Remove all the bushes and install wide steps and railing in front of the door as PBGD above suggested. Consider removing the lattice and investing in brick under the porch. I would consider painting the white around the windows - it is making them stand out and seem detached from the home. Try SW6174 Andiron, and do the shutters in SW6004 Mink. In back, I'd want those stairs to lead to a nice patio. Might replace them with iron ones when the budget allows. Keep landscaping simple unless you like something more cottage-like and full as in #3 below.

You've been given some excellent advice. I will add that hiring a local landscape designer could really pay off by saving you from making expensive mistakes. Landscaping is an expensive proposition. I'd have the designer draw a plan of what you are to do, what kind of plants you should put where, etc. Then you can follow it, doing all the work yourselves, or you can hire some helpers.

I agree with Caroline or go to a local nursery rather than the big box stores. Gardenias are a nice green low plant with white flowers in SC. But, you have not given any idea of your location. A lot of plants have a certain area they will grow and some states it is more difficult than others.

We live in Roswell, GA and thank you all for your help!

That is a great starter home congrats. I really like the (front yard in the state of Washington) house idea. It is amazing color and close to maintenance free. This is a thing you want to keep in mind. Taking care of the yard when it's done can be a problem.

I would remove all those bushes place a few steps directly in front of the door with a natural Georgian rock walkway by the big tree I would add some native GA plants you have lots to choose from crepe myrtle and azalea to hummingbird bushes and abelia lots of flowering shrubs that you could get by with less maintenance because they are native I would do under the tree in the front yard more like the picture here with the trees in GA.

Check also with local nurseries I am not sure if Hastings nursery is local for you I know they had a program where they come out to your house 2x & make suggestions of plants & ideas for landscaping they also followed that with discounts on buying plants from them back in 09 it was about 95.00 may be more now. Also be aware nurseries & landscaping companies usually overestimate the needs like telling you to get 5 azelias when 4 will do just fine. You can get the landscape ideas & fill in yourself with on line nurseries local nurseries where ever you get the best deal.

The back yard seems very stark & bare to the eye lots of room back there to make it your own personal oasis. As this is your first home maybe a tree you really like plant it out in the yard away from the home in a location that best fits its needs. I would move those stairs to the other side if possible because they cut the lower area in half I would put a nice deck to bring the indoors out side with an out door fireplace and seating the stairs on that side get in the way of that & make a choppy or even closed off setting.

I do not know whats on the other side so moving the stairs may not work if not I would build the deck almost circular around them almost making them a center point so it eases the choppy look. & have the fireplace right across from the stairs so that seating was to the left & right.

The trim & paint just need some softening I know you can get some great ideas taking your house color to any paint location & placing color pallet that works to your taste.

Over all congrats on the house it is gorgeous & the possibilities are endless I am sure what ever you chose the end result will be amazing so pleas post so we can see

sorry these are native GA shrubs under trees

The Rock Yard in GA has some natural stone paths
http://www.therockyardinc.com/natural-stone-photos/

Roswell GA is not too far from where I live in SC. I would see if there is a book on plants that grow well there - google on the internet. The literature will tell you how high plants grow and how far to plant apart. One plant I love in my yard is a Camelia but they take up a fair amt of space. But, I have to mention it b/c I have had them for years and just noticed how beautiful they are. They started having pink blooms at the end of Oct and some are still blooming. Not good for under windows.
Holly (they have some that are different heights) are nice too b/c of the red berries and they are evergreen. Some grow to be trees though. I knew one man that would only plant hollies b/c he wanted to look outside at green leaves year round. And as I mentioned before Gardenias are nice in my opinion.
Have fun in the New Year!

I agree with Donna Bella. The stairs to the garden are not inviting and divide the backyard space. If it is within your budget you should have another level of decking and have the stairs exit to the right so that there are a fewer number of stairs. A garden path can then curve down into the lower level of the garden. You will then have a screened porch leading to an open deck and then a few stair to the garden. You have a lovely space to work with. And remember to design the garden so that it is visually interesting from the deck and porch.

Also in Georgia. If you're still considering shrubs, consider aucuba bushes -- they keep their leaves year round. Also, if you're ever considering changing the back steps, consider adding another deck to the right of the back steps at a level below the floor of the screened porch so you don't have that long, uninterrupted climb and a good place to relax in partial sun and, it appears, partial shade. Alternately, extending the porch -- or at least the porch floor as a deck -- across the back would enable the steps to not be as long to reach the bottom since it is higher ground.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aucuba&biw=1366&bih=673&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwiG6JGpiZHRAhVDQCYKHePMDuUQsAQIIg