Facades | 3 ways to maximise your home’s street appeal

Classic design

Your property’s facade is the first impression your home makes. Nothing carries pedigree and permanence like stone. It’s a great option for dressing up your new home’s exterior. Natural and manufactured stone can be costly options for large expanses, but both are affordable and well suited for use as an accent material. Add to that the modern trend for mixed cladding, and you have long-lasting street appeal with a smaller financial output.

Symmetry is pleasing to the eye. Symmetrical compositions of light fixtures and front-door accents boost street appeal. Sidelights or lantern-style sconces not only safely guide visitors to the door, but can also coordinate with door hardware and other details.

Fixtures can add accent lighting to trees or the house or can illuminate a walking path. Consider solar powered lights – they’re illumination might not be as bright as those that require wiring, however ease of installation and the inherent power-bill savings are worth it. 

Guttering and downpipes are important considerations, and can change the look and feel of your facade. Large, small, half-pipe, square – shape and colour are important design considerations when planning your facade. As with other decisions such as porch railings and fencing, make sure the colour, scale, design, details, and material are compatible with the home’s main features. 

Finally, a well-designed walkway can make your home feel warm and inviting. Consider edging it with a stone border, and considered landscaping for a facade that invites guests to your front door. 

Front yard landscaping

Your front garden can make or break a facade’s impact. Add contrast and colour to your home exterior with planting beds; prime spots for street appeal are at the two front corners, along driveways or walkways, and immediately in front of the house. 

Choose features that will frame your home rather than obscure it, and include a mix of plant size, colour and texture for optimal results. Container gardens using large, dramatic pots can help in paved areas or where soil quality is poor. Think of what materials you would like to use, say industrial style concrete pots, Mediterranean white urns or a distinctly Antipodean rusted iron barrels. A staggered, asymmetrical arrangement works best to create a dynamic setting. Choose statuesque plants well-suited to pot life, or cascading ground cover for a softer, more romantic feel.

A small corner garden with drought-tolerant succulents is a great way to add low-maintenance green to a barren facade, and immediately improves your home’s street appeal. Succulents are drought-hardy and very grateful plants, well-suited to a sometimes harsh Australian climate. Propagating them is also easy – simply break off a part of the stem, and place in the dirt for an instantly harmonious garden.

Hardware and styling

Your home’s front entry is the focal point of its street appeal. Make a statement with a bright coloured or custom wood door. The hardware surrounding it – hinges, light fittings, door knobs and bell – should match, and also reflect your home’s interior. Traditionalists might prefer an oiled-bronze finish while modernists should lean towards brushed nickel or black. Your letterbox should also be in line with your home’s design principles. 

Outdoor chair or bench offers not only a good focal point, but also somewhere to place delivery items, armfuls of shopping or even your own self to put shoes on. 

Your porch is also a great unsung hero of a home’s facade. Create a permanent welcome mat by tiling or painting a design that contrasts with the rest of the front stoop. The New South Homes design team have created some stunning facades. Get in touch to see how we can design one for you.