Brick house renovation: Before and after

Why you might want to update the exterior?

A home exterior makeover is always a savvy investment decision because first impressions count, and if it’s cheap, why not?
It's easy to get intimidated by an unruly yard, strewn with rubbish and the ramshackle remnants of years of neglect. Yet the reality of buying an unrenovated house is that this is exactly what you want – because most buyers will be too daunted by first appearances to see the ideas beyond the mess and visualise how relatively simple it is to tidy a tip.

Whether it be 1980s, 70s, 60s or even 50s home that needs a rejig, sometimes the exterior home needs to be bagged then rebuilt, or in this case, rendered.

Can you do it yourself?

Whether you're painting over bricks or rendering, you can do a house facade renovation yourself, which saves on an expensive labour cost. Then, just bring in the tradies when the grunt work is done.

Will it increase the value of your house?

Depending on the modifications made to the exterior, it can potentially increase the value of your house.

What do you need to consider before updating your brick house exterior?

One of the first things to consider with brick house renovation before and after in Australia is painting the trims, gutters, fascias and bargeboards on your house. The use of modern, stylish colours will help freshen and revitalise the exterior. Generally steer away from white trims as that’s what a lot of older brick houses use. If you’ve got light or mid-coloured bricks, use a darker colour such as charcoal, dark grey or black.

Softening the heaviness of the brick will be your main goal so take a look at the front of the property and find areas you can update, modify or replace. For example, can you replace or repaint the front door? If you choose to paint, either match the colour to the newly painted trims or go for an entirely different colour to create a striking focal point.
Take a look at your windows and window dressings. Can you update anything? Steer away from blocks of curtains – when viewed from the outside it presents as one big block of colour. Try something streamlined and linear such as wooden or white slatted blinds.
Landscaping can go a long way towards softening and balancing the exterior. The key is to aim for balance rather than symmetry, so choose a few spots such as the base of the house or entryway and plant in dense clumps.

And lastly, take a look at fences, awnings, porticos and porch details to see if you can modernise them through repainting, replacing or revamping them. If you don’t have a fence, consider adding one along the front boundary to add definition and soften the exterior.
As you make your changes, it helps to keep in mind that the aim is to visually break up and soften the block-like, heaviness of a brick house rather than to hide it.
Consider the cost of which avenue you’d like to take and research each and weigh them up accordingly. Refer to images for inspiration, and then research. Will landscape be more upkeep than may suit your lifestyle? Does the idea of a porch excite you whilst the idea of having to hire tradespeople not as exciting? These are further practicalities that one must keep in mind.

Rendering a house: Before and after

1. 1960s home to rendered mansion

Before: This 1960s brick home had a tiled roof and exposed brickwork inside and out.

After: Brick sills were chopped off, and the home rendered and painted. Timber screens were added to bedroom windows. New landscaping, a new balustrade to the front porch, and new lighting. Cosmetic renovations that make a dramatic change to the look of this home.

2. 1950s home to modern cabin

Before: A brick-box lacking character and definition needs an overhaul aesthetically to revive its property value and neighbourhood appeal.

After: This 1950s home had a transformational renovation inside and out. Here, at the front, a new covered porch and landscaping changes the way the home looks. Brickwork has been painted, and windows changed.

3. Exterior House Render

Before: A commonly found red-bricked house that can be identified as the pinnacle of suburbia needs a much-needed facelift.

After: Render (which could equally be bagging or paintwork), render to the garden walls, new (more sculptural) planting, removal of the balustrade, and a new screen. Simple fixes to totally transform the look of this home.

Sarah Buckley

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