I'm not sure why people are telling you to get rid of shutters. I haven't seen or heard anything to indicate that a traditional style home, like this one, looks better without shutters. In fact, they add a touch of elegance to an otherwise stark house.

In my opinion, you lose any charm that currently exists on the house. I'll be frank: it's really ugly without the shutters.

Getting different shutters, I can understand. It looks like these are probably broken and missing slats.

I love the idea of painting/staining the brick. There are so many photos of recolored brick homes that look bigger, classier, and more welcoming.

The other thing I see is that your landscaping really needs a refresh. You don't need to rebuild the planters, but cleaning them out and replanting them, edging your walkway, and removing the bushes at the front - maybe replacing them with a black arched trellis - would make a world of difference. People often think they have to do a whole new landscape to make their home look welcoming, but in this case, it just needs a little life breathed back into it.

Here's some inspiration for you:

Triveny Neighborhood Model Home · More Info

Addition · More Info

Brick & Limestone Facade · More Info

Dormer pop-out provides daylight deep into space · More Info

An arched trellis would echo the shape of the portico, and feel very cohesive in your front garden:

Savannah Arbor · More Info

Newport Metal Arbor · More Info

Vineyard Classic Arbor · More Info