Increase the Selling Price of Your House with House Painting
By Chris Robertson

Bob Vila of This Old House fame tells people to “…be kind to their neighbors when picking a color scheme.” His house painting advice is echoed by realtors and builders across the country. The color that you paint your house, they say, can affect the value of all the other houses in your neighborhood. That’s one of the reasons that many homeowner associations limit house painting color choices for homes in their communities.

While you might feel that house painting is a personal choice, there’s a good deal of sense to the painting restrictions that some homeowners face. A garish purple house with Halloween orange shutters on the block can effectively make it almost impossible for anyone else in the neighborhood to get full value for their home if they choose to sell. A cohesive house painting color scheme that’s carried on from property to property adds enormously to the appeal of a neighborhood.

In some cases, the house painting restrictions are based on more than just owner preference. On the West Side of one New England town, for instance, is a neighborhood of historic period houses all built in a similar Edwardian style. Owners who purchase houses in the Tatnuck community usually sign an agreement upon purchase that they will maintain a white or gray exterior with shutters in black, green or red – and that they will only use white Christmas lights at the holidays.

So what colors are good choices for exterior house painting?

According to Realty Time magazine, the choices are, in order, white, gray, blue, tan or brown, cream, beige, green, yellow and red. Of those, the overwhelmingly most popular house painting color is white, with over 37 percent of all homeowners stating that if they were repainting a house, they would choose white. While gray is the second most popular color, most realtors would recommend painting your house a pale shade if that’s your choice. The reason? Lighter colors brighten a house and make it seem more spacious.

Among the other colors, the favored shades tend to be muted tones, often in ‘historical’ themes. House paint manufacturers like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams often name their paint colors to cater to that trend. Thousands of houses across the country are painted Williamsburg blue or Colonial green.

If you do want brighter accents in your exterior house painting scheme, advise Realtors, confine yourself to the front door and shutters. A front door that’s painted a friendly blue or warm red, they say, puts buyers in a good mood as they enter your house. And who’d know better than the guys that sell houses?

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies on the web. Visit this Home Improvement Website and Majon's Home Improvement directory.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Robertson

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Tips For Exterior House Painting
By Liz Wood

Is the exterior of your house starting to look old and worn down? It may be time to paint the exterior of your house. Unfortunately exterior painting happens to be one of the more expensive and time consuming home improvement projects. And generally homeowners have to endure an exterior painting job every 6-8 years, depending on the house and siding. Before you begin this daunting project, make sure to plan accordingly and make all necessary preparations.

Every home improvement project requires some planning. In fact, the planning and preparation process is one of the most important steps. One of the very first things you should do when having the exterior of your home painted is to determine if there is any prep work that needs to be done prior to painting. This is when you should be repairing any rotted siding, window sills, hand railing, or window and door trim. If you don’t want to make the repairs yourself then your paint company should be able to provide a quote that includes replacing your siding and trim. However, it may be necessary to call up your siding professional if your project involves replacing a significant amount of siding.

Second, you should take the time to decide if you want to change the color of your house. Doing so can give your home a totally new and updated appearance. However, you want to make sure that the colors you choose fit into your neighborhood and compliment the colors that your home already has. For instance, you don’t want to paint your house hot pink when all of the surrounding houses are light pastels. Making your home stick out like that can make it a less desirable home if it were put on the market. Also, it’s important to pick a color that blends well with your plants, landscaping, foundation, and driveway. Keep in mind, changing the color of your house is often more expensive because more coats are required to cover the old color.

Third, decide on the technique that will be used to paint your house; hand brushed or sprayed. Most paint companies would prefer to have it sprayed because it is faster and easier. However, certain homes would benefit greatly from having the home hand painted. Such homes would include those that are older, those with wood siding, and homes that haven’t been painted in a very long time. Painting by hand provides a thicker coat. It also penetrates deeper into the wood and crevasses which gives your siding protection from water penetration. Keep in mind; due to the fact that hand brushing is more time consuming you should expect to pay more for the services.

Lastly, you will want to carefully select a reputable paint company to do your exterior work. I suggest that you shop around and get a least three different price quotes because there are a lot of price variations for large exterior jobs. However, price shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. The quality of the company is also very important because if the job is done poorly then it will need to be redone faster then you know which will end up being more expensive. So don’t just choose a painter because they are inexpensive. Ask your friends and family for a reference before you even begin searching for a company. If someone you trust had a good experience with a company then the chances of you enjoying their work is higher.

About the Author: To learn more about painting your house, and for a free quote on house painters visit www.PaintingKey.com.


Source: Articles 3000

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Exterior Window Shutters - Creative Curb Appeal With Custom Shutters
By Rika Susan

Exterior window shutters may be just the face-lift a frumpy, run-down home needs to blossom, and exude designer curb appeal. A custom window shutter, for interior or exterior use, adds warmth and interest, and comes with a number of practical benefits. Extensive ranges of exterior window shutters, make it possible to enhance virtually any architectural design in an elegant, and stylish way.

