If your home's exterior is looking a bit rundown or tired, don't ignore it because doing so will only lower your property's value.
The outside of your home is the first thing people see from the street, also known as "curb appeal." If the exterior of your home doesn't look nice, people's first impression of it could be that it's worse inside, given the state of its exterior.
If, however, your house looks pretty, clean, and well-kept from the outside, its curb appeal rises. As the University of Texas at Arlington points out, curb appeal can add as much as 7% to home prices.
By taking the time to understand why you should never neglect the "face" of your home, you'll be able to recognize the critical roles that exterior cleaning and outdoor maintenance play.
What Are the Exterior Parts of a House?
Any component of your house that sits outside and, in most cases, is visible from the street, is typically part of your home's exterior. It can be aesthetic, protective, or both.
Examples include:
- Siding (wood, stucco, or brick)
- Roof
- Roofline (eaves, soffit, and fascia)
- Gutters
- Functional openings (doors and windows)
- Foundation
- Outdoor living components (patios, decks, or porches)
What Devalues a House the Most?
Unaddressed problems with your home's foundation and primary systems (e.g., roofing, plumbing, and electrical) could lead to the most significant devaluations to your property. One reason is that if they go into disrepair, they can pose severe livability and safety concerns.
Take roofing leaks, for example. The bigger and worse they are, the more significant problems they can cause, such as structural damage from rotting wood rafters, deck, and trusses. Over time, they can cause ceilings to sag or even a large section of, if not the entire, roof to collapse.
Roof leaks can also make your home susceptible to water infiltration, which can then cause moisture damage and promote mold growth.
As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out, some types of mold are toxigenic, meaning they can produce mycotoxins. The agency further notes that any mold growing inside buildings signals water or moisture problems that require immediate attention.
Why Should You Never Neglect Your Home's Exterior?
You should never disregard your home's exterior because it can have significant adverse effects on:
- Curb appeal
- Property value
- Livability
Depending on the problem affecting your property, it could even get you into trouble with your local building authorities.
Keep Curb Appeal and Property Value High
Your property's curb appeal and its value go hand in hand; the better its curb appeal, the more valuable it can be. Conversely, letting your home's exterior go into disrepair can affect not only its perceived value but also its actual appraised and current market value.
The condition of your property's outdoor components can also boost or lower its value.
If they're in top condition (e.g., clean and structurally sound), they can bring in higher appraisals, which can then lead to increased market values. You can expect the exact opposite to happen if they're dirty and have visible signs of neglect and deterioration.
Protect Your Home's Livability
Your property's livability includes how healthy and safe it is for you and your family to reside in and for guests to visit. Many parts of your home's exterior can, unfortunately, reduce its livability if you neglect them, such as if you allow outdoor surfaces to accumulate debris and grime.
Debris and grime can be safety hazards because they can trigger or contribute to:
- Slips
- Trips
- Falls
Grime can also reduce the traction on outdoor walking surfaces and make them particularly slippery when wet.
The good news is that high-powered pressure washers can help combat grime and restore the original shine of your driveway or patio surfaces, as explained by this page exploring pressure washing Charlotte, NC, residents can count on.
Avoid Becoming a Subject of Neighbor Complaints or Legal Concerns
If your home's exterior reaches a point so severe that it causes significant, unreasonable, and continuous interference with your neighbors' health, safety, or enjoyment of their property, your house can become a legal nuisance.
Examples include severe blight, such as trash, overgrowth, and debris, or hazardous conditions (e.g., significant mold growth and rotting organic structural materials). As long as the issue affects the community, you could get into trouble with your local government and authorities.
Before any of that happens, consider investing in a house exterior facelift project. Speak to your local contractors who specialize in things like gutter or window cleaning and roof and exterior siding repair.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Things Can You Do to the Exterior of Your Home to Increase Its Value?
Regular maintenance (such as exterior cleaning) and scheduling repairs as soon as problems arise can help maintain your home's value. If you want to increase its value, consider updates, such as upgrading the front door and replacing older windows with newer, more energy-efficient ones.
You may also want to consider investing in additions like a functional outdoor living space, if you don't have one yet. Examples include:
- A covered patio
- An outdoor kitchen
- A cozy fire pit
What Are the Latest Exterior Design Trends?
Incorporating natural and sustainable materials into your landscaping is one of the latest exterior design trends that is most likely here to stay. Examples include reclaimed wood and recycled natural stone, such as limestone or flagstone.
You can use reclaimed wood as the primary building material for your:
- Fence
- Deck
- Benches
- Raised garden beds
As for natural stone, it's ideal for patios, pathways, and retaining walls.
Focusing on native, drought-resistant plants is another way to incorporate sustainable, eco-friendly outdoor elements into your home's exterior.
Keep Your Home's Exterior in Top Condition
Remember: Your home's exterior can either increase or decrease property value. The worse it gets, the less livable your house can become, to the point that it can even affect your neighbors and force them to file complaints.
Don't let any of that happen, and instead, keep your home's facade as spruced up and clean as its interiors.
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