2. Repaint the front door
The door is the focal point of everything in front of it, and a faded, chalky door undoes any amount of planting. A tin of exterior paint costs $30 to $50, CA$45 to CA$70 or £25 to £40 and covers a door twice with some left over.
Choose colour by what surrounds it. Deep blue-green, charcoal, dark navy and a proper black all look expensive against brick and render, and they hide dirt. Bright colours work when the door is simple and the frame is white. Avoid matching the door to the window frames exactly, which flattens the whole facade.
Preparation is 80 percent of the job. Wash the door with sugar soap to remove grime, sand the whole surface with 120 grit to flatten the old finish and key it, then fill any dents and sand again. Wipe off dust with a damp cloth. Mask the hinges, letterplate, handle and glass with low-tack tape — or better, unscrew the furniture entirely, which takes ten minutes and gives a far cleaner line.
Paint in the right order on a panelled door: mouldings first, then the panels, then the vertical centre stiles, then the horizontal rails, then the outer stiles, working quickly so edges stay wet. Two thin coats always beat one thick one, which runs.
Pick your day carefully. Exterior paint wants dry weather above 10°C, no direct hot sun, and enough daylight left for the door to be touch-dry before you shut it. Painting a door and closing it too soon glues it shut, which is a memorable mistake.
While the tape is on, clean or replace the door furniture. A new letterplate and handle set costs $30 and finishes the job.