Have you been so busy that life got in the way of your house maintenance? Did the outside appearance of your house slip up a little? Well, don’t lose hope. With these practical tips, you can make your house look brand-new all over again!

Touch Up Painting

Touching up the exterior pain on your home is probably the easiest way to spruce up your home in one weekend’s time. A crisp color of paint can have dramatic effects on a home in need of a good make-over.

Depending on the region you live in, the exterior of your home may be brick, concrete block, wood, etc. A large number of houses are made out of concrete block due to economical reasons and sturdiness.

This makes painting a very creative outlet as concrete gives you a nice clean “canvas”, so to say, to have fun with. Whatever the building material of your home, there are at least small amounts of wood trim.

These wooden accents are usually located on porches, around windows, eaves, and other areas around your home. As time passes, these wood pieces have a tendency to become worn, with cracked and dull looking paint.

Occasionally, you may need to sand the area before you can paint it. Sanding helps the new paint cure much better than if you’d applied it directly onto the old paint – especially if the previous coat had a cracked surface. A palm sander is the ideal solution to getting this part of the project done quickly and easily.

Once you purchase the right amount of exterior paint, it shouldn’t take you more than two or three hours to finish this task, depending on how much trim you have.

Beyond the wooden points, have a look at the paint on the downspout, gutters, window frames, etc. None of these should be cracked, faded or peeling. If they are, sand, prime, and repaint.

Give your wooden accents a touch up of paint and the entire exterior of your home will have a fresh, new look.

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Repair Porches and Railings

After taking a beating from nature’s elements and having worn from time, porch railings have been known to become wobbly. This is a safety hazard, to say the least, but it’s also very unattractive.

Railings that are loose can damage the steps to which they’re attached. This can only mean higher costs on other repairs to ensure that the steps are safe to walk on. If your railing is a bit loose, have a good look at it. Many times all that is required is a tightening of bolts and the railing is as good as new.

The majority of porch railings are attached with lag bolts; these are large screws with a head that looks like a bolt. Should these become loose, all you need is an adjustable wrench to tighten them.

At times, if the railings have been screwed into the brick of your home, the sheath may have been broken or worn down. If this happens to your railing, you need to replace the sheath. Don’t worry; this is neither expensive nor costly. You can buy them at any hardware store.

When you remove the screws and sheaths to replace them, the railing will come off, so be sure you’re ready to support it and then put it somewhere. You’ll need a screwdriver and about twenty minutes to accomplish this task.

Once the new sheath is in place, just screw the railing back on. Make sure to test the railing for security when you get it on again.

If you are extremely challenged in the home-repair department or if you simply don’t have a moment to spare, you can always hire a professional to do the job or fins a good do-it-yourself book to help guide you.

Restore Shutters

Shutters can be a charming touch to any home. When they’re well maintained and in good shape, they can add a warm, comforting touch to brick, stone, concrete or just about any other finish.

However, if they’re not well maintained and are in bad shape, they are one of the fastest ways to make your home appear to be neglected. But, one of the fastest to fix as well.

Fortunately, they don’t take a lot of skill or time to repair if they’re looking a bit rough. When it comes to the majority of shutters, a quick sanding and one or two coats of exterior house paint can make your shutters look as good as new.

Though it might take a little bit of extra time, it’s wise to remove the shutters from the house before you start sanding and painting them. You can make an excellent work table out of an old plank or door set up on two sawhorses.

Clean the shutters of any dirt with a clean dust cloth, then give them a light sanding. Wipe them again to remove the dust from sanding. They’re now ready to be painted.

You can either spray paint them or apply the paint with a brush; either will give a nice end result. They will need one to two coats, depending on the colors of paint and the appearance you want to attain. Make sure you allow them to dry fully before you reattach them to your home.

If you are not a handy-man, there are many great books to use as a guide. These tasks are not too difficult to do with one or two people. More is always great too! You can have a house painting party, with free food! You friends will be on their way to helping you get your house looking like new again.