15 Exterior Home Remodeling and Renovation Ideas

This is for informational purposes - always check with your permitted authority or regulatory body first.

Americans spent an average of $20,474K on home remodeling projects in 2021. Remodeling your home exterior is an smart way to improve curb appeal and resale. But when a home remodeling project’s return on investment averages about 56%, it’s essential to focus on the projects with the best return, especially if you ever plan to sell.

We’ll list the smartest exterior home remodeling and renovation ideas to update your home’s appearance and boost your home’s appeal. We’ll also list the cheapest projects you can tackle with the most impact.

1. New Paint

Painting the exterior of your home is an easy and effective way to revitalize the look of your home. If your paint is dull, dingy, or peeling, it’s time for a fresh coat. Changing your paint color is also an fast and easy option to update the look of your home by selecting a trending exterior home color.

You’ll want to make sure your paint color choice complements the style of your home. And if you’re planning to sell your house, we recommend choosing a neutral color over a brighter option.

2. Pop Your Trim

Another inexpensive home remodeling idea is to pop the trim of your house by choosing a different color than your main house color. This adds contrast and accents your windows and roofline.

A huge trend is to choose bold trim color instead of natural. If your home is a neutral white or beige, you may want to pop your neutral with a bold black, blue, green, or brown trim.

3. Replace Your Doors

Doors can take a beating from weather, sun, and use. By replacing your doors, you’ll give your home a modern facelift that immediately improves the curb appeal of your home.

You should choose doors that reflect the style of the home but also your family’s personality. A classical or craftsman-style door communicates traditional values, whereas a more modern one shows a more artistic or eclectic personality.

4. Re-shingle Your Roof

If your home is older, re-shingling your roof is another way to upgrade the exterior of your home. Not only is it a resale feature, but it can also update the look of your home if you choose a more modern shingle like metal shingles, architectural shingles, or concrete.

If you care about the environment and sustainability, you may want to opt for solar panel shingles. These shingles can protect you from the elements, power your home, and give back to the grid.

5. Add Texture

If your home is mainly one type of exterior, you may want to add some texture to your home by adding the following:

• Stone
• Brick
• Cedar shingles
• Stucco
• Metal

These different exterior materials can create an accent wall, veneer skirt, or other exterior accents. By adding texture, you create depth and interest, which updates the look of the home and creates more curb appeal.

6. Replace Windows and Shutters

Replacing windows and shutters can dramatically update and upgrade the look of your home. Many homes have fixed or non-functional shutters that cheapen the look of your home. Replacing the shutters with more stylish, modern ones can increase your home's value.

Windows degrade over time and need replacing, especially where the sun bakes them. By replacing and enlarging your windows, you create more light in your home and modernize the look of your home too.

7. Add More Exterior Lighting

Adding strategic exterior lighting can make your home more visually appealing at night. It can accent features and make it easier to navigate your walkways at night. You can add sconces, door lights, path lights, or discreet lights. Be careful not to overdo it, though. Too many lights can be distracting and unattractive.

8. Update Your Garage Doors

Replacing your garage doors with more stylish designs can modernize your home's look. It can also improve your home’s energy efficiency. Trendy decorative garage doors include:

• Carved doors
• Contemporary
• Barn
• Carriage style doors

Garage doors can last for about 30 years with proper maintenance. So you’ll need to consider the age of your garage door. A new garage door can cost between $2,000 to $10,000. Carriage-style doors are the most expensive.

9. Upgrade Your Landscaping

When people flip properties, one of the critical ways to increase your home’s curb appeal is to upgrade the landscaping. Adding shrubbery, trees, and plants is a great way to add color, texture, and interest to your home. You’ll also want to clean up any plants or trees that have grown unkempt. Here are a few trending landscaping ideas to increase the property’s appeal:

• Utilize drought-tolerant plants
• Add low-carbon landscaping
• Create an immersive garden
• Incorporate recycled and reclaimed materials for your gardens
• Add wildlife-friendly shrubs and plants

10. Fence Your Yard

Fencing your yard is an excellent way to protect family and pets but also define your property. Fences come in a wide variety of textures, materials, and styles. You may need to check with your homeowner’s associate before you install a new fence because the HOA may dictate what style and height of fence you can install.

You may also need a site plan of your property to determine the best location for your fence and ensure it doesn’t infringe on your neighbor’s property line.

