Now that summer is here and the outdoors beckons, you’ve probably had the opportunity to spend a little more time looking at your house from the outside in. Perhaps you noticed some areas that are looking a little worse for the wear. Or maybe you are mulling over whether to make some changes but you’re not sure which ones are investment worthy. I’ve put together a list of the top four upgrades and areas that professionals recommend focusing on.

#1. Run-down exterior surfaces. Take a look at your home and examine the following surfaces: the roof, siding, and pavements/driveway. For roofs, keeping up with maintenance is of paramount importance. Bridle Trails is notorious for both excessive moss growth and large amounts of debris, both of which can cause significant damage to your roof and potentially your home’s interiors if left unattended long enough. At a minimum, giving your roof a solid cleaning is one of the fastest ways to make your home’s exterior look refreshed. For siding, look for areas of wood rot and flaking paint. Both are invitations for water to more deeply penetrate your home, and a little effort now can save you a bigger headache later. Lastly, consider power washing your walkways and driveways. Much like a clean roof, freshly cleaned surfaces will make your home shine.

#2. Lighting. The wooded setting of Bridle Trails means that having adequate lighting is key. A well-lit property is both practical from a safety perspective and aesthetically pleasing in terms of curb appeal. A house with a good lighting plan means that the entryway, steps, and pathways to and from where guests would park or circulate around your property are lighted in a way that makes them easy to navigate. The second layer to a good lighting package is lighting key feature on the home such as featured landscaping (a prized Japanese maple, for example) as well as rhythmically placed uplighting of your home’s façade. To conserve energy, most systems have sensors to automatically turn on and off based on available daylight. Lastly, motion sensor lights are a worthwhile addition to your property for key areas such as your garbage and recycling storage area, which makes taking out refuse much easier to do in the dark, and side entry doors to your house that are not often used, for safety reasons.

#3. New exterior doors, including the garage door. Our entry doors, including the garage doors, are the workhorses of the home and they often show it. Since most homes have garage doors that face the street (and therefore contribute to a home’s curb appeal), start by examining your garage doors. What shape are they in? Do they match the aesthetics of the rest of the home’s exterior? Examine each of your doors and inspect for damage and flaking or fading paint. Solid wood doors with minor damage can be easily repaired and repainted. Like your house’s siding, look for signs of rot on wooden doors. If rot is present, replacement is likely the best option. If your doors are aluminum, vinyl, or another hollow material, check for damage and the need for a fresh coat of paint. At a minimum, most garage doors need a solid scrubbing with a bristle brush every spring to remove dirt, debris and moss. Be sure to wait to do this task until after you’ve pressure washed your driveway since doing so will splatter dirt back onto the doors. After you’ve inspected the garage doors, apply the same approach to your other exterior entry doors. Remember that on average, an appealing front door can boost your home’s value by $4,000-$6,000. That’s a big return on $50 in materials if you repaint it yourself!

#4. Adding an outdoor covered area/kitchen. The Pacific Northwest is well-known for its rainy climate which can make outdoor dining and gatherings very hard to count on for all months, save July and August. We still have a lot of beautiful weather and moderate temperatures outside of those two months, and having a dry, covered outdoor area is a big selling point that will be a hit with future buyers. Our moderate climate also makes outdoor kitchens a great option to install since it’s rarely too cold to use a grill, so long as it’s covered from rain. Besides a bult-in grill, another worthwhile investment is to add one wall along a covered outdoor area that includes a counter, mini-sink and an undercounter refrigerator and beverage center. The average return on investment for outdoor kitchens ranges anywhere from 50% to 200%.

Taking the time and energy to invest in your home’s exterior can be rewarding to you while you still live in your home and also make a positive impact once it’s time to sell. Remember, any repair items that are safety risks should be repaired no matter what.