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With summer in full swing, many homeowners are taking advantage of the warmer weather, ample sunshine, and longer days to make exterior home improvements. Whether you opt for smaller, more subtle changes or a full-on facelift, making upgrades to your home not only looks great but can also increase the overall value when it comes time to sell. Win-win!

If you’re considering exterior home improvements yourself, where should you begin? Here are more than a dozen exterior home improvements you can make this summer to help you get started.

1. Refresh your siding and accents

A little bit of paint can go a long way in making your home look brand new! You can keep it as simple as a fresh coat of the same color or go for a new color entirely. If you don’t want to paint, you can get all-new siding, which can equate to a nearly 80% return on investment. Don’t limit yourself to just your siding, though. You can also boost curb appeal by painting other exterior accents like:

• Front door
• Shutters
• Garage door
• Railings
• Columns
• Molding
• Brackets
• Gutters

2.  Add some landscaping

Landscaping is another fairly low-effort upgrade that can make a huge difference. In fact, top realtors say that good landscaping can boost your home’s value anywhere from one to 10 percent. Start with the regular upkeep of your yard — like mowing, edging, trimming, and watering. From there, you can make additional landscaping updates, like:

• Tearing out overgrown bushes or weeds that cover your home
• Adding mulch
• Planting new shrubs, bushes, or trees
• Adding seasonal accents like flowers and outdoor plants
• Create a vertical garden

Pro tip: A cost-effective alternative is to xeriscape your yard. It still looks great while reducing the need to use water for irrigation, especially in dry climates like Colorado. Good for your wallet, your home, and the environment!

3. Install a new garage door

Upgrading and installing a new garage door is one of the top best exterior home improvements you can make. That’s because it’s proven to generate a nearly 90% return on investment. By choosing to install a new garage door this summer, you can:

• Increase insulation, improving climate control for your home and garage all year round
• Seal out bugs, water, and more
• Improve security and eliminate faulty springs, squeaky
• Upgrade the look of your home’s exteriors

Plus, when you choose a garage door from American Garage Door, we’ll ensure you get the highest quality door and service. You can also choose from among our multiple garage door brands, ensuring that you’ll find the right door at the right price without compromising.

4. Upgrade your windows

In addition to making your home look good, new windows come with tons of other (surprising) benefits. Here are a few:

• Cost savings: If you replace single-pane windows, you stand to save up to $465 a year in energy costs. If you upgrade your current double-pane windows to more energy-efficient ones, you can save up to $111 a year.
• Sun damage prevention: A lot of us tend to forget that excess sun beaming through our windows can actually cause damage to things like flooring, furniture, photos, and decor. New windows can help reduce that damage by up to 75%.
• Less noise: High-quality windows keep more than the heat and cold out. They can also prevent loud noises from getting in, reducing them anywhere from 60-75%.

5. Add good lighting

A well-lit home can be incredibly warm and welcoming. It doesn’t hurt that homeowners who make outdoor lighting upgrades typically see a 50% return on investment. Some exterior lighting ideas include:

• Porch lights
• Upgraded wall sconces
• Illuminating walkways and paths
• String or bulb lighting on your porch, patio, or deck
• Outdoor lanterns
• Spot or up-lighting

6. Restain your deck and fence

Like the color of your home, never underestimate the power for a freshly stained deck or fence, as it can boost your curb appeal. If you don’t have either, consider adding them! A new deck has the potential of a 76 to 82% ROI while adding tons of additional benefits like outdoor dining and entertainment. While adding a fence hasn’t proven to add much monetary value to your home, it can give you the advantage of added privacy and safety.

7. Consider some texture

If you don’t have the budget or time to do a complete overhaul of your home’s exterior (like new siding), you can opt for another creative solution: adding texture. Here’s what we mean:

• Create a stone or brick accent wall
• Add stone or brick to your columns
• Add crown or dentil molding
• Replace concrete walkways with stone
• Add rustic wooden brackets

Make exterior home improvements with American Garage Door 

Making improvements to your home’s exterior is a lot easier when you have the best experts to help along the way. When it comes to choosing, installing, and maintaining a new garage door for your Colorado home, we’re here to help with it all. 

Ready to upgrade your home exteriors with a new garage door? Contact us to request your garage door estimate today!