My home’s kerb appeal needs a boost — so I’ve stacked up these 6 easy DIY tasks to do in a weekend

Have you ever noticed how, once winter is done with and the sun starts shine, tempting us out into our gardens to lounge, that it is at this exact moment all the jobs that need doing in order to make the outside of our homes look their very best become the most obvious? Instead of enjoying hours whiling away the weekends and evenings relaxing, we feel guilty, looking up from our chosen reclining spot, about all the tasks we should be tackling instead.

Once the clouds drift away and the sunbeams appear, it is difficult to ignore all those small DIY jobs that needed doing during the colder months, but now is exactly the time to shake off the cobwebs and get the outside of your house looking shipshape – after all, many of these tasks rely on good weather to be a success.

In the case of my own home, the front of my house is way overdue a refresh – looking back at pictures from even just a year go has highlighted to me how shabby certain elements have got. With a kerb-appeal boost much needed, here are the jobs I plan on tackling first.

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1. Repainting the front door

Our front door is original to the Edwardian house – solid timber with three panels of tinted glass at the top. When we bought the house it was painted a vivid cobalt blue and since then it has gone through many different colours, from off-whites to Eau de Nil. None have ever been quite right and neither has the paint finish itself ever lasted as long as I'd like.

According to David Turner, head of product at Leader Online, where I may have been going wrong is in the preparation work. 'The biggest mistake people make is rushing the prep. You don’t necessarily need to strip it back to bare wood, but you do need to remove the shine and create a fresh surface to help the new paint properly grip and prevent flaking.'

Looking back, I definitely did skip through the initial legwork required for that perfect and long-lasting finish. This time, I am doing it properly – plus I plan on going bolder with my front door colours, using a beautiful shade of pink to brighten things up for summer.

2. Upgrading my exterior lighting

At present, the only illumination at the front of our house is a solitary pendant, with a very dim bulb, that does very little for the kerb appeal of the place once the sun goes down.

Along with adding in some new porch lighting I am also looking into some driveway lights to add some depth and a more welcoming feel.

Alina Enache, co-founder of Lamp Genius, has also pointed out to me the transformative effect simply cleaning our existing garden lights could have. 'I always advise that clients once a year clean external light fittings with a slightly damp cloth. Mould, dirt, and insects can build up around light fixtures, and if it is left too long, they can start to affect the light output of the lamp. If the fixtures have glass, you can usually remove it and clean it with a glass cleaner and a dry cloth. If you are cleaning the internal part of the fixture, make sure the power is turned off at the fuse box before cleaning.

'I also recommend using WD40 on any visible screws on the external part of the light fitting, which is used to attach the fitting to the wall or to gain access to the light bulb,' adds Alina. 'This will ensure the screws don't become stuck over time and make the light difficult to access in the future. This is especially important if you live near a coastal location where screws can rust and corrode easily.

'Lastly, you can check whilst cleaning if any LED lamps need replacing in the fixtures. Just remember to match the same colour temperature of the LED to your other exterior fixtures.'

Alina Enache

Alina is the co-founder of Lamp Genius, a registered architect, and a project design coordinator.

3. Finding ways to contain the gravel on my driveway

While I have nothing against the gravel we used for our driveway materials, a buff-coloured Cotswolds stone, what I do object to is the way in which it leaches out onto the road. Not only does this mean we are left with bald patches on the driveway, but it also leaves the pavement and road outside the house looking very messy.

We did include some slightly raised edging when the driveway was first constructed, but the slew of heavy delivery lorries that followed during the renovation of the house caused it to sink down. A plan for the warmer months is to have this reinstated.

That said, Guy Wall, head of marketing at GCL Products, has some other tips for anyone thinking of a gravel driveway. 'Loose gravel driveways have a number of flaws, despite being attractive and permeable. They're a pain to maintain.

'Take it from me as someone who made the mistake by putting in 180mm of gravel on his driveway – it was the worst move I made. Gravel went everywhere. The cars got stuck and once grass came through it looked a state. Gravel retention grids (such as X-Grid from GCL) solve practically all these issues, and provide a solid surface. The grids can be filled flush to the top of the grid or slightly overfilled to hide the pattern of the grid surface.'

Guy Wall

Guy has extensive knowledge on sustainable drainage, gardens and landscaping as well as some interest and experience in solar and renewable technology. Resin bound gravel, wet pour rubber surfacing and permeable surfacing are his specialities.

