Just Pave it

The front entry of your house is where first impressions are made. Though not usually a primary living area, the walkway, steps, porch and front door will receive more visitors and traffic than any other area of your home. This is also the face your house presents to the street. So if you want to increase the resale value of your home and want to know where to start the renovations - don't look any farther than your front door.

Turn Grey Prefab Steps Iinto A Grand Enterance

Stonework is a long-lasting and attractive way to add curb appeal. In a single day a contractor can transform a drab entranceway into a welcoming threshold that adds style and thousands of dollars of value to your home. If you have standard poured concrete steps leading up to your front door, a skilled tradesman can overlay the uniform grey concrete with multi coloured brick or rock in a pattern intended to bring out the character in your house.

Katherine and Steve of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, transformed the garden and entranceway to their home this summer when they had their outdated front steps tiled in interlocking stone that cascades into a simple multicoloured and curving footpath. The wide and artful pathway guides people to the front door in a way that poured concrete never will. "Just this one change makes such a huge difference to the front yard," says Katherine, who says the stonework is part of a bigger plan for the landscaping in front of the house. "We just wanted to do one thing at a time and this was the simplest and most significant part of the design." Katherine estimates that the $1500 they invested in the new stonework has increased the resale value of their home $6-8K, "and the neighbors love it," she says.

When you are planning your stonework, there are nearly as many materials to choose from as there are different rocks, but the most popular of these are: natural stone, interlocking stone, flagstone, pre-cast stone and brick. Your stonework should always complement your home - never compete with it. If your house is brick construction, consider the colour and texture of the brick when choosing materials. If it is a Victorian character home, you may want to consider using natural rock. Modern architecture on the other hand may call for a less traditional approach.

The surrounding landscape should also be taken into consideration as a home is always part of a larger context. Neighboring homes, types of vegetation and foliage, terrain, types of rock found locally, and architectural styles in your region should all be taken into consideration when planning an outdoor renovation.

In feng shui, the front steps and path to your door are one of the most important ways energy is drawn into your home. An important aspect of landscaping the front of your house, your plans and designs here can go as far as your budget and creativity will allow. Landscaping in this area should take your family's lifestyle and needs into consideration along with planned uses, surrounding architecture elevations, shade and color. Expert masons will work with your entire yard, the shape of your landing, stairs and footpath to create a unified design that truly welcomes people.

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This article was written by the writing team at Associates Realty in Minneapolis. Browse our listings right now to see Minneapolis homes for sale or contact us when you're ready to sell.

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