Ranch Curb Appeal

9 years ago

Hello everyone! We purchased this brick ranch a few months ago as a starter home. We had all of the old landscaping removed and had grass planted. The grass has grown in and looks great since this photo was taken! We also had the downspouts buried. Our landscaper will add new landscaping in late winter/early spring. I'm looking for suggestions for how to add curb appeal without major construction (i.e. changing the pitch of the room, adding porch, portico, etc.) Currently I'm thinking new windows with wider trim and mullions, replacing the door with a more inviting one and doing away with the sidelight (centering door and adding thick trim in the space created by the side light), replacing the fake column with a square post, adding new shutters, adding new house numbers, and possibly window boxes. I'm open to the idea of painting the brick but would love not to if we can make the house more inviting with painting. I would love to hear your ideas on painting, windows, door options, and colors schemes. Thank you for your suggestions!

Featured Answer

User

9 years ago

"I'm looking for suggestions for how to add curb appeal without major construction"

Remember, curb appeal starts at the CURB, not the front door.

Widen and straighten the walkway. That curve is not artistic, it's drunk. End at the curb with a space large enough for a visitor to make a graceful exit from a car - a landing pad.

Make a ground-level brick "terrace" at the steps front, perhaps with a short wall, with lighting at the corners to declare it's there and important. Big enough for a group of tricker-treaters to stand on. Good rule of thumb is it should be as wide as the apparent entry. Or at least as wide as the steps.

Bring out the landscaping at the base of the house farther than the usual shrubbery lined up execution style in a row ... a good rule of thumb is 1/4 to 1/2 the height of the visible walls if you have room. Small "patio" trees - the nicely branched flowering ones - and a variety of heights in perennials, ornamental grassed and flowering or evergreen shrubs to break up the "brick box" look. Whatever grows well in your area, formal or informal style, but LOTS of plants.

Extend the landscaping along the front walk and around the landing pad with the lower growing varieties.

And make sure the view looking from inside the house to the curb is as attractive as the view looking toward the house.

(and I didn't want to mess with the house ... it's cute, just a bit bare)

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Comments (6)

User
9 years ago
Jeepers! Where is everyone?? Hang in there, Traci. Someone will be here eventually. Come over to the tea thread while you wait. It's always posted on Tuesday. VERY off topic. We visit amongst ourselves.
duvetcover
9 years ago
Post in Home Decorating Forum. They always have lots of ideas and some will even do mock-ups for you. Lovely home. I bet you'll be able to do a lot with it.!
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desertsteph
9 years ago
i think a few things you've posted would help without painting the brick. it looks good as is.

do the windows need replaced anyway? do you want any of them to be larger? I wouldn't do mullions - but then, I don't like them. so depends on if you do like them. I think changing out the door would help - and maybe centering it (without the sidelight). maybe painting the shutters white?

when the new landscaping gets in, it should change the look a lot anyway.
diymom79
9 years ago
I think your house is cute. I would change out the front door, but I think it just needs some landscapeing. Some flowers to follow the long side walk, more flowers on either side of the front or even some planter boxes along the windows.
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Anglophilia
9 years ago
Larger windows if possible, a 2nd column for the front porch, do what you suggested about the front door, landscape. Then see how you like it before doing anything else.