They say first impressions are everything; this rule applies to your home as well. The front of your house is the first glance that guests get into your home, so it is worth dedicating time and resources into transforming its exterior from ordinary to extraordinary. With the rise in popularity of outdoor living spaces over the last year, it makes sense to turn focus toward creating an inviting social area for family and guests, and what better place is there to do this than the front and center of your house?
Upgrading a porch comes with a multitude of pros, from helping improve the aesthetics of the front of your home to providing an enclosed outdoor space to relax. You can create a pleasing focal point for your home’s exterior through enhancing your porch with various additions and updates. Remember, this is not your grandma’s porch; keep reading to learn more about modern upgrades that will help bring your front porch into the 21st century.
THE PROCEDURE
Choosing the Right Features
There are many possibilities to choose from for elevating your porch area, but don’t let that overwhelm you. Breaking down some of your options can make the process less daunting and help illustrate the most appropriate upgrades for your home.
Here are a few to consider:
Porch Ceiling
Starting from the top, one component of your porch to consider giving a refresh is its ceiling. Quality Edge® offers a porch ceiling that is low maintenance while boasting a modern, beautiful, and durable look. This type of porch ceiling helps bring new life and modernity to any entrance area. On top of that, this ceiling is made from aluminum that maintains an authentic wood-stained look, and the installation process is painless.
Siding
Next, turn your head to the side and consider whether your porch’s aesthetic will benefit from adding new siding to your home. There are numerous materials to choose from for home siding, and Quality Edge offers steel siding options to choose from. Steel siding is known to be durable and dependable while still looking great and being easy to maintain. Quality Edge offers both Vesta Steel Siding® and TruCedar® siding as options for those interested in steel siding.
The first of the two steel siding choices is Vesta siding. Advantages of going with Vesta siding include the fact that it is metal siding that endures while still emulating the charming shiplap siding design. Vesta siding includes tri-color paint application, keeping the siding looking fresh and vibrant while resisting the elements. It also comes in a range of solid and wood grain color options. Lastly, Vesta siding supports various installation orientations, opening options for horizontal and vertical siding and making this a great fit for homeowners who like to keep their options open.
The second of the two siding offerings available, the TruCedar Siding, similarly has an array of bragging points. TruCedar presents the look of wood with the performance of steel. This option gives a stunning, natural, and classic look with a modern and enduring twist. Much like Vesta Steel Siding, TruCedar comes in a variety of color options. This siding also comes in a range of size and style options that provide an up-to-date, unique look to not just your porch, but your whole home!
Opportunity Knocking at Your Front Door
Another way to step into an upgraded front porch space is by updating your front door. Adding a new front door to your home can come with an assortment of benefits. From improving aesthetics to adding more security and insulation, a new front door will make the front of your home look great while keeping you warmer and safer. For an added level of security, you can even consider installing a smart lock on your new front door that allows you to lock your door from your smartphone. Aside from functionality, a front door can be used to express your creative vision. Select a front door that compliments other elements of your porch or that serves as an accent piece to the area.
Add a Decorative Touch
Don’t be afraid to decorate your porch just because it’s more vulnerable to the natural elements. You can still cultivate a cozy porch by opting for weatherproof furniture. To add an even more whimsical touch to your porch, consider decorating with string lights. If your goal is for this space to have a more natural feel, adorn your porch with plants or hanging planters.
THE PROCEDURE
Setting a Plan of Action
When you begin setting concrete decisions for your porch revamp, be sure to design with your funds in mind. Don’t fret, there is an assortment of options for financing your project even if you haven’t been saving up for a major home upgrade without emptying your pockets.
CASH-OUT
Refinancing
Cash-out refinancing may be an appropriate selection for homeowners who are interested in taking out a new, larger mortgage. In cash-out refinancing, homeowners will take out a new, larger mortgage on their home that exceeds what they previously owed on the house and receive the difference in cash. This option is one that requires you to start payment immediately, but extended over an extended number of years as you pay off your mortgage. And for homeowners with enough equity in their homes, a home equity line of credit may be worth looking further into as a possibility.
Credit
For projects that you’ll have the cash flow to pay back in less time than it will take to pay off your mortgage, a personal line of credit or credit card can potentially be good options, depending on a few components of one’s financial status. A personal line of credit may be right for those with an outstanding credit score who will have the cash to fund this project in the near future, but currently do not. On the other hand, a credit card may be better for those who will have the monthly cashflow to make on-time card payments and avoid interest charges.
