When building a home, people focus a lot on the interior of it. It makes sense since that’s where most of the daily living happens. However, the exterior design of the home is equally as important. Unfortunately, not every architect or homeowner can create a good design. Here are a few of the most common exterior design mistakes people make.
1. Too Small Shutters
Exterior shutters can really help a home’s curb appeal. They can beef up windows, add charm, and really reinforce certain home styles. The problem with them is that most people don’t get the right size. Properly sized shutters should be able to fully close over the windows as if they were real. Most people make the mistake of getting ones that are too small, which ends up just looking disproportional. Also, not every home is suited for shutters, so make sure they match your home style before investing in them.
2. Dominating Garage
Garages are gold in the GTA. Not every home is lucky enough to have them, but while they’re extremely practical and valuable, they shouldn’t be the star of the home. A common mistake people make is having the garage be the most dominant feature of the home. Front facing garages are sometimes the best design, but make sure you pick a garage door color that blends into the exterior rather than starkly stands out.
3. Complicated Roof Line
Back in the early 2000s, there was a trend to create McMansions. These were giant homes that were a mismatch of architectural styles. A defining feature of them was overly complicated rooflines. Overly complicated rooflines not only look bad, but they also add a lot of costs to home building.
4. Poor Paint Color
Picking paint colors for the interior of your custom home is hard, but picking the right paint color for the exterior of the home is even harder. You want your home to stand out, but for the right reason. Take into account your environment, your home style, and neighborhood norms. A lime green home might seem fun, but in reality, it probably isn’t a great idea.
5. Skimpy Pillars
If you have pillars or columns on your home’s exterior, make sure they’re properly sized. A common mistake is to make them too skinny. This can cause them to look undersized and disproportional to a home. Beefing up pillars is a quick way to add curb appeal and make your home’s exterior look better!
6. No Obvious Entrance
The front entrance is what greets guests when they visit, but these days it’s pretty rare to find people that actually use their front door frequently. A lot of people use garage, rear, or side entrances to come and go from their house daily. This causes them to not pay much attention to the main entrance. Even if you don’t regularly use the main door, it should be clear from the outside where it is. Having two doors near each other, without clearly identifying which one people should use, is a big mistake and it leads to a lot of confusion.
