DIY renovations are popular for a number of reasons, but often they are an inevitable reality for homeowners who stay in their home for a long time and for those that can only afford to buy something that is old, out-dated or run-down. Renovations are a great way to improve the style of a home and to make it look and feel modern and fresh. They are often required as a form of maintenance, to prevent damage and the effects of age on the home or to repair, to fix any damage due to age, damage, wear and tear etc…
It is wise to develop a plan of attack on how you want to renovate the exterior of your home.  You can get these ideas from home design shows, looking around your neighbourhood, magazines, DIY blogs, and pinterest.
You may need to submit your plans to your local council if they are structural or required by law (if plans and permissions are required). Check if any preparation work that needs to be done to your house before you get started.
The exterior finish of your home protects you and your family from environmental elements such as wind, precipitation and extreme temperatures so you need to ensure that its in good condition. Whether your home is covered in brick, timber, vinyl or metal sheeting, or rendered, you will need to do some preparatory work if you see any staining, ageing, displacement, or water damage to its surface. Rendering is a great way to freshen up tired brickwork. You can buy ready-made cement render at Bunnings and other hardware shops. Simply add water to the pre-mix and mix in a wheel barrow and apply with a trowel (there are video tutorials on youtube on how to render). You should take extra care to check the exterior and interior around the windows and doors of your home to detect any of these problems. Making repairs early, at the first sign of any of these problems will help to prevent the unhealthy infiltration of mould and water damage.
Signs of cracking, mould and moss on timber and cladding will require you to remove the effected area, repair the underlying source of the moisture damage and then restore or replace the original finish with the desired cladding or finish.
Vinyl, metal and cement cladding only need cleaning and is relatively low maintenance outside of the necessity to keeping caulking around windows and doors in good repair.
Keeping this information in mind and exercising regular maintenance and care to your home will help your home DIY projects stay at a manageable level so you can easily handle them on your own.
When purchasing an existing home for your renovation project, a Pre-Purchase Building Inspection will help to identify potential problems.