Your home’s curb appeal is related to exterior factors like your landscaping, driveway, paint colours and mailbox. Another factor that can make or break your property’s attractiveness is its window treatments.
But wait. Window coverings are installed inside the house. How can they impact the look of your property when viewed from the street?
The fact is that the overall appearance of a property depends on several factors, including window coverings.
Let’s look at some common window treatment mistakes that could be damaging your curb appeal.
Are Your Window Coverings Damaging Your Home’s Curb Appeal?
Window treatments play an important role in creating a positive first impression about your home, from both inside and outside.
Here are some common window covering mistakes made by homeowners that ruin their property’s curb appeal.
1) No Window Treatments
When you pass by a house and don’t notice its window treatments, you’ll surely notice when there aren’t any. That’s a big no-no. The absence of window coverings not only decreases your privacy but mars your home’s beauty. Make sure your windows are covered by some kind of blind, shade, curtain or drape to make a big impact.
2) Mismatched Window Coverings
A house with a neat, uniform look attracts more eyeballs than one that’s mismatched.
To that end, window coverings play a vital role in making your property visually appealing. Your street-facing windows should be all the same colour to give your exterior uniformity. The safest choice is white as you won’t have to worry about colour fading with sun damage.
3) Asymmetrical Position
This mistake is common when you install window shades. If the position of the shades isn’t uniform – for example, some are lowered halfway while others are raised – it will look unpleasant and ruin your curb appeal. Your best bet is to keep all shades on windows across the front of your house in the same position to make the exterior look symmetrical.
4) Window Treatments Clashing with Décor
The secret to using window treatments to improve your property’s curb appeal is to choose ones that coordinate with its other exterior features. Avoid making the mistake of buying window treatments that clash with your outside decor. For instance, if you have wood exteriors, sheer curtains won’t match. In this case, the perfect choice would be plantation shutters or wood blinds. Similarly, a house with contemporary features like angled roof lines, large windows and bold, geometric shapes should have vertical blinds or honeycomb shades for a not-so-traditional appearance.
5) Wrongly Sized Window Coverings
Coverings that don’t fit your windows cause functional issues such as light gap around the edges. This can make a big dent on your house’s curb appeal. Common blunders like curtain rods installed too low or panel lengths being too short can make your windows look disorganized.
To keep these decorating fails from ruining your home’s appearance from the street, correctly measure the windows and install treatments with the help of a window covering professional.
6) Non-Functional Window Treatments
Each type of window has a function and requires a specific type of covering to enhance its practicality. Installing coverings that don’t complement the functionality and design of your windows ignores your property’s curb appeal.
For instance, if your bay window is facing the street, go for motorized shades; if you have an arched window in front, choose custom shutters; and if you have a trapezoid window, install wooden blinds. These combinations perfectly match the purpose of these windows.
Additional Tips
If you’ve made the above-mentioned mistakes, you can rectify them. You can even enhance the curb appeal of your property by following these additional tips.
- To make a positive first impression, install exterior shutters. They’re a good choice for aesthetic reasons and give you the freedom to install whatever type of window covering you want to inside without worrying about curb appeal.
- To give your windows a uniform look and steer clear of having to keep them in the same position, go for motorized shades. They cover windows with one solid piece of fabric that’ll never be rumpled or uneven, unlike roman shades.
- Avoid installing mini blinds on windows overlooking the street as these give windows a crowded look when viewed from outside.
The curb appeal of your property is important if you’re planning to sell it. Instead of choosing random window coverings for every room to match your interiors, consider how they’ll look from the outside, for both aesthetic appeal and functionality. Get in touch with our window covering professionals to learn how to get the best of both worlds without ruining your home’s curb appeal.
