The exterior of your house is something all visitors see and there are ways to improve the look and feel of it.
Here’s a look at seven different techniques the team at Three Birds Renovations has used to transform the exterior of the Baulkham Hills house.
1. Adding weatherboard cladding & spraying the roof
Fibro houses like this one, need to be handled with care as they can contain asbestos. Call in licenced professionals to remove this hazardous material.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132414/roof_before_article-1024x768.jpg)
The roof and outside of the house before the renovation began.
Here cement boards resembling original timber weatherboards were added as cladding for that cottage-style look.
These cement boards give the appearance of traditional timber cladding without the upkeep.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132427/roof_after_article-1024x768.jpg)
A look at the house after the cladding had been added and the roof painted.
The original roof tiles were dark brown and were sprayed using a lighter colour. This tone contrasts well with the grey cladding.
2. Defining the front yard
This house didn’t have a fence and the front yard wasn’t defined.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132443/yard_article.jpg)
A new fence clearly defines the space within the large front yard.
A white picket fence was added to the front and side of the house to clearly define the large front yard.
3. Box extension
To modernise this classic cottage, a box extension was added out the back with vertical cladding painted in a dark charcoal.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132440/box_article-1024x768.jpg)
The box out the back.
There is also a three-metre feature window in the centre which looks great.
4. Fretwork
Fretwork, an interlaced decorative piece of cut-out timber, was added to the front gable.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132422/fret_article-1024x768.jpg)
The fretwork really adds to the look of the front of the house.
This is one of those small details that can make a big difference.
5. Pink, grey & white
The exterior colour scheme is a subdued pallet of soft grey with white trims and a gentle pop of dusty pink courtesy of the new front door with gold hardware.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132419/palette_article-768x1024.jpg)
This softer palette improves the look of the home.
The palette here is a softer look compared to the original yellow and brown exterior.
6. Lavender plants
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132447/lavendar_article-1024x768.jpg)
Lavender adds to the cottage look and feel.
What cottage would be complete without a bed of dusky purple lavender plants?
7. Spraying the old fence
It’s easy to refresh the look of an old fence back with a spray gun and tin of paint.
![](https://www.realestate.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/22132408/fence_spray_article-1024x768.jpg)
Spraying the fence made a big difference.
Here the original timber and Colorbond fences were sprayed using the same colour as the house itself.