Hhh 0513 curbappeal

house&home | May 2013 | house and home on l ine . com26

SIMPLE SOLUTIONS TO INCREASEYOUR HOME’S CURB APPEAL

Of course your love your home’s charm and design.But now, you realize it’s time to sell, maybe buysomething that fits your lifestyle better now thatthe kids have gone off to college or because youneed more space.

When putting your home on the market, how your homelooks from the outside is just as important as all its other amenities.That curb appeal is your home’s first impression to the outsideworld, so consider the picture you’re painting with your home’sfront yard.

How does the landscaping look? Are their chips in the glass onthe front door? Broken lights or sprinkler heads? Discolored con-crete? All of those details matter.

WORTHWHILE TOUCH UPS

Leslie King, owner of Greymark Construction and a past presidentof the Remodelers Council of Greater Houston, says focusing oncurb appeal is the best way to make a quick improvement.

BY HOLLY BERETTO

First ImpressionsABOVE: LED path lightsprovide an inviting glow.Photo courtesy of i-lighting.co.

BELOW: An outdoor rug, furniture,planters and sculptural elements makeporches more welcoming. Photo cour-tesy of Joshua’s Native Plants.

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“It’s an affordable way to add value to a home,” she says.Gregg Gotlieb, of G&G Concrete Coatings suggests taking a look atwhat’s underfoot.

“Many people think about the concrete in front of their home as anafterthought,” he says. “But if it has stains or there are missing pieces inyour stonework, it can turn off a buyer.”

Gotlieb and his team specialize in concrete overlays, a veneer thatcomes in a variety of colors and styles that can offer a quick and eco-nomic fix to your walkways and slab space. He’ll come out himself tolook at your property and talk about what you want, and what makesthe most sense, whether it looks like brick or flagstone, or having themasonry filled in here and there.

“We also do a process called staining,” he explains. “We can cleanand re-seal and re-stain your concrete for you. Concrete can fade andwear, so we can go ahead and make those improvements.”

Another improvement that isn’t a huge time investment but canprovide big payoffs is fixing your doors. Steve Wilson of Art Glass ByWells handles assessing and repairing the glass fixtures in your doors andentries.

Symmetrical elements—such as the llighting sconces on either side of the frontdoor and raised plantings—are simple and appealing. Photo courtesy of LonestarBuilding and the Remodelers Council of the Greater Houston Builders Association.

New house address numbers and a coordinating mailbox add distinctive flair.Photo courtesy of C&D Hardware.

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“Your glass might be outdated or damaged,” he explains. “We’llcome in to fix that for you. It’s a great way to get your home in shape forselling.”

Wilson says a typical repair job can run just a couple of hours, andhe’ll have someone out to your property within three days of schedulingyour appointment. He encourages potential clients to come into hisoffices and take a look at the window and door work they do, to get aconversation going about what the best options might be.

“That could be lead glass in the front doors or a larger windowpanel,” he says.

A REAL TURN ON

When it comes to any home improvement, big or small, our expertsemphasize that ability to work with—and trust—the person doing theimprovements. Dan Keim recently struck out on his own after a quartercentury in construction and sub-contracting. His company, MoonlightOutdoor Lighting Services, specializes in outdoor lighting, and he advis-es homeowners that it’s just as important as neatly cut grass and a greatpaint job.

A brightly hued assortment of potted plants and repainted front door creates visual interest from the street. Photo courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co.

Revamping or replacing the front walkway and adding a sculptural element,such as a fountain, creates an enchanting approach.

Photo courtesy of Windswept Landscape Studios.

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“The right lighting effect can transform your house at night,” hesays. “It can add texture and drama to your front yard.”

Keim can do everything from installing up-lighting under your treesor planters to walkway lights or even spotlights. Working with 12-volt,low-wattage lights, he says he looks to cast that warm glow you see dur-ing a full moon, a design element he says is an excellent way to adddepth and detail. He and his team will come out to your home andappraise your space, and work to draw up the right plan for you. He saysthe installation process usually takes a couple of days, and his pricing isinclusive of all the lights and labor.

