Latest Interiors looks at how you can dramatically spruce up the front of your home

First impressions count. How your home appears from the street, its kerb appeal, makes a real difference to visitors, potential buyers, and even to you as you approach your front door. Does your home look neat, chic and welcoming? Or is peeling paint and broken glass scaring people away? Summer – once the rain has stopped – is the perfect season to put right all that exterior wear and tear.

Make good & mend
The secret to a lasting coat of paint – inside or out – is in the preparation. You need to keep on top of any structural issues before they cause lasting damage. Gaps around window frames, broken render and drainpipes, loose tiles and damp can all cause serious problems over time and end up costing you money.
Before you even think about applying any paint, take stock of any structural problems. Many things – rotting woodwork, broken render and wobbly drainpipes – can actually be fixed or replaced without too much effort or expense. It may be worth thinking about longer term solutions to regular problems such as rotting woodwork, especially for homes that get extra wear and tear from our coastal location: Treating timber with an appropriate sealant, or adding PVC cladding or profiling to vulnerable woodwork, can dramatically extend its life and reduce decorating needs. If brickwork is sound but grubby, clean it (with a stiff brush), and treat it with a good quality waterproofing solution.

A coat of paint
Specialist masonry and exterior woodwork paints come in a huge range of colours. So long as you’re not living in a conservation area where restrictions apply, consider the style of the brickwork or masonry of your home along with colours used on nearby buildings when selecting paint. Do you want to stand out, or blend in? A brightly hued home might be an eyesore in a relatively monochrome street, but many areas (in parts of Hanover, for example) have rows of candy-coloured houses, where anything goes. If your taste edges towards the conservative, you can always pick out a brighter tone in door and woodwork colours. Don’t forget to give any fixtures and fittings – letter boxes, door knobs and hinges – a good polish as well, if you really want your home to shine.

Technical advancements mean there are lots of smart exterior paints, too, with longer life spans and increased durability. Masonry paint comes in a wide variety of finishes, from textured to ultra-smooth. Opt for a texture if you need to disguise fine surface cracks. If you prefer traditional finishes, then consider old-fashioned limewash. If you’re looking to sell, or simply want to impress the neighbours, give any exterior structures like railings or fences a coat of paint while you’re at it – finishing touches like hanging baskets or a planter will make your home stand out from the rest.