Exterior Makeover For Under $20

Now that the temperatures are finally beginning to drop a bit, I am able to do more work on the exterior of the house. It always amazes me what a bit of paint can do. Often times, things don’t have to be replaced – they just need a coat of fresh paint, which is far cheaper than buying a whole new item.

This weekend, I was busy painting my shutters, light fixtures and mailbox. With a little prep work such as cleaning and sanding, painting was a breeze and I am very happy with the results.

When I bought this house, the mailbox stand color was a mix of gray, blue, and green. I am not a big fan of green. I think the black shutters look much better against the reddish brick.

I used this paint for the shutters and mailbox stand. The paint is thick and not too glossy. I didn’t need a primer


I forgot to take a before picture of the light fixture. It was a rusty brass color – not pretty at all. Now it pops against the brick. This is my favorite Rust-Oleum spray paint. It gives amazing coverage and it’s easy to spray. I gave the light fixture two light coats.

If I had replaced everything I painted, I would have spent hundreds of dollars. Instead, the two paints come in at under $20 ,and there is still plenty leftover.

Next up is my front door. I can’t decide if I want the door to be white or a light turquoise. I’ll keep you updated on that one.

Have you done any exterior house work lately?

***Just to be clear, even though the nice folks at Rust-Oleum provided some paint used for these projects, I provided my honest opinion because I truly love their products.