Keep it secure: This aluminum fence from Great Fence allows your landscaping to be seen while allowing potential home buyers to feel safe.

LEFT: An easy upgrade to any home’s entrance is a new mail box. C&DHardware features dozens of styles to suit any home’s exterior.

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There are even some things you might consider doing yourself.Theresa Clement, whose “My Fix It Up Life” radio show airs online andthroughout the U.S. offers suggestions like putting new house numberson your home, using a new font and a new color to make them standout, or replacing the pillows and rugs on outside furnishings and yourporch, opting for bright colors that provide a satisfying “pop.”

“Your front entrance says a lot,” says Wilson. “And that first impres-sion can really make a statement.”

Replacing the front door and adjacent matching sidelights creates a sense of con-tinuity. Photo courtesy of Art Glass by Wells.

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Additional ResourcesMetal roofs: Metal Depots,877.828.1327, www.metaldepots.com

Landscape: Windswept Landscape Studios,713.263.7771,Windsweptlandscape.com

Joshua’s Native Plants,713.862.7444www.joshuasnativeplants.com

Mailboxes/porch furnishings:C&D Hardware, 713.861.3551

Door repair: Restore Your Door,713.861.2081, www.restoreyourdoor.com

Wood Door Refinishers,832.358.1601

Rick’s Front Door Refinishing andRepair, 713.427.2487, www.aprettydoor.com

Concrete:American Concrete,713.443.0421

Discount Concrete Leveling Service,713.568.9456

Innovative Surfaces of Texas Inc.,832.607.2998, www.istexas.net

Lighting: Nitelites of Houston,281.684.1994

Painting: Adrian’s Painting,281.935.4153,www.adrainspainting.info

Flags and Flagpoles: Moneymakers713.461.1153

Photo courtesy of Kronberg’s Flags and Flagpoles.

FEATURED RESOURCES REMODELING: Remodelers Council of Greater Houston Builders Association, www.ghba.org/remod-elers-council.html

CONCRETE:Gregg Gotlieb, G&G Concrete Coatings, 281.330.3356

GLASS DOORS:Steve Wilson, Art Glass By Wells, 713.729.3699, www.artlgassbywells.com

FLAGS & FLAGPOLES:Kronberg’s Flags & Flagpoles713.661-9222

With Memorial Day and the 4th of July coming up, it’s important to brush up on the properway to fly the U.S. and Texas flags. Rules for both banners are the same. We asked RonKronberg of Kronberg’s Flags & Flagpoles for some pointers.

“When displaying the flag, whether on a ground-set flagpole or a wall-mounted porch kit,one has to be careful that the flag can fly freely no matter what direction the wind is blowingfrom.,” says Kronberg. “You don’t want your flag to snag or touch other objects such as treebranches or any freestanding objects. If the flag can touch other objects other than the flagpoleand snag on them it will wear out much faster.”

Kronberg also warns that leaving your flag up 24 hours a day in all weather conditions willdecrease its lifespan, too. “UV rays from the sun and the constant popping in the wind are theflags worst enemies.” Says Kronberg. “Make sure that your flag is bone dry when you take itdown so that you avoid any mildew build-up or colored dye bleeding. All of our flags includefree fly-end mending when they start to tatter. We trim off the end up to where it is torn andre-hem the fly end. You can usually get one or two re-hems in before it is time to replace theflag if you do not let the flag get too tattered.”

U.S. or Texas flags flown at night must be illuminated and it should be flown in an untat-tered condition. “In other words, fly your flags with respect, dignity and in a patriotic manner,”says Kronberg.

“Proper disposal is done by discreet burning or by cutting the flag up into small enoughpieces so that it can no longer be identified as a U. S. flag and then discarding the pieces,” saysKronberg. “As an option, we also provide a free disposal service for our flags.”

WAVE OF PATRIOTISM

Hhh 0513 curbappeal

Documents

concrete overlays

y n d o n w e s t

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installed w

gg concrete coatings

photo courtesy of cd

photo courtesy

homes charm