Pebbledash
Pebbledash is often considered to be very unappealing, but much of our inter-war housing stock is pebbledashed and it remains popular with homeowners because it is extremely durable and, on the whole, maintenance-free. Problems occur when it ‘blows' - the thin top layer comes away from the base coat - or fissures appear which go through both layers. If you find pebbledash unappealing, this is a good time to remove it. However, it is as limpet-like as stone cladding, so it means a time-consuming costly job that you'll find many builders reluctant to undertake.
Exterior painting
If you're painting a façade in a terrace, look at the houses next door - yours doesn't have to match them, but it's better if it doesn't clash. Colours are affected by each other: you may think you are painting your house off-white, but if the property on one side is yellow and the other side stone, your off-white will look bright white. Always make sure that you buy the right kind of paint for your house: many modern exterior barrier paints are unsuitable for older rendered properties because the walls are unable to breathe.
