Ideas to Change the Exterior Appearance of My Home

Many different options are available to a homeowner wishing to change the exterior appearance of a home. Depending on your desires and budget, changes can be significant -- to the point of transforming the entire look of the house -- or simply cosmetic, giving it a little more style.

One easy way to change the appearance of your home is to paint your front door a bold and vivid color. Match those colors to your shutters or window trim. You could even take this idea to the extent of painting the sides of the roof to match your vibrant coloring.

You don't even need an actual second floor to install a gable that makes your house look like it has two floors. Installation of a false gable gives your house a more classic look and can significantly change the perception of the house, so that it looks like you did more than just add a gable.

Installing siding will definitely transform the look of your house. Whether you choose vinyl, aluminum or wooden shingles, installing siding is a very easy way to change the exterior appearance of your house over the course of a weekend.

You don't even need to make a single change to the structure of your house to change its exterior appearance. Effective landscaping can make the home seem like cosmetic changes have been made. Landscaping ideas include the addition of a low hedge along the length of one wall, building wooden trellises to allow climbing vines to grab hold of your house, or a series of containers hanging down from the roof.

The addition of exterior molding allows you to change the look of your house to match a certain design style or period. Simple half-round moldings that are mitered at the corners can give your front door a paneled look. More sophisticated molding additions like an arched doorway can have a very dramatic impact on the look of your home.

Putting in a bay window will affect the line of your house as well as give your interior design a lift. The larger the windows and the farther out the bay window extends, the more attention it draws. This can be a good way to get rid of an unsightly window that is currently in place.

The addition of a front porch or backyard deck will significantly change the look of your house. A large screened-in porch can hide a defect or flaw in the exterior. A deck can become an extension of the house and the material you choose for the deck can lead you to exterior redecorating ideas.

If money is not a big problem, you can quite literally change the design of your house to make a change. A new room addition can change the front, side, back or top of your house. An entirely new second story is the ultimate way to change the exterior appearance of your house.