4. Cutting back the unruly ivy growing up the render

The ivy round here can, in all honesty, get a little bit out of control. While it does look quite pretty growing up one section of the side of the house, once it starts crawling its spidery legs up to the rendered first floor, it just looks scruffy.

But should you remove Ivy from your house? I was worried it could also be causing damage to the pebbledash but, according to Angelika Zaber, gardening expert at Online Turf, it might not be as serious as I thought. 'Ivy poses risks to vulnerable structures, such as old houses, but most of the time it doesn't cause any structural issues as long as its roots are not removed with force.'

I was concerned that pulling it off could be a bad idea but, according to Angelika, I shouldn't worry. 'The best way to remove ivy without causing any damage is to cut a large section of the plant at the base and then wait for it to turn brown and dry out before pulling it off. Make sure to keep an eye on the stump left behind too and keep pruning any new shoots to avoid the plant coming back. You can also try herbicides, but mature ivy plants tends to have a waxy coating, which protects their leaves, limiting their effectiveness.'

Angelika Zaber

Angelika is a lawn care specialist and gardening expert at Online Turf. She is dedicated to providing exceptional lawn care expertise and horticultural advice that encourages both novice and experienced gardeners to have healthy, vibrant lawns all year round.

5. Tidying up the hedges taking up parking space

Since my son started driving and got his own car, the space on our driveway is more in demand than ever – and something that really isn't helping is the very unruly hedges which seem to have got out of control lately. Not only do they get in the way a little, they also look rather messy. But is now a good time to cut hedges?

'It is generally considered a bad idea to cut back hedges in the spring due to the nesting season that starts in March and lasts until around September, peaking between April and July,' warns Angelika Zaber. 'During this time, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 prohibits cutting hedges back, unless there are no active nests. However, these can be hard to spot. If you fail to spot a nest, the eggs or chicks could be damaged or injured. Sometimes, even if the nest itself is not damaged, it can scare off the parent birds, causing them to abandon their young.

'Instead, the best time to cut hedges is considered to be late February, just before the season starts, and early October, as soon as it ends. The February cut will prepare your hedges for the upcoming growing season, while the October one allows you to get rid of any diseased or dead branches, just in time for the winter.'

It seems I have missed the boat on this one for now then, although Angelika does have some useful advice on how I can make things a bit better. 'If you want to make your hedges look tidier without cutting them back too much, you can always use a pair of secateurs to get rid of any longer stems or any branches that make the plant look messy.'

6. Cleaning the roof tiles on the porch and bay window

Maintaining your roof and cleaning roof tiles is an easy job to overlook, particularly during the winter when you tend not to stand outside for prolonged periods of time, but giving them a spruce up can make all the difference. I'm starting with the the most visible areas from the front of the house – namely the areas of roof over the porch and the bay window.

'Roof cleaning is a low-cost but big-result way to brighten up the outside of your house, and this option is suitable for most types of roof tiles,' picks up Rebecca Danese,
establishment executive at Ben's Gutters Ltd. 'Roof washing can make a roof look brand-new while costing a fraction of the price of roof replacement, and looks particularly good if moss and lichen has built up on your tiles over the years.

'We recommend gentle steam washing or large-surface cold washing from the ground or a mobile scaffold rather than having someone come and stand on your roof with a pressure washer' continues Rebecca. 'You can even get the roof treated with a non-toxic biocide to keep the moss away for longer. For slate roofs, which are much more delicate, the best option is roof scraping, as pressure washing can damage slate tiles.'

Rebecca Danese

Becky is an establishment executive at Ben's Gutters Ltd., the largest national gutter maintenance company in the UK, covering England and Wales.

FAQs

Does ivy growing up a house put off potential buyers?

Before you rush out to find ways to kill ivy, stop right there. It doesn't always cause the damage people assume it will.

'Interestingly, ivy can actually have a positive effect on houses – lessening the effect of frost and acting as a shield against heavy rain and winds,' reveals Angelika Zaber.

That said, according to some property experts, it can put some buyers off due to its fast-spreading nature and the fact that it can, in the case of older buildings, contribute to issues with damp. If you live in a period property and have English ivy, removal may be wise.

While autumn is traditionally thought of as the best time to clean gutters, giving yours a quick clear out and wash down now is a great idea – after all, the UK isn't known for its consistently dry springs and summers.