Are you remodeling this house or are you looking to build this house?

Planning to remodeling this house .

Add more windows. Make the upper left and right windows into double windows.

Remove the weird clipped gables.

Can't avoid the garage on the front on a narrow lot, but there has to be a better design to the bulky gabled double garage.

The biggest change for exterior improvement would be to totally remove the existing roof and reframe with something attractive. Everything else is just cosmetics. Good luck on your project.

I think you're right Virgil, that roof is incredibly boring.

@ Chipsa Thanks for suggestion. If I want to remove single garage on other side is it possible and how much cost would it be ?

@Virgil Carter : Thanks for suggestion. Could you suggest me or send me some pictures for attractive roof for reframe.

I could be wrong on this, it's hard to say for sure, but at the level of renovations you're talking about, it may make more sense to build from the ground up. This house, while not AMAZING to look at, would be a perfectly fine house for most families. It may be more efficient to go another way.

If you already own this house, I would consider selling it and building. If you're considering buying it, you must have a serious budget to be considering the level of changes you're talking about, so I would again suggest you consider building.

Having managed (in terms of, managing the architect, GC, bank) some commercial renovations and now in the process of having a house built from scratch...renovations are so stressful. I would take a new build over a renovation any day.

Roof framed as a gable.

Here you go:

@Andy : Thanks for suggestions. could u please tell me If I do change only for bricks and roof than is it still good idea ?( no structure change) or still selling this home and build new one is good idea ?

Thank you once again for your suggestions.

@cpartist : Thank you so much for your new design but in my neighborhood 3 garage is requirement so could u please send me some other designs with car three garage ? ( e.g new bricks and/or stone etc. Thanks once again for your time.

I would not spend that kind of money on a house that's perfectly acceptable. If I were going to spend that kind of money I would sell it and start over as Andy suggests...although CP's changes are clearly a huge improvement.

i would pull out the landscaping and start over. I would repaint everything with a color that doesn't look like butterscotch and get new shutters.

Yes, Arlene. Much better.

@ILoveRed : Thanks for answer. R u talking about repaint for Bricks too ? and which colors are u recommends ? what kind of shutters do u suggests ? Thanks..

deep p, just imagine the changes I did with the garage back where I put the doors. I don't need to spend more time showing you what it might look like with the door back since that would be the only change. And NO, I can't send you more designs with car three garage. My time is worth something too.

The first thing I would do, deep, is to replace the shutters. They are way too narrow and dark.

Check with the landscape design people - click on Houzz's Garden Forums, then click on Landscape Design. There are some regular posters there who can do amazing things to make a home appear much more welcoming. I believe they would immediately tell you to remove that shrubbery that blocks the view of your front door, add colorful plantings elsewhere, and arrange small trees, etc., to highlight your home.

I wouldn't spend a lot of money trying to fix the roof. Not sure you would ever see that back.

Lily'smom,I own it. at present planning to stay long term. Neighborhood look like very nice . Thanks for suggestions.

I would take another look, deep p, at what cpartist did with the one big gable over the centre and also one over the garage. It is easy to imagine what she did with the third garage door back if you need a 3 car garage. It looks tons better with cpartist's alterations.

What don't you like about the house? You keep mentioning bricks. Do you not like the bricks? The bricks look nice to me in your photo.

Carol

I agree; theDutch/German "Jerkinhead" truncated gables are inappropriate for a Colonial Revival house. It looks as if they ran out of brick.

ontariomom , Thanks for answer. I think quality of bricks are cheap . I am also looking my 3rd garage other side not in middle.

By the time you remove the bricks, and rip and replace the entire roof structure make certain you are not over improving the house for the neighborhood monetarily.

With the major renovations you're talking you'd recoup little to nothing. Is that a concern?

Without knowing more of your situation I'd sell and start fresh.

deep p,

I can't say I have ever seen bricks that are so poor quality that they would be worth removing. Not in a house that looks to be a relatively newer home. Can you show us a close-up of the bricks to show us where they are worn out? Bricks are supposed to be a near permanent cladding material.

I like the darker colour grey that AKtillery posted for the garage door. Windows on the garage doors would be a definite improvement too.

