Curb Appeal # 2 - Exterior upgrades, a summation.

The day our bid was accepted, April 24th, 2012

We have done some major improvements on the outside of the house, and here is some timeline-like comparisons of the front porch for you to enjoy.

Day After Closing, May 30th, 2012

 

 

Week After Closing, priming.

Teamwork!

The front porch was project number one. It looked like a weekend of power washing, some scraping and sanding, and then slap down a coat of paint. Then I mixed in filling wood. Sanding, smoothing, and repainting. Taping and cleaning edges, fixing the screen door hinge (which my dad figured out and solved in 3 minutes), new porch numbers, a new lamp for the porch, and of course a collection of flowers and ferns for the porch.

Almost There... approximately June 22nd

The railings were repainted after some serious smoothing. A couple additions were porch furniture for Katie's birthday (I was going to get her a bike!), our D-doormat, a little solar lamp and a much needed bug candle. There were tires turned into garden planters at Homegoods that I found, and we grabbed a bucket type one for the porch as a catch all- Katie may move it to the back door. 

Here's our *finished* product. A hazy July 3rd, 2012

Future touches will move the mailbox to the porch wall, and the color match paint may coat the whole front to complete the clean look we want. D.C. region summers aren't exactly conducive to fresh planting, so landscaping is on hold for the time being. Mowing the lawn is a weekly project, trimming, and edging are waiting on a trimmer... soon!

A bucket made of a recycled tire catches garden supplies, sandals, and whatever else needs a home.

Additionally, the pillar on the far right (when looking at the house) needs new sheathing thanks to pooling water damage, and the same case of damage along the top and ceiling of the porch. So long as the neighbors see we are making progress, I am happy with the changes. 

Porch