Home building trends have changed a lot throughout the years, and not all of those trends have withstood the test of time. A dated home facade can reduce your home's value, impact curb appeal and make your home more difficult to sell. Fortunately, you can change your home's facade just like you can change your home's interior. With thoughtful updates, you can improve the beauty of your property while also raising its value.
What Is a Facade?
Your home's facade is the outside of your home. Usually, the word facade refers to the front of the house, although some may use this word to speak about the home's exterior generically, without specifically pointing to a single side.
The facade is the part of the house you can see, but it's often not an essential part of the home's structure. The facade hides and protects the frame of the house. Usually, this means that the facade can be changed by a professional without compromising the home's structure. Your home's siding can be removed and new siding can be attached, for example.
In addition to the siding or cladding, the facade also includes architectural details like columns, the porch, windows and doors, mouldings, and more. All of these elements can be changed to update the style and character of your home.
How to Create a Modern Facade For Your Home
Updating your home's facade can be a big project. Simply applying a new coat of paint to your siding may not be an option, and removing old cladding for new should be done by someone with experience and skill. For most homeowners, their role in the renovation is to plan the project, find a professional and establish a budget. Below are the steps we recommend for renovating the outside of your Toronto home.
- Avoid trends - Building trends come and go, and sometimes when they go, they leave outdated homes in their path. Unless you prefer to update your home's facade on a regular basis, it's best to stick to timeless colours and materials. Work with your design team to make this happen.
- Match the style and character on the outside to the character inside - The outside and inside of your home should work together to create a cohesive whole. A good design team will help you match the two styles to ensure that your home is consistent in style throughout its parts.
- Know your goals - Having a list of goals will make the design of your home's facade easier and faster, and will help you save money on design revisions.
- Set a budget - Every large home improvement project should have a budget set from the beginning to avoid stops and starts in the project's progress. Establishing a budget also helps your architect and builder establish scope while keeping your project in scope for you. Tell your builder and architect how much you can afford on your house exterior renovation cost.
- Work with a professional - Unless your update is relatively small, it's important to work with a professional builder and architect to make your renovation happen. Choosing the right builder and design team can be a challenge. When making the selection, consider their experience, look through their portfolio and meet in person to get a sense of how well you communicate.
Factors to Consider When Renovating Your Toronto Home Exterior
If you're at the start of your Toronto home exterior renovation, then you have some important things to consider before your project is underway.
How much maintenance and upkeep are you willing to perform?
Some facades and materials require more maintenance than others. Painted facades require repainting on a regular basis, for example. Bricks need occasional tuckpointing. Some cladding only requires regular cleaning.
Knowing how much maintenance you're willing to perform and how much maintenance each type of cladding requires can help you decide whether a specific material is right for your property. Talk to your design team before signing off on a drawing.
Is it time to renovate your whole home?
If you're making dramatic changes to your home's exterior, it may also be time to update your home's interior as well. Updating your home by working from the outside in, is a way to improve your home's value, personalize your home to your needs, and maintain a cohesive architectural design. Once the work is done, your house could be more beautiful and functional.
Work With the Professionals to Create Exquisite Exteriors
If your home is in need of an update, contact the professionals to create an exquisite exterior. At SevernWoods Fine Homes, we perform whole home renovations for Toronto homeowners. To get started with your project, contact us to make an appointment.