I might also cost out how much changing the two truncated gables to standard gables would cost you. It is likely not worth it, but it would look great.

Carol

The changes folks are proposing are potentially very expensive! A new roof line or new gables? tens of thousands if not 100,000! Simpler cosmetic changes could make a big difference. As suggested new style or color garage doors. Also, a tree or more greenery or color out front could make a big difference. Changing the column/post style by the front door could also change the look a lot. Changing the exterior lights could also be a simple change with a nice difference.

lafdr

Here's another thought - your driveway is very large in comparison to your house. How about redoing the driveway in pavers or cobblestones? In a color to complement the colors of your house, in butterscotch perhaps. I like lafdr's ideas too about changing the porch columns and light figures.

I don't see how the cost of repairing the roof would cost $100,000. Get prices from contractors instead of online opinions.

JDS, what is your guesstimate for this change " totally remove the existing roof and reframe with something attractive" ? I agree the original poster should get actual estimates. But I am pretty sure ripping off the entire roof and reframing it at a different pitch/appearance is horribly costly and not worth it. I think that could cost close to 100k based on costs I have seen changing a flat roof to a pitched roof which was just adding on, not tearing off and rebuilding. Folks really were jumping in and replying to this post with very expensive changes. My sense, yes it was an assumption, was that the original poster was more interested in improving curb appeal than a major costly remodel. Lafdr

I too wonder how much it would cost to change the two truncated gables to standard gables. It is certainly not $100,000 in our area to do that.

Carol

No way $100,000 - ... contractor may be able to order pre-built trusses to top of half-hips, matching of weathered shingles and brick may be a different issue. Honestly I do not know what possessed track builder to do these half hips... It could very well be that the larger gable of double gable would end up above side to side gable.

Deep p, how long ago was the house built? Can you get more bricks to match the old ones? Brian brings up an important point above about the challenge of matching bricks if you go with changing the truncated gables to regular gables. I am not sure what else you could do aside from the same brick to re-clad the extra triangle of a regular gable vs the truncated ones. Also, how old are the shingles? Are they due to be replaced soon or are they in good shape?

Carol

Make the infill look like a dovecote and matching bricks won't bean issue. Or stucco those gables; tabby would be nice.

If the dovecote part projected 6", you would not even have to disturb the existing cornice.

Casey

Does the brickwork continue around the sides and back of the house?

@cpartlst : Brickwork is only front side as shown in picture.

Casey, I liked your idea before checking what a dovecote was. LOL, you are suggesting housing for doves? I would not want that as the bird messes would be a nuisance. What else can the OP do with the triangle tops aside from dovecote or matching the brick? When you suggested stucco, do you mean stucco dovecote, or just stucco on the flat surface of the triangle tops? If the latter, I like that idea best.

Carol

If the brick is just on the front, I'd pull it off and put siding on instead. Problem solved with trying to match the house. Can't stand brick only on the front like the house is wearing a mask.

cpartlst, Thanks for answer but do not planning to put siding on front. my goal is to make more attractive home with some nice bricks, brick venners or some combination of bricks & stone. Any suggestions ?

Are you going to also brick the rest of the house so it looks like the brick belongs and not just like it's pasted on?

The holes for the birds can be fake; either lined w/ratwire or just black painted wood behind the holes.

Casey

cpartlst , Front side only

While you are at it, yellow is drab.. When looking at the colors, a more clean and cheerful color of white would brighten it up, imo. The first thing I thought of when I saw it was the yellow ;) Reminds me of my grandmother's house.. heh

R

It looks like a generic tract home in a builder neighborhood similar to where we used to live. I would accept it for what it is and not spend too much on the house. The only things I'd do would be to upgrade the front door and mailbox, edge the walkway and driveway with bricks to match the house, plant a tree and fill out the shrubbery. Hang seasonal wreaths on your new front door and maybe add some urns with decorative plants on either side of the porch. Eventually I might replace the cheap builder grade lanterns with nicer and larger ones. Anything else is honestly overkill for that house and neighborhood.

As for replacing the brick with siding I wouldn't do that because it will make your house worth less. I hate houses with brick on just front but in a neighborhood with brick fronts it will make your house stand out not in a good way because buyers will expect the brick.