11. Create an Inviting Outdoor Space

Creating an inviting outdoor space in your yard can transform your yard into an escape. You can do this by building a patio, fire pit, outdoor kitchen, or lounge area. Better Homes and Gardens recommends these tips for creating an outdoor oasis to improve the value of your home:

• Mix colors and textures
• Add plants
• Install ambient lighting
• Create shade areas
• Add an outdoor kitchen and serving area
• Ensure the space is private
• Buy comfortable and durable furniture
• Add outdoor structures like trellis, pergolas, or arbors
• Install a hot tub or spa
• Build a firepit or fireplace
• Choose artistic décor

12. Add or Enlarge Your Porch

Homebuyers love an aesthetically pleasing porch. It creates a welcoming outdoor living space. By adding or enlarging your existing porch, you can create an inviting area to enjoy the neighborhood as well as create a versatile space for entertaining.

If you choose to expand or add a porch, you may need a site plan to ensure precise measurements and design.

13. Upgrade your Driveway and Walkways

The Style and stability of your driveways and walkways can significantly increase your home's curb appeal. A big trend for driveways and walkways is to use permeable pavers, stamped concrete, or bricks to create an aesthetically pleasing decorative element to your home’s exterior.

You may want to change the paths of your walkways to have more intricate or interesting lines and curves to create more interest. Be sure to add accent lights to illuminate pathways and add to the curb appeal at night.

14. Add Accents

To add more dimension and interest to the exterior of your home, you should consider adding exterior accents. Popular exterior accents that homeowners use to update the look of their homes include:

• Horizontal lap siding
• Board-and-batten siding
• Decorative trim
• Corrugated metal
• Panels
• Shingles

You can mix and match these accents to highlight different exterior features like eaves, towers, or upper stories. But keep an editing eye. You don’t need to do all the accents.

15. Replace the Siding

If your siding looks weathered, cracked, or busted, you’ll want to replace your siding sooner than later. It is one of the most significant cost-effective ways to improve your home’s value. And because you are improving the exterior structure, you can expect to get 95% of the renovation costs back when you sell because it increases the value.

What Exterior Home Remodeling Improvements Add The Most Value?

Some home remodeling improvements add more value than others to the resale of your home. Here are the top exterior home improvements you can do to increase your home’s resale value:

• Roof replacement
• Lawn care program
• Garage door upgrade
• Installing higher-quality siding
• Replace windows
• Add a deck or patio

Minus the windows and roofing, most of these renovations are relatively cost-effective with a strong return on investment.

Related Link: My Site Plan Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Modernize the Exterior of an Older House?

For older homes, there are a few key exterior renovations that can modernize the look of the home:

• Add accents or molding to the entry door and other house exteriors.
• Build stone columns to the existing porch beams.
• Reconstruct pathways with more exciting curves and lines.
• Add more lighting to the home and walkways.
• Change the proportions of the home exterior by adding on more living space, a garage, vaulted ceilings, or a second story.

For more significant changes to the home’s structure, you’ll need to submit your plans for approval from the local planning commission.

How Can I Update the Exterior of My House Cheap?

There are a few inexpensive exterior home remodeling projects that can improve the value and look of your home without breaking the bank:

• Replace any exteriors that have rotting wood: A sign of deferred maintenance, you want to replace any trim, doors, windows, or siding that are in bad shape.
• Add and upgrade your exterior lighting: Adding more lighting is a very affordable way to modernize and highlight your home’s best features.
• Power washing your exterior: A good power wash removes any decay and dirt that has accumulated in your home. You can refresh the look of your exterior using a pressure wash for about $200-$500.
• Paint or stain your exterior door: Your front door creates the first impression of your home. A fresh coat of paint or stain creates a crisp focal point that only costs about $30-$100.
• Update your hardware and fixtures: Replacing your hardware and fixtures with matching materials and styles creates a cohesive, sophisticated design. Make your hardware fit the aesthetic of your home.
• Improve your landscaping: Another inexpensive way to improve your curb appeal is to ensure your yard is well-maintained and has a variety of vegetation.
• Paint your house exterior or trim: While exterior paint can range in price from $5000-$12,000 depending on the size of your home, fresh paint gives your home a facelift. If you can’t paint the whole house, opt to paint the trim to add a pop of color.

Exterior Home Remodeling and Renovation is Worth the Cost

Most exterior home remodeling or renovations increase your home's value and curb appeal. This is why you won’t regret undertaking that next project. Hopefully, we gave you some solid ideas on how to improve your home.

Just remember, for many remodeling projects, you may need to get approval from your local planning commission, and you’ll want to get a site plan to ensure your project follows requirements and boundaries.

Related Link: What Are the Steps to Renovating a House?

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