Before & After: From Crumbling to Crisp Curb Appeal, All For $125
The paint on Jen’s house was peeling in patches, and even non-existent in certain spots. Jen definitely felt her house looked dilapidated and unloved, and wanted to increase its curb appeal. Although she was daunted by the prospect, she and her parents stepped up one weekend, and used a little elbow grease. See what they were able to do for only $125….
In addition to the new paint job, Jen swapped out the door handle, and changed the mailbox. She’s amazed at the transformation — both at the new look of her house, and her new happiness each time she comes home.
Here’s Jen’s advice for taking on a similar project:
Pay attention to the small details…a new door handle and mailbox are lovely finishing touches. Spend a little extra money and get your paint from a store that specializes in it; the advice and service they provide is invaluable. Consider a statement door, as it really adds drama and impact. Take the time to trim with painters tape; it will prevent the inevitable and frustrating bleeding of color. And don’t be a lazy bones when it comes to scraping off the old paint! You want to get rid of as much of it as possible to add to the final results. We used an orbital sander as well as a power drill with a circular brush disc; these made the job much less painful.
And for anyone interested, Jen used General Paint’s “Crave” for the trim and “Kitchen Garden” for the front door.
Many thanks for the submission Jen – your hard work paid off!
– Re-edited from a post originally published 9.12.2014 – CM