I don't know the style. I like the arched windows & entryway. I think the shrubbery is overgrown. A good trim & serious pruning would help with curb appeal. The weeds should be removed from the driveway. The grass along the driveway should be removed to trim the look.

kadodi,
thanks for the input! My issue with the current look is the arch makes the place look dated. I just bought it cuz the price was good and the lot was even better. I have a pretty decent budget for a remod since the interior and exteriors both need a bit of "work" but I'd like to get the outside looking a bit more modern and up to date.

We must be the only 2 on Houzz...so I will comment again. I'm not a designer but I think architectural elements like arches don't go out of style or become outdated. We just finished building a custom home in a fairly new subdivision. Our home has some arched windows as do most of the homes in the subdivision. If this was my house, I wouldn't change the arches or the roof. That really wouldn't add value to the home. Adding a garage would be a good investment. Just my opinion. :)

I have a very modern house that has an arched entrance, and I love it. The trick is to paint the interior of the entrance with a bright paint color (white or golden, say) and get good lighting in there. Then it feels like a glow of welcome when you get home, rather than a dark tunnel.

Agree with darker paint for the colonial part of your house, and trimming those shrubs. Is there even a house number here? (is it behind the cedar on the left?)

Sorry you think you've bought a homely house. I like it a lot better than many full colonial boxes that seem to lack any character. Perhaps as you spend time with it, you'll come to like some of its odd corners the way we become fond of our spouses' quirks.

I suspect this is a 60's one story brick ranch that grew a second floor? It's unfortunate that the two parts don't seem at all related. When you say the budget is flexible, what does that mean? You mention changing the pitch of the second floor, that's a large cost. Maybe those dollars could get more bang elsewhere.

For instance a porch across the whole front level with the face of the arch, this will conceal the overhanging second floor. Then you could stucco the second floor and paint everything to match, or remove the brick veneer and seriously change opening sizes etc.

I agree acm, the front entrance is totally lost in that "tunnel". There are actually 3 windows behind the shrubs. We always knew the shrubs were "gotta here". The upper part actually makes it seem like a split foyer remodeled addition. I do like the grey in the pic feeny. the house just doesn't have much of a personality. Great square footage though. Lot just big enough for a couple of horses and big barnyard style parties. Ive looked at "prarie style" homes since this is about the closest. It may take me a few months but I hope to give it a bit of "umfph" with some cement siding and bigger windows, lively trim word and of course A LOT of yard work!

Ellsworth-Hallett Home Professionals, I know roof modifications are really expensive, maybe a porch would be money better spent??? I can't seem to visualized how one would look where the overgrown shrub is. I did think adding a few "gables" over the windows would help out. I'd also like to straighten the arches over the lower windows, again, just to modernize things a bit. I still like to have a slight "farmhouse look" and not have it be dated or "disconnected"

I would invest in an architect. The homes's two floors don't compliment each other and while arches can look good, your homes's windows and door are out of scale. It will be well worth the money to spend it on design before you start any remodeling.

Yes to the pruning and the architect. You might go down to city hall to get copies of permits to see what changes have been made since it was built.

Yes grobby, this house does raise certain "challenges". I agree, an architect is in order CHA-CHING, CHA-CHING!!!! If he could integrate the arch in some way that we'd like I'm all in. Nothing is cheap in a remod. The cost associated with changing window sizes on the brick side would be too much, but on the siding walls its totally do-able. A pergola somewhere near the house would draw everything together I think with the extra trim work. Thoughts???

s'funny you should mention the permits apple_pie (oh! and I just got hungry for a piece...;o))). we looked at the permits. Nothing major in the files, just driveway and septic and small stuff Seems like what it is, is what its always been, OR there were a few "hacks".