Fixed exterior window shutter installation is purely decorative. The shutters are attached to the outside of the home, and are used as a home improvement with aesthetic value. In contrast, operable exterior window shutters offer sun protection, improve security, and may also be of value during storms.

Colorful Vibes With Vinyl Exterior Window Shutters

Non-functional vinyl shutters are the least expensive ranges on the market. These decorative, lightweight exterior window shutters are a favorite choice of do it yourself enthusiasts, as installation is usually fairly easy. A wide variety of color options are available, from white, to burgundy, or the classic blues and greens. One of the advantages is that the manufacturing process allows for a molded-through tint, that is resistant to fading, and other signs of sun damage, or chipping and flaking.

Classy Composite Exterior Window Shutters

Composite custom shutters are normally a non-functional alternative to the more expensive wood shutter. This window treatment, manufactured from materials such as PVC and fiberglass, is virtually maintenance-free. A quality product will be finished with an automotive grade paint, ensuring years of colorful service.

New technology has made a fully functional fibreglass exterior window shutter possible. These hinged shutters are operable, and robust enough to be used as storm shutters. Beautiful lines are designed with historical accuracy, to satisfy even the most discerning homeowner. Extensive warranties attest to the durability of these exterior window shutters.

Warm Wood Exterior Window Shutters

Wood has always been a popular exterior window shutter choice, and with good reason. A wood such as Incense Cedar, with its naturally bug-repellent tannin, is often used. Incense Cedar isn't prone to warping, and the sealing properties of the natural oils help to prevent decay and rot. With the correct preparation, painted Cedar exterior window shutters hold their color extremely well.

Wood exterior shutters offer styles to suit every preference. Louvers can be fixed or operable, and designs make provision for flat, oval, or tapered blades. If you prefer a more unique look, opt for panels, board and batten, or tongue and groove. Custom shutters allow for any combination of these, including horizontal, vertical, or diagonal placement of the louvers and panels.

Attractive Aluminum Exterior Window Shutters

Thermal powder coated aluminum exterior window shutters are durable, and finished in an eye-pleasing palette of colors. These window shutters are styled to imitate the aesthetic appeal of wood. If security is a major concern, opt for interlocking slats to maximize protection. This is a virtually maintenance-free product, finished with peel-resistant paints. Although you can choose fixed louvers, operable louvers have the advantage of allowing you to manipulate privacy and sunlight.

If your family home is in need of a drastic change, add both value and verve to the property with exterior window shutters.

Awnings-and-Blinds.com - Read the FREE Exterior Vinyl Shutter article at Awnings-and-Blinds.com - also by Rika Susan of Article-Alert.com.

Copyright of this article: 2006 Rika Susan. This article may be reprinted if the resource box and hyperlinks are left intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rika_Susan

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House Painting Tips

House painting is one of the easiest and best ways to add value to your house. There are a lot of house painting contractors out there though, so here are a few house painting tips to help you narrow down your options and avoid problems with your house painting contractor:

• House Painting Tips: 1 - Checking references of house painting contractors is especially important as it is very easy for someone to call themselves a house painter. Considering that house painting contractors do much of their work without you around, there is no way to know they have done what they were supposed to until it is too late. Try to speak with at least 3 customers.
  
  
• House Painting Tips: 2 - When house painting, if a coat of primer paint is not properly applied to all surfaces by the house painting contractor, you won't know it until there is damage or discoloration. Be diligent with your house painting contractor about the use of primer paint.
  
  
• House Painting Tips: 3 - Before beginning your house painting project, be sure to check the references of the house painting contractor. When checking the references of a house painting contractor, visit completed house painting jobs they have done. Do not rely on photos the house painting contractor may provide of recently completed house painting jobs. Visit house painting jobs that were completed some time ago to see how the work of the house painting contractor holds up.
  
  
• House Painting Tips: 4 - Before beginning your house painting project, be sure to make the proper preparations, such as power washing the siding, scraping the clapboards, and chaulking around the windows and trim before painting. Discuss these items with your house painting contractor when negotiating the price of the house painting job.
  
  
• House Painting Tips: 5 - Discuss what type of paint is best to use on your home and how it will be applied with the house painting contractor. Depending on how your house is situated and the amount of sun you get, you may need to have an anti-mold additive in the paint. A house painting professional will be able to advise you on this.
  
  
• House Painting Tips: 6 - Be clear with the house painting contractor as to what is to be painted, the materials being used, how the paint will be applied, and who (you or the house painting contractor) is responsible for the prep work. Be sure to get it all in writing from the house painting contractor before your house painting project begins.
  
  
• House Painting Tips: 7 - Be sure the house painting contractor takes the steps needed to protect other areas of your house not being painted, such as walkways, shrubs, and flower gardens.

House painting contractors may also provide the following services:

• Interior Painting
• Wallpapering
• Handyman
• Power Washing

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