Do you have a budget range in mind or are you in the gathering ideas stage? I'd start by painting the door the same cream as the shutters. Paint the downspouts the same color as the brick. Then hire a landscape designer.

You have a nice simple home exterior. Consider leaving the brick and brightening the trims with your favourite colour. Repaving the entire driveway with a muted stone to match the brick may also work. Finally adding a bit of foliage/hedge along the path to enhance the driveway will look really good. This way, you and your husband will be happy.

I think some landscaping would help improve curb appeal.

Really need to bring the front door out and brighten that area. Can you post a close up of the steps and door?

Lots to take away from the photo below:

First: stain the driveway. My husband and I did a DIY on our driveway. We mixed a couple of shades of Mason Select Concrete stain. Have a really good sprayer. It takes the glare off the concrete and makes it richer. And, if you are clever, you can create patterns, borders, etc.

Second: Maybe paint the shutters and garage door a teal blue.

Third: Lots of shrubs with white flowers.

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Posting this because it shows how important the driveway and path can be for curb appeal. Maybe extend the path to the front door so folks don't have to shimmy around cars in the drive on the way to the door.

Also love the fence and plantings close to the road. Maybe do a crushed gravel sitting area to the right of your door between those front windows. Add a cute bench.

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If you add lots of flowers around the mailbox, you have a big first impression. Plus, I love to decorate ours for various holidays.

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How about extending the landing by the door the width of the house? Add a couple of great chairs or bench to sit out front. Then just low simple shrubs (that you won't end up fighting as they get too large!) next to that.

Then to the middle of lawn add a mound for signature tree and your main plantings.

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pcmom1 - - - Please don't plant anything around your mailbox that attracts bees! My husband is a mailman and stings are not fun.

Don't worry! I have bad reactions to stings, so I am careful also. Do ornamental grasses instead!

Plants. Lots of well-planned growies.

I can't figure out why there is a hose hanging in the front of a house that has nothing to water. ;-)

I'd add a lamp post at the front corner of the little sidewalk, with a planting bed running along the driveway and sidewalk and across the front of the house. Stain the concrete, and paint the trim and garage doors a warm, light tan/cream.

Replace the chain link fence with something more solid and attractive. That will give the house more visual width.

Do NOT paint the brick. The brick's not the problem. The two ugly garage doors that dominate the front of the house are the problem.

Your home is VERY nice. Paint the door and get professional landscaping. That will be the biggest factor to having a gorgeous home!