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OUTSIDE ▲ A LIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR PROPERTY IS PRACTICAL FOR NIGHT-TIME USE, BUT IT ALSO LOOKS PRETTY concrete can stop water draining through the soil, which poses the risk of flooding from excess rainwater. The solution? Use resin bound paving which is permeable, low maintenance, and extremely durable. You can also pave an area outside your house that matches the inside, for a seamless flow. Limestone and sandstone make for contemporary, practical paving that looks fabulous alongside a manicured lawn. LIGHTS tiles from the back of the roof to replace those in street view, then used the mismatched tiles in the more discreet areas. WINDOWS Give your glass a thorough clean, and don't neglect the windows that are higher up. Gleaming panes are a good indication to buyers that your house is clean inside, too. Get any cracked windows repaired, as well as rebuild any damaged frames. Rotten areas can be cut out and new wood scarfed into place. A fresh coat of paint or varnish on the frame will also go a long way to making sure your windows look their best from the outside. Appearances are everything. A light outside your property is practical for night-time use, but it also looks pretty. Small lantern lamps add a traditional touch, either wallmounted or on a porch. If your house opens straight onto the street, investigate if a little LED light can be installed to welcome guests, especially if the area leading up to it is badly lit. Utilise your garden, too, especially in the dark winter months. Shrubs and pot plants can conceal light apparatus so that you get patches of light minus any unsightly plastic or wires. Just think about what kind of effect you want to create. CLEANING Give the exterior of your property a general spruce up using a high pressure washer. Let a powerful jet of water blast away dirt and grime off a number of outside surfaces. Get brick walls, garden furniture, driveways and garden paths, patios and cars looking tip-top, and don't forget to get someone up on the roof to give it a good spray, removing moss, lichen and general dirt build-up. PAVING Increase the value of your house by creating a paved off-road parking space on the property. This is usually done by laying down a slab of concrete. However, be aware that BRICKWORK Loose, broken, cracked and crumbling bricks in a doorway, garden wall or on the side of your house don't make a very good impression, and could spook nervous home buyers, as they let moisture into the wall. Get any problem bricks replaced, but be sure to use the same type of brick and match up the colour - if this isn't possible, there are products to tint your bricks to match existing bricks. If the bricks around your chimney are covered in soot, consider giving them a clean, but be cautious as the look of a brick area can be permanently spoiled by bad cleaning techniques or by the use of the wrong product. www.athomemagazine.co.uk OCTOBER 2016 | 269 http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk

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