If you have no construction experience, call a well recommended contractor to give an estimate for the rock removal and vinyl installation. A professional has equipment and experience, not to mention insurance.

I wouldn't trade rock for vinyl and make the house look like plastic. That would be a downgrade. I would paint the door and security door, and get some big, potted plants across the front.

How about hardie board instead of vinyl?

Is the rock real? The colors are so varied that I think I would change it out for siding.

While you're at it remove the brick on the other side of the door.

HI -- I'm sorry but your wrong doing this . Vinyl siding is not traditional or clean looking instead of the stone , it just looks cheap . You should either work with that stone or replace with another type of stone such as a dry stack ledge stone . An Architect can help you to maybe work with that stone , which I kind of like and make the rest of the exterior compliment it . Some people have had luck removing that stone with a good whack of a sledge hammer BUT -- it is dangerous and messy for a regular person to do this . A lot of heavy work to get rid of all the stone and have it hauled away . Maybe use another material instead of boring vinyl siding . As said before James Harding has several choices .

I would remove cement pavers along wall 4 or 5 feet and plant shrubs with heuchera in front. And a big pot close to garage. And paint the door.

Yes change the door. Create a plant bed in front of the stone. And put in somewhat tall shrubs. The stone isn't too ugly per se it's just there's too much of it. If you remove it I'd go brick or a more "normal" stone. However if you remove stone to put vinyl siding I would NOT buy your house afterwards.

I tend to steer away from vinyl siding. I've seen it on houses going for near the million mark. Ugly. Still wouldn't buy it.

Those "rocks" have no redeeming feature. They are far worse than any vinyl siding. You are right to get rid of them.

What could look nice instead is board & batten siding, either a fiber cement or wood, in a cottage-y color. Please google it & see what you think of it for your house.

If you choose to remove the stone, please consider what comes next. You have 2 options:
1. Furr out the wall (studs with plywood sheathing and a vapor barrier, depending on your climate zone) to get the face of the new siding to out to the face of where the stone was.
Or...
2. Add siding to the existing sheathing and vapor barrier behind the stone and the adjust/rebuild everything that was installed at the face of the stone, such as window frames, roof eave soffit, flashing at the foundation, etc.

Perhaps try a fresh coat of paint on the trim (white) and grey for the siding. The biggest change is going to be the garage door. The garage door pictured is our contemporary horizontal cedar collection. For a lower maintenance solution, there is a version of this door in a wood like grain and color in steel. Pictured below is a more modern take on your 70's home. Instead of ripping apart your existing exterior, let's keep it simple!

-before-

-after-

Let me know what you think!

www.AccessGarageDoor.com

858.638.0300