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Shocking Exterior Paint Jobs Revealed!

November 2, 2011

I just had to do something fun today with all this winter snow/no power stuff! We’ve all seen them, lurking around the corner, maybe in the next neighborhood: houses with unaccountably strange paint jobs. As entertaining as they are to look at, odd ducks like these might deter future buyers and tend to lower property values of nearby homes. Check out these extreme exteriors to learn how your home’s fresh coat can look good and preserve the worth of your home and neighborhood.

Blend into the neighborhood

The exterior of your house says a lot about you. But even if you have the most exuberant personality on your block, you still have an obligation to fit in with your neighbors. This is especially true if your property is part of a home owners association — an HOA. Most HOAs have strict rules about the style of your house, your choice of paint colors, and other criteria that help preserve the property values of nearby homes.

Credit: Joanne Teh/Flickr

Wake up and smell the daisies

Choosing great exterior colors means selecting body, trim, and accent colors that complement each other. If chartreuse and salmon are your idea of a cool combo, you’d be wise to check out an app like ColorSnap from Sherwin-Williams. Take a photo of your property, and ColorSnap suggests harmonious color combinations for your house. The free app is available for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.

Credit: Chad Miller/Flickr

A solid foundation for your color scheme

Painting foundation walls neutral colors emphasizes the body color of your siding — hopefully that’s a good thing. Rough-textured concrete block and poured concrete foundation walls are tricky to paint, and finishing them is a time-consuming project. Use an exterior paint formulated for concrete and masonry.

Credit: John Boyd/Flickr

From out of the blue

Artist Peter Kaschnig certainly was in his blue period when he painted this entire house in Klagenfort, Austria, a royal azure. While Kaschnig managed to cover every nook and cranny with blue paint — including roofing and windows — he spilled nary a drop on the surrounding lawn, thanks to proper use of tools and drop cloths.

Credit: Paul Ott photo/Blue House — Peter Kaschnig

Going green, literally

If you want to green up your exterior paint job, selecting bright green paint isn’t exactly what we had in mind. Get with environmentally friendly techniques by selecting low-VOC paints and recycling your used paints and stains.

Credit: Eric Allix Rogers/Flickr

Over-exuberance

If you lived here, you wouldn’t have much trouble finding your house, day or night. Keep your polka dots bright with regular maintenance that includes cleaning your siding, repairing cracks and damage promptly, and refinishing with high-quality exterior paints and stains.

Credit: Michelle Figurski (photo)/Tyree Guyton/Heidelberg Project

An un-a-peeling exterior

Whatever the color, the abandoned, horror movie look is never inviting. But before you start sanding and scraping, test for the presence of lead paint. If your test is positive, read up on lead paint laws that describe how to deal with the problem safely.

Credit: AD Gimenez

Keeping it simple

Multiple colors are eye-catching but spell trouble when it comes time to repaint. To reduce ongoing maintenance, choose a base color and one or two trim colors that simplify repainting. Top-quality exterior paints may cost more initially but will pay for themselves in reduced upkeep costs over the years.

Strut your stuff

With its dark red door, black shutters, and crisp white trim, this Colonial house has a classic color scheme — unless you factor in that dash of marketing bling on the siding. No matter what color or message says “pride of ownership” to you, you’ll get the best results using the right painting tools, brushes, and rollers.

Credit: Adzookie Inc.

Would you paint your house in any of these extreme ways? I admit…I just might!

Open this weekend – new listing in Grafton!

October 22, 2011

THREE LIVING LEVELS! Newer townhouse in an excellent commuter location with LOW hoa fees is READY TO GO! We’ve held off showings this week until the open house on Sunday (1pm to 2:30) so that everyone has a chance to get in and see this.

This townhouse features a garage, oversized bedrooms, 2nd floor laundry, tons of natural light, finished walk out basement, all upgraded carpeting, huge closets, master bath and pets are allowed! Stop in and see 30 John Drive in North Grafton this Sunday – you won’t be disappointed!