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Affordable House Exterior Ideas and Designs

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Island Passive House
Island Passive House
The Artisans Group, Inc.The Artisans Group, Inc.
This prefabricated 1,800 square foot Certified Passive House is designed and built by The Artisans Group, located in the rugged central highlands of Shaw Island, in the San Juan Islands. It is the first Certified Passive House in the San Juans, and the fourth in Washington State. The home was built for $330 per square foot, while construction costs for residential projects in the San Juan market often exceed $600 per square foot. Passive House measures did not increase this projects’ cost of construction. The clients are retired teachers, and desired a low-maintenance, cost-effective, energy-efficient house in which they could age in place; a restful shelter from clutter, stress and over-stimulation. The circular floor plan centers on the prefabricated pod. Radiating from the pod, cabinetry and a minimum of walls defines functions, with a series of sliding and concealable doors providing flexible privacy to the peripheral spaces. The interior palette consists of wind fallen light maple floors, locally made FSC certified cabinets, stainless steel hardware and neutral tiles in black, gray and white. The exterior materials are painted concrete fiberboard lap siding, Ipe wood slats and galvanized metal. The home sits in stunning contrast to its natural environment with no formal landscaping. Photo Credit: Art Gray
Black
Black
Shapiro DidwayShapiro Didway
This is an example of a small and brown modern two floor house exterior in Portland with wood cladding.
Modern Heavy Timber Curved Wall Home
Modern Heavy Timber Curved Wall Home
Tomecek Studio ArchitectureTomecek Studio Architecture
Photo by Raul Garcia Project by Studio H:T principal in charge Brad Tomecek (now with Tomecek Studio Architecture). This urban infill project juxtaposes a tall, slender curved circulation space against a rectangular living space. The tall curved metal wall was a result of bulk plane restrictions and the need to provide privacy from the public decks of the adjacent three story triplex. This element becomes the focus of the residence both visually and experientially. It acts as sun catcher that brings light down through the house from morning until early afternoon. At night it becomes a glowing, welcoming sail for visitors.
Granite Mountains Springs Ranch
Granite Mountains Springs Ranch
Karissa Mae Wade DesignKarissa Mae Wade Design
This is an example of a medium sized and gey traditional bungalow house exterior in Austin with stone cladding.
la Maison Charrier
la Maison Charrier
Bernard Touillon PhotographeBernard Touillon Photographe
Bernard Touillon photographe La Maison de Charrier décorateur
Medium sized and beige country two floor house exterior in Nice.
Street view
Street view
Tim Andersen ArchitectTim Andersen Architect
New second floor does not extend full width of bungalow, but projects two feet beyond front allowing lower roofs to abut its sides. New covered porch at entry provides shelter and helps to reduce scale as one approaches. Custom entry door is 42 inches wide. Materials and details closely match existing for a seamless addition. Exterior colors are: body, Miller Paint "Newbury Moss;" trim, Miller Paint "Wooden Nutmeg;" sash, Lowe's American Traditions "Jekyll Club Cherokee Rust." David Whelan photo
Morningside Make-Over
Morningside Make-Over
Blake Shaw HomesBlake Shaw Homes
This mid-century home was given a complete overhaul, just love the way it turned out.
Photo of a medium sized and beige traditional two floor brick detached house in Atlanta with a pitched roof and a shingle roof.
Une façade peut en cacher une autre
Une façade peut en cacher une autre
Leroy Merlin OFFICIELLeroy Merlin OFFICIEL
Ne délaissez pas votre façade, aménagez-la comme votre intérieur.
Inspiration for a medium sized and white contemporary two floor house exterior in Lille with stone cladding and a flat roof.
Oakley Home Builders
Oakley Home Builders
Oakley Home BuildersOakley Home Builders
Photo of a medium sized and blue traditional two floor house exterior in Chicago with wood cladding and a pitched roof.
Custom Contemporary Home
Custom Contemporary Home
Gryphon BuildersGryphon Builders
This custom contemporary home was designed and built with a unique combination of products that give this home a fun and artistic flair. For more information about this project please visit: www.gryphonbuilders.com. Or contact Allen Griffin, President of Gryphon Builders, at 281-236-8043 cell or email him at allen@gryphonbuilders.com
Contemporary Craftsman
Contemporary Craftsman
James David Custom HomesJames David Custom Homes
·Custom built 2 ¼” x 42” paint grade Dutch door with a one light. ·Cedar wood shake ·Boxed eaves with 1” x 6” Windsor One ·Batten board detail in entry way and entry A frame ·Flagstone walkway Photo by: Steve Deneberg
Josh Wynne Construction
Josh Wynne Construction
Josh Wynne ConstructionJosh Wynne Construction
LEED-H Platinum certified. Florida WaterStar Gold certified. Energy Star and Energy Star IAP+. Florida Friendly Landscape. Photos by Matt McCorteney.
This is an example of a large and white mediterranean two floor render house exterior in Tampa with a pitched roof.
Mediterranean Update - Long Beach, CA
Mediterranean Update - Long Beach, CA
Morey Remodeling GroupMorey Remodeling Group
Morey Remodeling updated this 70's era house by designing an expanded entryway to create balance, a new exterior focal point and the footage for an upstairs walk-in-closet. The welcoming, rustic mahogany wood door has an arch-top with iron speakeasy grille and clavos.
Colonial Revival exteriors with additions and conservatory
Colonial Revival exteriors with additions and conservatory
Rob Sanders Architects LLCRob Sanders Architects LLC
This home originated as a homestead in the early 19th century, and was enlarged in 1905. The classic 5-bay front facade features a Colonial Reival porch and dormers. Numerous 20th-century additions detracting from the original house were removed to provide a light-filled Family Room,
Audubon Square Lot 10
Audubon Square Lot 10
Meridian Homes L.L.C. - Brian AucoinMeridian Homes L.L.C. - Brian Aucoin
Photo of a medium sized and yellow farmhouse bungalow house exterior in New Orleans with mixed cladding.
Sommerhus D
Sommerhus D
Kassow ArkitekterKassow Arkitekter
This is an example of a medium sized and black scandi house exterior in Aalborg with wood cladding and a pitched roof.
Johnson
Johnson
Frederick + Frederick ArchitectsFrederick + Frederick Architects
Corner entry on wood framed house
Photo of a medium sized and green traditional two floor house exterior in Atlanta with wood cladding and a pitched roof.
1999 showcase
1999 showcase
Witt ConstructionWitt Construction
Inspiration for a traditional house exterior in New York.

