THE LOWDOWN ON... A FRONT OF HOUSE MAKEOVER

KERB APPEAL COUNTS – ARCHITECT GEORGE BRADLEY SHARES A FEW SIMPLE STEPS TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL EXTERIOR REVAMP

- RACHEL CHRISTIE

Here, the form, scale and palette of materials complement and reinterpret the surrounding vernacular architecture. Design by WGP Architects

Homes should be fun and liveable – and the front is the best place to start. There are a few things that need to be considered: maintenance of the property to make sure it will stay looking good and watertight for many years to come, making a good first impression and ensuring that anything you do complies with local planning and heritage requirements. Here are some key elements to consider if you are renovating the exterior of your home.

1 Think about access. The front doors of many homes are either up or down a set of steps and these steps can often require work to bring them up to scratch. If your home does have steps, consider overlaying them with natural stone slabs. Your home will benefit in a few ways – overlaying allows you to adjust the tread depth of the steps to make them more comfortable, natural stone is a sustainable material and it also makes a great first impression. You’ll also have the added benefit of being able to waterproof your steps at the same time to prevent any penetrating damp below.