Budget-friendly Exterior Makeovers

By | May 25, 2025

Budget-friendly Exterior Makeovers – Planning to give your home a much-needed curb appeal renovation is all fun and games when you’re in the dream phase. Exploring Pinterest, Instagram and home magazines can leave you excited and inspired. But when it comes time to actually calculate the cost, you may not know where to start.

Average cost of a home exterior makeover is around $15,000 to $20,000, which includes exterior painting, door and window updates, railings and decorations. While that may seem like a pretty penny, it’s one of the least expensive parts of your home to renovate, and the value it adds to your home makes the investment well worth it.

Budget-friendly Exterior Makeovers

Also, the actual amount you could pay will vary depending on the size of your home, the work you want done, if you’re just doing cosmetic updates or replacing building materials, if you plan to do the work yourself, and if you choose virtual outside designer or traditional.

Curb Appeal Ideas That Will Give Your Home A Boost

Elevating the exterior of your home isn’t just about aesthetics; it is a strategic investment. Remodeling Magazine’s 2023 Cost vs. Value Report reveals the most financially rewarding exterior renovations. Let’s dive into these projects that promise the best bang for your buck:

Surprisingly topping the list, garage door replacements boast a remarkable 102.7% recovery rate. A new garage door significantly improves the facade of your home, making almost every dollar spent worth it.

Adding a touch of elegance with manufactured stone veneer can give a 102.3% yield. It’s a stylish way to increase your home’s curb appeal and recoup your investment.

A steel front door is not just about security; it’s a style statement with 100.9% payback. It’s a simple but powerful upgrade for your home’s entryway.

Easy Ways To Achieve High End Curb Appeal On A Budget

Refresh your home’s exterior with new siding. Vinyl siding offers a 94.7% yield, while fiber cement comes in at 88.5%. Both options provide a fresh, modern look and a solid return on investment.

Improve the energy efficiency and aesthetics of your home with new windows. Vinyl windows recover 68.5%, and wood windows follow closely with a 61.2% return. It’s a subtle change that significantly affects the buyer’s appeal.

Expand your outdoor living space with a new or updated deck. Wood decks see a 50.2% yield, while composite decks offer a 39.8% yield rate. These additions create inviting outdoor areas that are highly valued by buyers.

These exterior upgrades not only enhance your living experience, but also ensure a strong return if/and when it’s time to sell. Creating a home that is not only visually stunning but also a wise financial investment.

Budget Split Level Home Exterior Makeover

The national average cost of an exterior home painting project is $3,060. Several factors play a role in the cost of a paint project. Quality of paint and home size can increase the cost of the project. If your home has a lot of windows and doors with trim that need to be painted, this could also add to the cost of the project.

Even if you’re on a tight budget, it’s worth hiring a contractor to paint the exterior of your home. From both a safety and quality point of view, professionals will do the job easily. Remember that bright sunlight is usually not forgiving of uneven paint lines.

When budgeting for your home exterior remodeling cost, you can expect to spend about $150 each to install or replace the trim on doors and windows, with labor as an additional cost. It’s amazing how a fresh coat of paint on a door and clean, new trim on your windows can affect the look of a home.

Casement windows can also dramatically change the look of your home. If you want to give your home a mid-century modern look, swap your vertical window panes for wider, horizontal panes. Or, remove window panes altogether and go for spacious windows (especially if your home has a nice view). On the contrary, vertical glazing is perfect for traditional, French country and farmhouses.

House Exterior Design: 11 Ways To Upgrade The Look Of Your Home

Installing a new exterior door has an average cost of $1,119, and the average cost to install new windows is $6,347, although note that there is a huge range of options affecting the cost of the latter. The cost of materials can vary greatly.

Replacing porch railings can cost anywhere between $15 and $850 per linear foot, with a national average of $93 per linear foot. Standard porch railings are typically pretty boring. Most railings only have straight planks. Why not mix things up and go with railings that have “X” shapes? On the other hand, sometimes simple is better. Intricate wrought iron railings can sometimes date a house, and this type of railing does not suit every house style.

Another option to update your railing without installing a new set is to stain the wood a darker color or paint it. Consider matching the color of the railing to your shutters to create a cohesive look.

Decorations can bring new life to your curb appeal. Of course, there are many different types of exterior decorations that you can choose from. When budgeting, be sure to factor in lines for furniture (porch, patio and/or deck), outdoor lighting and miscellaneous items, such as throw pillows, planters and other accessories.

Exterior Remodels: Make Any House A Dream Home

When planning your home remodeling project, think about how you want to use your front and back yards. Do you imagine having outdoor dinners with your loved ones? Invest in a fire pit, picnic bench and cozy string lights. Do you want to have your morning coffee on the porch where you can greet the neighborhood good morning? Buy comfortable patio chairs with cushions and throw pillows. Maybe you have a pool and want to make your space great for entertaining.

Even if you don’t plan to stay in your home long, decorations will help potential buyers imagine how the home might look after they add their own touches. Plus, exterior lighting — think lampposts and porch lights — will give your home a secure look in case interested buyers drive by at night to check out the neighborhood.

On average, Americans spend $3,200 to install new landscaping. And new landscaping is well worth the investment. A house should blend in seamlessly with the yard around it, and adding plants can achieve this look.

If you plan to sell your home one day, adding shrubs, small trees and bright flowers will attract potential buyers. Don’t wait until you decide to sell your home to invest in quality landscaping. The more time the plants have to grow, the better they will look when it comes time to put your home on the market.

Low Budget Front Porch Ideas To Add Curb Appeal

While you can certainly grow many of your own plants, partner with a professional landscaper for the tough projects, and don’t forget to do your research. Choose plants that are native to the region of your home. You should also contact your state’s underground damage prevention organization. They will send contractors to mark off sections of your yard that are not safe to dig.

With all the time and money that goes into restructuring the court appeal, you may wonder if it’s really worth the trouble. After all, it would be much easier to list your home on the market as is or move into a new house that already has a dream porch, amazing windows, perfect bushes and a bright front door. However, exterior remodeling costs next to nothing compared to the return on investment you’ll see when it’s time to resell. Exterior paint can provide a 141% return on investment, and the first impression of your home can add 20% to the value of your home. Plus, the markup on a house with a picture-perfect exterior is high, so it’s definitely worth taking on the project itself.

Having trouble envisioning how a certain paint color will pair with your window trim? Or is there something missing in your home, but you just don’t know what? Seeking help from an industry expert is the way to go.

Unfortunately, outside designers are not cheap. In fact, the average exterior designer’s hourly rate falls between $100 to $200. Let’s say the project takes 20 hours to complete. You’re looking at a total of $2,000 to $4,000. Most outside designers have preferred contractors they work with, which means you won’t be choosing your own, more affordable contractors.

Ideas For Ranch Style Home Exteriors

Don’t let your home exterior remodeling cost stop you from investing in your home’s curb appeal. Instead of working with an exterior designer, work with brick&batten, a virtual home exterior design service.

Here’s how it works: Send us a photo of your house, and we’ll create a photo gallery to showcase your home’s potential. We’ll work with you to determine paint colors and find ways to showcase your personality with curb appeal. In addition, you will receive a complete shopping list with direct links to all the products and materials that our experts recommend using.

Remember the beautiful home at the top of this post? This is a client’s actual after photo they completed based on the design we created for them:

When you work with brick&batten, you will get the benefit of the expertise of a professional designer, but you can complete the projects at

How Much Does A Home Exterior Remodel Cost?

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