It’s what real estate people refer to when describing the first impression when you pull up to the curb in front of your home. If a house looks attractive and stands out from the rest of the homes on the street it has great “curb appeal”.
In Las Vegas many of the homes look very much alike. I tell people that I live in the light colored stucco house with the tile roof. When I first moved here I kept pulling in the wrong driveway. Now it’s easy to tell which house is mine.
So, how can you get “curb appeal”?
Install a Paving Stone Driveway, Walkway and Entrance.
I call it a hardscape. Like landscaping the front of your home, hardscaping improves the appearance of the concrete areas. Getting rid of that ugly grey concrete makes a huge difference in the appearance of your home.
If you think about it, there’s not a more dramatic improvement you can make to the front of your house. Sure, you can put in new plants and landscape rock or even install some synthetic turf. You can dress up the front of the house with new windows or stone veneers, or even paint the exterior of your house like the crazy lady across the street form me did (BRIGHT BLUE!).
But, other than my neighbors creative paint job, your house will probably still look a lot like the rest of the houses on your street.
A paving stone hardscape makes an immediate and spectacular difference. You will be the envy of your neighbors. You will have “curb appeal”!
Even though pavers are stronger than standard concrete, require less maintenance than stamped or colored concrete and look fabulous, the best part is that you can design a pavement that will compliment the architecture and color scheme of your home.
I’m not talking about the basic “Home Depot looking” pavers you see in the garden department. There is a vast array of sizes, shapes, textures and color blends to choose from so that your hardscape can be unique to your home.
You should consider using contrasting borders, 45° patterns, tumbled pavers, mixed color blends, circles or fan patterns. Retaining wall blocks can be incorporated into your design to make planters, raised patios, terraces and pony walls.
Another option that should be considered is lighting; you guessed it… I call it lightscaping. There are lights shaped like pavers that can border a drive way or walkway and light up steps. Talk about curb appeal!
Even though pavers do not need to be sealed, sealing can really enhance the colors in the pavers. This can make your hardscape really stand out. Just be careful, using the wrong sealer can be a disaster!
Now put your imagination to work. What kind of pavers will look best? Old world tumbled pavers that look like natural stone? Contemporary “city stone” pavers? Pavers that look like brick? Add retaining walls, steps and lighting. Now finish it off with a sealer and… Voila! The curb appeal your home deserves.
In future posts I will discuss these options as well as topics on installation, design considerations, lighting, sealing and everything else you need to know to get the “curb appeal” your home deserves.
You can see a gallery of paving stone projects along with links to many manufacturers’ web sites at: www.installprolv.com
