5 Curb-Appeal Before And Afters That'll Knock Your Socks Off

When homeowners are looking for upgrades that will enhance the look of their home from the curb, they target all the obvious stuff: front door, siding, foundation gardens, and whatnot. But the upgrade you forgot: ROOFING. A new roof not only looks great, but also boosts the overall health of your home. Learn more on making the upgrade, including how YOU can win 16,700 sq ft. of Bellaforté Shake Roofing Material from DaVinci Roofscapes (ARV: $25,000) in The Great TOH Giveaway this year! (Enter daily thru 9/2!)

Proud Farmhouse Before and After

Every month, hundreds of homeowners send us photos of their homes with hopes of being featured in This Old House magazine's popular Photoshop Redo column. And every month, we deliver a photo to a pro to create an inspirational mock of suggested upgrades. Punching Up a Proud Farmhouse (shown) was a reader favorite.

Architectural color consultant Bonnie Krims of Concord, Massachusetts, offered the owners of this 1895 upstate New York home an array of color ideas. The roof in this Photoshop Redo before and after is, in fact, the one thing that Krims didn't touch and that's probably because it's #flawless and looks a whole lot like the Shake Roofing we're trying to get rid of in this year's Great TOH Giveaway! Enter now!

Not-So-Cute Cottage

The owners of this 1940s cottage in Connecticut had been slowly upgrading their interior since 2006. Now that they're done with the inside, they needed inspiration for the exterior. "The outside doesn't do the rest of the house justice," says homeowner John Klick.

In addition to swapping an old asphalt roof for dimensional shingles (polymer shakes courtesy of DaVinci Roofscapes; about $2.95 per sq. ft), our design pro went crazy-in-a-good-way, suggesting the addition of dormers to let in more light upstairs. See more curb appeal-boosting ideas, including that other oft-overlooked upgrade: garage doors.

Edwardian Exterior

This 1901 Edwardian-era house, in Harbor Springs, Michigan, used to have a garish pink-and-purple exterior. "We painted over it, but this washed-out scheme doesn't seem right either," the homeowner said. To help her out, we enlisted James Martin of The Color People, in Denver, to develop a few color combinations that would play up the home's assets. The homeowner likes the blue (shown), but you can see the other mocks here.

RELATED: The $500 Home Makeover> How to Paint Your Exterior

Cookie-Cutter Ranch

Thing about Photoshop: the sky's the limit! We love Katy Perry but, if entertainment magazines can use it to do this...

buzzfeed.com

...then we can use Photoshop to brainstorm home-exterior upgrades, right? Anyhow, we digress...

In our designer's rendering of this house, new street-facing gable gives this ranch more architectural character and curb appeal. Realistic polymer shakes look like wood but won’t splinter or rot (DaVinci Roofscapes; about $2.95 per square foot uninstalled). Looking for micro-makeovers that won't break the bank? Get started with lighting up your entry.

Retro Ranch

The homeowner, who recently bought this 1970s two-story, in New Paltz, New York, never liked the look a raised ranches. But the house's lofty space and open layout were too tempting to pass up. So we asked architect Jeff DeGraw of nearby Middletown to reimagine its facade. "Adding too many historical references to a house like this would just look foolish," says DeGraw. But some traditional elements wouldn't feel out of place, he adds, such as cedar shingles in place of the dated composite clapboards, and stone veneer over the brown brick foundation.

"It looks beautiful," Carole says. "And I love the idea of larger windows; that's a change I'd definitely like to make."

Want a photoshop redo? Send snapshots to [e-mail] OR just look at our archive of past Photoshop Redos here.

And, Don't Forget!

Enter The Great TOH Giveaway DAILY thru 9/2 for your shot at $25,000 in amazing new roofing from Photoshop Redo-designer favorite DaVinci Roofscapes, PLUS dozens of other home upgrade prizes (valued at a total of $728,840) to help you turn the house you have into a home you'll love. Best of luck! Enter now!