Front view of a freshly updated home exterior featuring a warm wood-tone garage door, stone facade, gray front door, and a wooden pergola with garden landscaping.

This DIY Exterior Remodel Took 3 Years—Here’s Everything We Did

Garden & Yard

Completely transforming the outside of our home was no small feat. Taking on this exterior house remodel one DIY project at a time meant sore muscles, plenty of trial and error, and a whole lot of love. But now? Pulling into our driveway brings me so much joy. The transformation is dramatic, the curb appeal is next-level, and it added real value to our home.

If you’re dreaming about your own DIY exterior house remodel, I’m sharing every step we took—from garden beds to stone painting—so you can get inspired and maybe even try a few of these projects yourself.

Front view of a freshly updated home exterior featuring a warm wood-tone garage door, stone facade, gray front door, and a wooden pergola with garden landscaping.

Table of Contents

Before the Remodel: Our Home’s Brown and Bland Starting Point

This was our house when we bought it. Lifeless, dated, and very brown. We were moving from Utah to Nebraska and didn’t even get to see it in person before buying (yes, really!). It had potential, but it definitely needed work.

Sad and dated two-story suburban home with tan siding, stone accents, and a brown shingle roof, photographed on a clear blue-sky day before a DIY exterior house remodel. The front features a cream-colored garage door, three large front-facing windows with white trim, and a small child in a pink outfit playing near a trailer parked in the driveway. The lawn is patchy with early spring grass, and leafless trees in the background suggest late winter or early spring.

Turning a Neglected Side Yard into a Dreamy Vegetable Garden

One of the first projects in our exterior house remodel was turning an unused side yard into a full-blown veggie garden. It was sunny and spacious—just waiting for a glow-up.

Side yard space with patchy grass and freshly turned soil beside a white house with vertical vinyl siding. A wooden privacy fence and leafless trees are in the background, hinting at early spring.

Can you even believe it’s the same space from the “before” photo? This little garden not only looks amazing, but it gives us fresh produce all summer long.

Fully grown summer garden with lush greenery and vibrant orange marigolds overflowing from raised beds. A wooden garden arch supports flowering vines and is framed by string lights, creating a charming entryway. The garden addition was part of an exterior house remodel.

We did hire out the concrete sidewalk that runs through the garden and leads to the backyard shed. It was a big job—one I was happy to outsource. While the crew was here, we also had them extend the front porch to make room for some cozy seating.

Two men working on pouring and smoothing fresh concrete for a curved garden path beneath a wooden arbor as part of an exterior house remodel. The path leads through a backyard garden space, bordered by raised beds and string lights overhead.
Man pouring a wheelbarrow full of wet concrete into a curved form near the front porch of a home with stone siding. The area is prepped with compacted dirt and framed with wood to shape the new sidewalk or landing.

How We Used Pavers to Expand Our Narrow Driveway

Next on the exterior house remodel list: the driveway. It was way too narrow for our family’s needs. Instead of bringing the concrete crew back, I decided to do a DIY paver driveway extension. I fired up my tiller and got to work.

The final result? So good. It blends beautifully with the existing driveway and gave us the extra space we needed.

Woman using an electric tiller to break up a strip of soil along the edge of a driveway. She’s working in workout clothes, prepping the area for a new sidewalk, with patchy grass and a quiet suburban street in the background.
Freshly installed curved brick paver sidewalk running along the edge of a driveway as part of an exterior house remodel. The multi-colored pavers create a clean, patterned look bordered by grass and concrete, showing a major curb appeal upgrade.

Budget-Friendly Concrete Edging for Landscape Borders

After the pavers, I turned my focus to landscaping. I started by adding DIY concrete curbs to define the planting beds and edge the lawn. This was a super budget-friendly project that added a ton of structure and texture to our yard (totally necessary in any exterior house remodel). I perfected my concrete curbing skills that summer, so check out the full post for all my tips and tricks.

Woman kneeling in the dirt, installing flexible form boards to shape a curved concrete garden edge. Tools and disturbed grass surround the trench being prepped for pouring.
Two women shoveling wet concrete into a curved wood form to build a new garden edge. The concrete path follows a gentle slope in the front yard, with a wheelbarrow and tools nearby.

Installing Fresh Sod and Updating Our Front Yard Landscaping

Next up, we ripped out the old, patchy lawn and replaced it with fresh sod. Instant lushness! We planted low-maintenance flowers, and added decorative rocks and pavers to our park strip. This may have been my favorite part of our exterior house remodel.

Woman kneeling in the grass while working along a freshly poured concrete garden edge. She’s securing a green garden hose or drip irrigation tubing, prepping the border between lawn and flower bed.
Mother and daughter working together to plant flowering bushes and perennials in a freshly prepped flower bed as part of a DIY exterior house remodel. Potted plants are spread across the soil near a sidewalk on a sunny day.

Building a Cute and Custom DIY Mailbox

Did you happen to notice that old, ugly mailbox we had before? Absolutely had to go. I built a custom wood post and mailbox that ties in with the rest of the home’s style. Functional and pretty.

DIY built mailbox with black metal box mounted on a crisp white post, featuring bold house numbers painted vertically. Surrounding landscaping includes blooming white daisies, purple salvia, and mulch beds bordered by concrete edging. The fresh curb appeal is all part of a DIY exterior house remodel.

Quick Curb Appeal Boosts That Made a Big Difference

Even though we still have more to do in our exterior house remodel, the difference so far is amazing. In addition to the big projects I named up above, these small but mighty changes have totally transformed the vibe of our home:

View of a home's front entry and bare yard in early spring. The stone exterior, curved concrete walkway, and sparse grass show a blank slate before landscaping or porch updates.
Refreshed front porch with modern black door, decorative wreath, and oversized planters filled with greenery. New curved concrete edging frames a mulched garden bed with lush green shrubs, white flowers, and a stone path leading from the lawn. Landscaping made a big difference in this exterior house remodel.

