Clear clutter off the lawn and around your home's exterior, including hoses and hose reels, mismatched lawn ornaments, and kids' toys. Also, refrain from using the front porch as catchall for sporting equipment and gardening tools. Move these items into the garage, shed, or side porch when not in use. Create a sense of enclosure near the front entry by incorporating an arbor, trellis, or pergola. Just one of these structures can define the main entrance of your home while supplying structure and beauty. Outdoor lighting helps your house look welcoming at night. If you have a roofed entryway outside your front door, add an outdoor ceiling fixture or a pair of lanterns. Even a partially enclosed area will make the most of low-wattage outdoor lighting and help deter intruders. Or light up and give prominence to features you're proud of including beautiful trees and architectural details. Create an Outdoor Room A cozy sitting area invites conversation and relaxation with neighbors at the end of the day, and it will give your home's facade a friendlier look and feel.

Make room for a bench or a table with chairs -- if space will allow -- near the front entrance of your home. Cover the furniture with colorful, weather-resistant cushions and pillows. Fix flaws, such as peeling paint, sagging gutters, cracked windows, missing roof shingles, and damaged siding that detract from your home's beauty. indoor ac/heating unitsRent a power washer -- from a local home improvement store -- to make windows and siding look like new again. how much does a 10 ton ac unit costJust be sure the surface you plan to wash can withstand it. ac repair manual pdfRenew paved surfaces with a blast of water from a power washer as well. Make your home's front entrance an inviting focal point: Add a landscaping or a few nicely arranged container plants on either side of the front door or near the entry.

Vary the plant and container sizes and arrange containers on multiple levels. How-To: Design a Container Garden Container gardens are the perfect way to add a splash of color to your front entry, deck or patio or even fill in some blank spaces in your beds and borders. Add sparkle to the front entry with stylish -- and consistent -- exterior hardware. House numbers, mailboxes, porch lights, and more are easy upgrades to make. Also, the door handle is the first thing many guests will touch, so invest in a high-quality lockset that will give a subtle-but-solid first impression to guests when you invite them to come inside. Liven Up the Landscape Sometimes all your exterior needs to look its very best is a lift in landscaping. Aside from making sure bushes and shrubs are pruned and the lawn is mowed regularly, look for ways to spruce up your yard with decorative plantings and flowerbeds. Dress Up the Driveway The driveway is often overlooked when fixing up a home's facade yet it's on display for all to see.

Patch and seal your driveway, filling holes and cracks with asphalt patch. Apply fresh sealer to make a tired driveway look new again. Add interest by installing brick edging along the driveway or soften the look with flowerbeds or plantings. Create a friendlier facade by installing shutters. Aside from being a decorative element, functional shutters can add protection from bad weather and a layer of insulation from harsh temperatures when closed. If you're looking to add a pop of color to your exterior, paint the shutters an accent color. Add color, texture, and timeless appeal to your front lawn in the form of a friendly stone or brick walkway or a low wall. These are doable weekend projects for any do-it-yourselfer. Expert Advice: Whenever possible, lay bricks or pavers in patterns that minimize cuts. To make a small number of cuts by hand, use a saw with a dry-cut diamond blade. For larger projects, rent a saw from a hardware store; you'll minimize wear and tear on your power tools.

Find step-by-step instructions for installing a stone walkway. Garage doors are often an eyesore on home exteriors. If a new door isn't in your budget, spruce up what you have with a fresh coat of paint and an arbor that frames the door. Blooming vines gracing the top and sides of the garage create a charming focal point. Patch Up the Yard Healthy green grass makes a strong first impression. Repair worn spots in the lawn with a roll of sod purchased at a garden center (choose the same type as your existing turf). Water regularly until the new turf takes root. Apply a weed-and-feed treatment to ensure the grass has the soil nutrients it needs and doesn't have to compete with weeds. You can't get rid of bulky and unsightly air conditioning units and utility meters, but you can hide them. Keep these out of view with short sections of fencing or evergreen shrubs. Turn your windows into something worth looking at with exterior decorative molding. Wood trim is a good option because you can paint it an accent color.

For low maintenance, choose a polyurethane millwork. Your Best Exterior Ever If these simple and subtle changes aren't providing enough curb appeal, it may be time for some minor structural changes. Consider a new front door, roof, or siding. Or add columns and a portico. If you're contemplating a major facelift, call in professionals to help you envision and build your ideal exterior. Find 20 more easy ways to add curb appeal.Survivors who were partying at a gay club when terrorist Omar Mateen opened fire described the scenes of horror after they hid under dead bodies, ran for their lives, or heroically saved others who had been shot.Mateen entered the Orlando nightclub Pulse wielding a handgun and AR-15 assault rifle 'shortly after 2am, killing at least 49 people and injuring 53 more before he was shot dead by police around 5.35am.Nursing student Joshua McGill described hiding under a car and finding fellow club-goer Rodney Sumter with a bullet in each arm along with a gunshot wound in the back.

