Sunday, June 12, 2011

First Impressions

What do you base your first impression of a home on?  Is it the lawn, the front door, or the all of the above?  I think it is probably all of the above for most of us but I do think the yard makes a huge difference...Post coming soon on that one.(see how we dealt with one lawn issue here)
Let's talk front doors.  Our door was fine..nothing special(still nothing special really) but I felt like it could give a bad first impression to any would be buyers as they entered the house.
This was it.  We attempted to paint it black a year or so ago but made the mistake of picking black from a swatch and it had a purple tint to it.
This was the "super cheap" DR Horton choice of door bell.  Almost every doorbell in the neighborhood has broken like this..No plastic left on the button so it's a "push at your own risk" doorbell.
And here is the not so quality choice of door knob that Dr. Horton supplied.  We have lived here 4 years and the finish is almost completely worn off plus the deadbolt was really hard to unlock(not real welcoming to a potential buyer if their realtor has a hard time unlocking the door right?)  And..the paint was already a little chipped on the front door.
So I thought we should freshen this spot up a bit.  We replaced the doorbell(our selection is not fancy either but guests won't be shocked).  On a side note...when you have lost a ton of value on your home it is really hard to make changes and spiffy it up without feeling like your throwing more money down the drain.  So we had to be conservative yet make it look clean and well taken care of.
We then repainted the door black.  We just asked the guy at Sherwin Williams for a basic black this time instead of looking for a swatch.
Then we replaced the door knob and deadbolt.
We then added a little color in the form of some flowers in the corner instead of the pencil cactus that was there.  Hopefully this will get bigger and more vibrant quickly!

So now we have this..Again nothing huge but when you approach the door you don't notice chipping paint, a worn out door knob, and an electrocuting door bell(that is one way to keep the solicitors away though..hmmm)!

Before
After
Linked up to the great daily parties on the right and:

21 comments:

Nellie's Cozy Place said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks very nice. The brushed nickel shows up so much better, and like how you have the pots arranged as well, just looks more attractive,
always nice to have a fresh clean look. It says welcome!! Those lil
details make a home sell very quickly. Great job!

Blessings, Nellie

Katie @ minivan diva said... Best Blogger Tips

Wow, it looks so beautiful. It is amazing how it doesn't take much to get a whole new look.

Mandy Jean said... Best Blogger Tips

I also have a DR Horton home. We changed out all of our fixtures, doors, handles, etc. Makes for a nicer presentation when you add detail. Beautiful home by the way.

Anonymous said... Best Blogger Tips

very attractive - your selection of hardware couldn't be better and your plantings have the look of a fuss-free garden. Great job!

http://sassandfrasscrafts.blogspot.com/ said... Best Blogger Tips

That looks lovely. It gave it a nice pop of colour. Tess

Kelly said... Best Blogger Tips

it's beautiful before and after.

Patti @ Pandoras Box said... Best Blogger Tips

Love that door knob...and your landscaping looks so pretty, too

Rhonda said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks nice Jessica!

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks great!!
I am new follower from the Take it From me hop. :) I am also going to follow you on Twitter.
southernfriedgreenmom.blogpsot.com/
@StayingHomeSane

Jen @ Domesticated Nomad said... Best Blogger Tips

I'm so glad you talked about picking the black paint. We are about to paint our door black. Now I know just to go ask for basic black. Thanks! You probably saved me a lot of grief. :)

XOXO, Michelle said... Best Blogger Tips

small details make a big difference!

New follower from the hop!

Paula
http://realhousewifeofsingapore.blogspot.com

newcombhome said... Best Blogger Tips

The doorknob makes a big difference! Your front stoop looks great!

Visiting from The Shabby Chic Cottage Linky Party.

Kristy said... Best Blogger Tips

I think your changes added tons of curb appeal! It looks very neat and well kept.

I'm your newest follower. I'd love to have you follow me at www.illgetyoumypretties.blogspot.com.

Beth said... Best Blogger Tips

Very nice, love the planters and plants!
Beth

Carrie said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks Great! It's the little things that make the difference. Good job!

Jane said... Best Blogger Tips

It is so insane how much a new, nice looking door knob can make the whole entrance way look better!

May said... Best Blogger Tips

The shocking old door bell made me laugh! Loved your idea of using it for solicitors though.

Jules said... Best Blogger Tips

You did a super job! Love the new black. I once did the same thing and picked off a swatch and ended up with midnight blue. Good idea on switching the locks; as a realtor it is frustrating to stand there forever trying to open the door! You made me laugh at your shocking doorbell. Great job all around! jules

Unknown said... Best Blogger Tips

Looks great! You should link it to my Front Porch Party! Going on now until Friday. http://www.elephantstrunkllb.com/2011/06/summer-safari-front-porch-fun.html

At The Picket Fence said... Best Blogger Tips

I think it looks fantastic and any buyer would find it a welcoming sight! Thanks so much for sharing it with us at Inspiration Friday this week! :-)
Vanessa

Kathy said... Best Blogger Tips

Visiting your blog for the first time from the HOUSEography tour! Love the updates you did! Glad you were able to get a true Jet Black... it makes all the difference. Love the hardware too. :)