the walkway, then pack the dirt back around them to hold in
place…no mortaring necessary for this! Another low cost option? Use
porch paint and stamp a brick walkway with a large rectangular sponge.
You can use a basket weave pattern, or lay it on the diagonal, whatever
works for you!
4. Add shutters to your windows. Now, you don’t have to buy those
expensive pre-made ones that everyone else has, you can make simple ones
yourself. You can use plywood and edge it in wood trim, then paint, or
just hang a few vertical 1x2’s 4 inches apart to form the a rectangular
shape alongside your window, indicating shutters. You may be able to
find much of this wood in scrap piles. Just make sure the pieces are not
warped. Now paint with exterior trim paint, and watch the charm go up!
Be sure to use galvanized screws or nails to build and hang them so they
won’t rust.
5. Finally, add some personal touches to your entry, to make your home
more welcoming. Hand paint a wood plaque from the craft store with your
family name or a favorite quote and hang it beside your front door. Add
a wreath or swag to your entry door. You can make one easily from a
grapevine or straw wreath and add your own touches…some garden tools,
silk flowers, small wood plaques with the family member’s names,
seashells…whatever represents your tastes. Fill a planter with flowers
or shade plants and place it right by your door to add life, add a chair
or bench if you have room. If you have a table and a covered porch,
don’t be afraid to bring out candles, throw pillows, and even a throw
rug to create your porch “room”! Just remember to use your creativity,
add your personal touch, and use that elbow grease, and soon people will
stop when they pass your home impressed, by your creativity!
About the author
Kathleen Wilson is an author, national columnist, and editor of The
Budget Decorator ezine. For more free ideas on decorating your home on a
budget, visit her at
www.TheBudgetDecorator.com or sign up for her free newsletter by
sending a blank email to
thebudgetdecorator-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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