|
Some home entryways beckon visitors to step inside. Some inspire yawns. And others send visitors fleeing in disgust. An entryway should project a sense of security along with a warm greeting. The following sections cover various ways to achieve the desired look.
Refinishing the front door
 | As a visitor approaches the house, the front door becomes the focal point. If the door is in good solid shape, you can alter its appearance through a few minor modifications (and make your home more inviting), including the following: |
- Paint or refinish the door in a bold color that complements the house.
- Install new hinges, doorknob, and locks. If these already are in excellent condition, just polish them up.
- Install a new door knocker or doorbell, especially if the doorbell isn't working. (If the doorbell isn't working, you have three options — repair, remove, or replace.)
If the door is broken or it looks old or cheap, consider replacing the door. Most home improvement stores have a wide selection of gorgeous, secure front doors in the range of $300 to $500.
If you install a new front door, don't hide it behind an old storm door. Replace the storm door, as well.
Refurbishing the front porch
Inspect the front porch for any damage, and repair it in one of the following ways:
- The inexpensive approach is to resurface concrete steps and a porch with an epoxy material designed specifically for that purpose.
- Another option is to resurface the steps and porch with ceramic or slate tile to give the porch a whole new look.
- Damaged wood is fairly easy to replace. You can patch small cracks or gaps and apply a fresh coat of paint to all the woodwork to make it match, or pry up old boards and install new ones.
| If the house is in an area where people often sit out in front, you may be able to significantly increase the value of the house by expanding the porch or replacing the existing porch with something larger. If you have to pay someone to perform the work, you probably won't recoup your investment, but if you can handle the job yourself in a day or two, you can install a porch or deck for about $1,000, increasing the value of your home by a few thousand dollars. Recycled decking material that lasts a lifetime is now very affordable. |
Adding some finishing touches
When you're done with the major repairs and renovations to the entryways, focus on a few final touches to pull the outside of the house all together:
- Install new brass or brushed nickel light fixtures for the coach (porch) lights.
- Install a brass or brushed nickel kick plate at the base of the door.
- Replace the mailbox. Use brass or brushed nickel if the mailbox is on the porch.
- Replace the address posted on the house. Consider white wood with oversized brass or brushed nickel numbers.
- Polish the front door handle.
- Yank out any nails or hooks that the previous owners used to hang holiday lights.
- Add a planter or hanging plant.
- Accent the flowerbeds with a few affordable solar lights.
- Remove the pink flamingo lawn ornament.
|