McGill, who ripped off his shirt and used it as a tourniquet, later wrote on Facebook: 'Words cannot and will not describe the feeling....Being covered in blood. Trying to save a guy's life.' Nursing student Joshua McGill (left) stepped in and helped club-goer Rodney Sumter (right) who had a bullet in each arm along with a gunshot wound in the back. Sumter is awaiting surgery, according to family McGill fled the club and saw Sumter stumbling outside. The nursing student used his shirt as a tourniquet and rushed into a police car, where he squeezed Sumter to stop him from bleeding from his back Omar Mateen, (pictured) who legally purchased two firearms in recent weeks, exchanged gunfire with a police officer outside the club around 2am before he made his way inside and took the remaining club-goers hostageMateen, who legally purchased two firearms in recent weeks, exchanged gunfire with a police officer outside the club around 2am before he made his way inside and took the remaining club-goers hostage.  

Rob Rick said the shooting started just before closing time. 'Everybody was drinking their last sip,' he said.The realization that shots had been fired took a while to register, since witnesses said it was masked by the beat of the music.Luis Burbano described the sound, and told CNN: 'No one put two and two together until the fifth and sixth. 'Between 10 and 20, that's when everything really started getting real, and then we all at that point did a domino effect all to the floor.'Rick got on the ground, crawled toward a DJ booth and escaped after a bouncer knocked down a partition leading to an area restricted to employees behind the club. One woman said she hid in the bathroom and covered herself with dead bodies to evade Mateen, CNN reported.Entertainers scheduled to perform that night took cover in the dressing room and crawled out of the building after police removed the air conditioning unit. Other survivors described the scenes of horror after they hid under dead bodies, ran for their lives, and escaped through various exits in the building

Christopher Hansen said he hit the ground and crawled out the building, where he saw 'blood everywhere' once he escapedChristopher Hansen was getting a drink at the bar when he realized what was going on. He said, 'I didn’t see any of the actual shooters. I just saw bodies going down. I crawled out,' CNN reported. 'People were trying to escape out the back. I just know that when I hit the ground, I was crawling and I hit my elbows and my knees,” he said.'When I got across the street, there were people — blood everywhere.'   He helped one victim who had been shot and told CNN: 'I took my bandana off and shoved it in the hole in his back.'A SWAT team rushed inside and distracted Mateen by setting off a controlled explosion, before the gunman was shot dead by 5.35am.One bartender hid under the bar until authorities entered the building, announcing: 'If you are alive, raise your hand.' A bouncer knocked down a partition leading to an area restricted to employees behind the club and many escaped out the back door (pictured, the scene outside the club on Sunday morning)

A SWAT team rushed inside and distracted Mateen by setting off a controlled explosion, before Mateen was shot dead by 5.35am Joshua McGill was standing near a door leading to an outdoor patio enjoying a 'typical night' when he heard three initial shots, he told WKRG.'You just hear gunshot after gunshot after gunshot and that was very scary. And my main thought was hide.'After he saw others fleeing, McGill ran out the door, jumped over a fence and took cover behind a car.'I hid for a good two to five minutes, which felt like forever,' McGill said, before he saw a stranger staggering through a parking lot with one gunshot wound in the back and two in his arms.McGill rushed to Rodney Sumter's aid, ripping off his own shirt and wrapping it around Sumter's arm to stop the bleeding.He used Sumter's shirt as a tourniquet on the other arm, and the two stumbled through the parking lot to police officers who surrounded the club.'It's kind of like your adrenaline kicks in. I didn’t want someone to die on my watch,' McGill said.

One woman said she hid in the bathroom and covered herself with dead bodies to evade Mateen, CNN reported. Pictured, victims and witnesses leaving the Orlando police headquarters following the attack Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS, who have claimed responsibility, but investigators are still determining whether he had any direct contact with the terrorist group The two made it to a squad car, where McGill wrapped his arms around Sumter to prevent blood loss from his back, and asked him questions to ensure he would stay conscious.Reflecting on the harrowing experience, McGill wrote on Facebook: 'The things I had to say to the guy and make promises I didn't know I would be able to keep or not to keep him conscious while holding him as tight as I could and blood everywhere on me. 'I felt God put me at the club and made me stay behind to help a complete stranger. 'For whatever reason that may be.. I don't know, but I do know it was hopefully to save his life. May God be with us all in this time of need.'McGill had only managed to get Sumter's first name, but the victim's family members saw the post, identified him and thanked the nursing student for his heroic efforts as Sumter awaits surgery.