Affordable House Exterior Ideas and Designs

With so much attention devoted to interior design, the exterior of a home can often get overlooked, but as the first thing that welcomes both us and our guests, it is worth devoting some time tending to the outside of your house. Furthermore, focusing on the kerb appeal of your home can add significant value if and when it comes time to sell up. Georgian, Edwardian and Victorian homes, with their bay windows and elegant plasterwork, often benefit from built in architecture advantages, but even if your house design is unassuming from the outside, small decorative and structural improvements to the exterior of your home can equal huge impact. Key areas of building design to focus on are the front door, the driveway or approach to your home, the porch area, the windows, the facade and the roof. And just a note of caution... before any significant exterior architecture gets under way, check first whether you need planning permission for your exterior house designs– this applies particularly to listed houses or buildings in a conservation area, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. Take a look through the house designs, exterior architecture and images of front doors and driveways on Houzz to inspire your facade or building design, or read on for a few more pointers when it comes to redesigning your exterior.

How do I give my home an exterior facelift?

You may feel like your home’s exterior architecture is unalterable but there are a wide range of options available to improve its external building design, no matter what raw materials you begin with. Begin with the front door and the pathway or driveway that lead up to your home as these are easy to improve without huge budgets. A driveway or pathway must be kept neat and tidy and you can consider replacing tarmac with attractive tiles or gravel. Repainting or replacing the fence, wall or gate that fronts your home can also offer an overnight transformation without breaking the bank. An area to not cut corners however is the front door, where spending a little extra can make a huge difference in quality, and painting it in a colour you love will pay you back every time it welcomes you home! Updating your windows can be a significant building design project but it is one that has benefits both inside and out, as well as potentially saving you money on energy later. If you are lucky enough to have period windows such as bay windows with sash or leaded windows, then maintaining them should be a top priority, but if they are beyond repair then there are plenty of window professionals that will offer modern, double or triple glazed equivalents that could still work in your bay window. Working with uPVC? Not a problem – the best improvement you can make is to ensure your windows are the right size and shape for your home's overall proportions.

How do I update my home’s facade?

When it comes to updating the facade of your home, painting is the quickest and most affordable way to achieve a makeover, and if you opt for a colour other than white it can really make a statement (although sticking within the palette of your road and local area is advisable). A makeover that requires a bit more patience but can add romance and character to the most mundane of homes is to adorn the walls with climbing plants – delicate trailing wisteria is ever a British favourite, whilst roses and jasmine offer fragrance as well as beauty. If you’re looking to make more significant changes to the exterior of your home, whether that is adding timber cladding, hanging tiles, installing a bay window or rendering, then you should first check whether your house designs require planning permission. A New England style wood boarded home is beautiful and bright, but remember that it will need frequent repainting if it is going to stay looking its best, whilst stucco render or Tyrolean render can tidy up a home's exterior but think carefully before covering over original brickwork.

What should I consider if building a home from scratch?

If you’re working with an architect on a brand new build, the options are endless when it comes to deciding on the exterior architecture. But first things first, you will need to check planning permissions, building regulations and local restrictions, such as being in a conservation area, to make sure your plans for your exterior house designs will meet stipulations. If you are building in a street with predominantly Victorian facades, with bay windows and side returns, you might need to ensure your house designs fit in with the rest of the homes on the street, but if you’re building in a more remote area you’ll probably have more freedom for your building design. There are many architectural decisions to make, do you want a flat, gabled, hipped, mansard or perhaps even a curved roof? Do you want bay windows? Crittall windows? Perhaps external shutters? Do you want glass walls? Do you want wood cladding? Do you want a very symmetrical building design or something more contemporary? The decision is all yours but remember to consider the benefits of various materials over others and the effects that some architecture styles will have on everyday life, for example glass walls will look attractive but will give you less privacy. Your architect or builder will be able to guide you through the best exterior architecture choices for your house designs.
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United Kingdom
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