The Most Controversial Project: Yes, I Painted the Stone—and Here’s Why It Was Worth It

Okay… of all the projects during our exterior house remodel, this one stirred up some drama on Instagram. The 1970s-style stone on the front of the house? I just couldn’t stand it. I used mortar to fill in some of the deeper gaps and smooth out the texture, then painted over it with the same creamy off-white as the rest of the siding.

Want to see the full process in action? You can read the blog post tutorial by clicking here, or check out this quick video tutorial!

Was it a bold choice? Yep. Was it worth it? Absolutely. It instantly modernized the whole exterior and made everything feel more cohesive.

Wide shot of a two-story home at sunset showcasing the completed stone transformation after an exterior house remodel. The freshly painted stone adds brightness and curb appeal, framed by lush green grass, flower beds, and cozy porch styling.

How I Made Our Old Garage Door Look Brand New with a Faux Garage Door Makeover

A brand new garage door wasn’t in the budget for our exterior house remodel, but that didn’t stop me. With a bit of paint and a faux hardware kit (complete with magnetic windows!), I gave our old garage door a total facelift. It now looks like a custom wood garage door—and it cost a fraction of the price.

Woman wearing gloves applies a faux wood stain technique to a garage door using a rag and layered paint strokes. The section is taped off with painter’s tape for clean edges.
Close-up of faux black window decals being installed on the upper section of a freshly painted faux wood garage door. A red nail gun rests in hand to secure accessories in place.
Completed faux wood garage door makeover featuring a smooth wood-toned finish with black decorative hardware and faux window panels at the top for a carriage-style look.

Creating a DIY Paver Pad for Our Trailer Storage

Once the front of the house was starting to look good, I couldn’t stand seeing our trailer parked smack in the middle of the driveway. So, I cleared a spot next to the house and created a DIY paver pad, complete with its own little cement curb border. Now the trailer has its own home—and our driveway feels way more open.

Woman in athletic shorts and tank top using an electric tiller to break up grass and soil in a front yard, prepping the area for a hardscape installation.
Small utility trailer parked on a newly installed concrete paver pad in a front yard, framed by crisp lawn edging and lush grass.

DIY Privacy Fence to Hide Our Trash Cans

The last major eyesore was our trash cans. I had grand plans for a more elaborate enclosure, but let’s just say my husband was completely done with all the exterior house remodel projects by this point. We compromised with a simpler design: a quick, easy privacy fence that hides the trash bins and blends right in with the rest of the yard.

Four large outdoor trash and recycling bins lined up on a clean brick paver pad with arched wood arbor and garden beds visible in the background.
DIY wooden fence enclosure built to hide trash cans, set on a red paver pad with a curved sidewalk and a wooden garden pergola nearby.

Final Reveal: The Before and After of Our Exterior House Remodel

One last peek at the before and after for you, because even I can barely believe this is the same house we bought three years ago!

Sad and dated two-story suburban home with tan siding, stone accents, and a brown shingle roof, photographed on a clear blue-sky day before a DIY exterior house remodel. The front features a cream-colored garage door, three large front-facing windows with white trim, and a small child in a pink outfit playing near a trailer parked in the driveway. The lawn is patchy with early spring grass, and leafless trees in the background suggest late winter or early spring.
Front view of a freshly updated home exterior featuring a warm wood-tone garage door, stone facade, gray front door, and a wooden pergola with garden landscaping.

This exterior house remodel was a labor of love. None of it happened overnight—every DIY project added a little more life, function, and beauty to our home. From the garden beds to the painted stone and all the pavers in between, we chipped away one project at a time, and I couldn’t be more proud of how far we’ve come.

Close-up of a cozy front porch with a dark painted door, floral wreath, textured stone siding, and natural wood Adirondack chairs surrounded by blooming landscaping.

If you’re staring at your own fixer-upper wondering where to start, just pick one small project. You don’t need to do it all at once. Bit by bit, you’ll create something beautiful—and you’ll learn so much along the way.

Front view of a freshly updated home exterior featuring a warm wood-tone garage door, stone facade, gray front door, and a wooden pergola with garden landscaping.

Frequently Asked Questions About Planning an Exterior House Remodel

What adds the most value in an exterior house remodel?

Curb appeal upgrades like fresh landscaping, a painted front door, updated lighting, and a new or faux garage door can instantly increase home value. Projects like replacing a roof or adding functional outdoor spaces (like patios or garden beds) also have a strong return on investment.

Can I remodel the exterior of my house myself?

Yes! Many exterior upgrades—like painting siding, laying pavers, building raised beds, or installing a new mailbox—are totally doable with basic tools and tutorials. Just take on one project at a time and learn as you go.

How much does a DIY exterior remodel cost?

The cost varies depending on your materials and how much you do yourself. Our full remodel was done over time with mostly DIY labor. For reference, raised beds can cost under $100, painting your garage door can be done for around $50, and landscaping depends on plant choices and size.

Do I need a permit for outdoor home renovations?

For most small-scale DIY exterior projects (like garden beds, painting, or installing lights), permits aren’t needed. But for bigger changes like building structures, altering driveways, or running electrical, always check with your city or county beforehand.

Should I update landscaping before selling my home?

Absolutely. Simple landscaping improvements—like laying sod, planting low-maintenance flowers, or adding concrete curbing—boost curb appeal and can help your home sell faster and at a higher price.

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