What are some of the ways to improve a property’s street appeal?

We have a brick house that we would love to render, but don’t have the budget for it unfortunately. The whole front of the place is looking a bit sad. What are some of the less expensive improvements we could make?

First up, I suggest an “extreme clean”, combined with neatening, trimming and removing any eyesores that are going to be immediate turn-offs. Garbage bins in full view of passers by or junk in the front yard are major culprits. Hire a high-pressure hose and get stuck into all the hard surfaces: paths, driveways, front steps, brickwork… If you’ve never done this before you’ll find the transformation is unbelievable.

Rendering would be my first choice, but I appreciate that’s expensive. Maybe you could spray paint the brick, and I’d definitely paint the trims, such as window frames, eaves and downpipes. Paving paint is great for dressing up bare concrete surfaces, such as paths and driveways. A stylish front door can make a surprisingly punchy statement; just painting the existing one in a striking colour can work. Similarly, invest in a new letter box if your current one lets the place down. Maybe consider new lighting for the front entrance. It’s these little details that add up to the big difference and really lift the look of a property. The front garden just needs to be neat and orderly. Spring is the perfect time to give the lawn and even the street nature strip outside your place a shot of fertiliser, to bring it up nice and green. Trim back any unruly bushes and shrubs, and you might even want to add a few new plantings to spruce things up. Then stand back, run a really critical eye over the whole front of your property, and if everything looks neat and there’s nothing that leaps out as offensive, then you have good street appeal.

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