Minor problems with your home?s exterior can bring down its resale value and curb appeal significantly. Even minor cracks in the sidewalks and driveways can turn potential buyers away. It can also cause your house to look the worse on the street. This spring, consider improving both your curb appeal and the value of your house by correcting all of these minor exterior problems. Specifically, focus on the following commonly needed repairs.
Driveway repairs
Your driveway is the second thing that people notice about your home, after the exterior of the house. It is also the first thing that they notice, when they step out of their vehicle. People tend to notice cracked driveways, poorly laid asphalt, and dirty and stained driveways. The good thing is that all of these problems can be easily corrected, with minimal work and cost. The type of repairs you require will depend on the current type of driveway you have.
Concrete contractors specialize in repairing broken concrete driveways. Depending on the condition of the driveway, new concrete may need to be laid or concrete repairs could correct minimal problems. Asphalt driveways may also require regular repairs, as they tend to crack and crumble over the years. If it has been many years since the driveway was installed, consider a new driveway over asphalt driveway repair and you will not have to worry about it again for many years.
Consider color repairs also
Cracked and broken driveways are not the only things that bring poor attention to your house. Over the years, your concrete or asphalt driveway may also become permanently stained. This happens from a variety of reasons including oil stains, rust, moss, and sun shading. If your driveways concrete is faded or stained, repainting it can make a huge different to your curb appeal. Although it varies, colored concrete is available in upwards of 250 hues and shades. Try to match your driveways color to the shade of your house, finding a nice contrast that makes your house stand out amongst the others on the street.
Changing the material of your driveway
It is also possible to entirely change the material of your driveway. If you have opted for a replacement, you can pretty much start from new. Imagine what type of driveway material would look back with the type of siding on your house. Also consider colors when trying to create a fluid and classic look. Do not go too outside of the box, so as to prevent future home buyers from enjoying the colors. Also, improving a current asphalt driveway into something concrete can be beneficial to both value and curb appeal.
Some driveway materials are made up of little tiny rocks and can cause your vehicle to get dirtier, or for small rocks to jam inside of the underbody of the vehicle. The rocks are also easily tracked into the house, making it more difficult to keep clean. For these reasons, many people prefer concrete and asphalt driveways. They are easier to keep clean, look cleaner, and can be safer for both vehicles and people. In fact, there is currently approximately 18 billion tons of asphalt pavement on America?s roads. Also, of the 2.6 million miles of paved roads in the U.S., over 94% are surfaced with asphalt.
Some home improvement projects are very cost effective and simple to complete, and yet they turn around big return on investments and drastically increase your curb appeal. As spring comes, be sure that the exterior of your house is ready. Make minor repairs, such as repairing holes and cracks in the driveway. This improves both curb appeal, as well as safety of visitors and residents of the house. If the driveway is too badly damaged or already has many repairs, replacing it entirely can be more beneficial and produce better lasting results.