A few updates—big or small—can dress up a home’s outside.
Buyers get their first impression of a home from its exterior, and a dated look on the outside may signal to them that the inside needs work, too. Jackie Mosher, cofounder of Dzinly, a virtual design platform enabling users to test different home exterior features, shares which styles are fading in popularity and offers suggestions to give them a fresh update.
Red brick: “Some call it a timeless look, but it hasn’t been on the top of a builder’s material list for a long time,” Mosher says.
Before:
![Red Brick Exterior BEFORE](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_007_before_redbrick_3.jpg?itok=MrI9hADv)
A modern update: Paint the red brick white or gray to give the home an entirely new look.
After:
![Red Brick Exterior AFTER](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_008_after_redbrick_3.jpg?itok=IYyzcDhQ)
Before:
![Red Brick Exterior BEFORE](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_005_before_redbrick_2.jpg?itok=ia1iJBia)
After:
![Red Brick Exterior AFTER](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_006_after_redbrick_2.jpg?itok=HE87A0uj)
Angled bay windows: “These are everywhere, and oftentimes, you don’t even realize they are the problem until you replace it,” Mosher says.
Before:
![Boxed Bay BEFORE](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_003_before_boxed_bay.jpg?itok=xSgdfIic)
A modern update: Replace the bay window with a boxed window. (Tip: Include a flower box on the border outside to really dress it up.)
After:
![Boxed Bay AFTER](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_004_after_boxed_bay.jpg?itok=_QS5A-07)
Decorative glass front door: “They’re functional because they provide some privacy, but these are not the best look anymore,” Mosher says.
Before:
![Decorative Door Glass BEFORE](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_001_before_door_decorative_glass.jpg?itok=GrSFQuVS)
A modern update: Opt for a door that is less bedazzled and just plain glass.
After:
![Decorative Door Glass AFTER](https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/inline_paragraph_image/public/sss_exterior_002_after_door_decorative_glass.jpg?itok=-Nyi9ILs)
Melissa Dittmann Tracey