I'll add some more photos. The light wasn't very good when I took those. The other beds are pretty much junk too. There is hosta on the garage side as well as a few hydrangea. Also a Japanese maple.

If prepping to sell, removing the ivy would be the last thing I'd do. It already exists as a complete groundcover and you have a growing season coming up where it could have the opportunity to become nice looking. The issue with it seems that it's been let go. Use a sprayer to apply herbicide (I'd use a combo of glyphosate and 2,4-d product ... which is available as Round-up and Weed-B-Gone) to the parts you don't want growing ... on the house and over paving. Ivy stems are the dickens to remove from whatever they've been climbing on. But after they die, in a few weeks they will remove themselves. So kill promptly and let them do their own work while you're busy on the house.

Planting one evergreen shrub centered below each window, along with the already existing groundcover, is enough to make a statement. There should be some color around the entrance. Need those other pics to see what you've got.

The existing tree form large shrub by the house looks really beat up. I'd just get rid of it. If it's a good plant that merely had a hard life, let it regrow after you've cut it down. If it's not, paint the cut stems with undiluted herbicide so it doesn't come back.

Thanks, Yaardvark -- I like the ivy but everyone else seems to think cleaning it out and replacing with some "clean-looking" shrubs and mulch is the way to go. The Sweetbay Magnolia was also our native landscaper's idea and I've never liked it there. It was beat up by a major storm a few years ago. I was definitely planning on removing it.

More pics. Contractor is here so it's the best I can do. Shutters on garage are being painted black. That's a Japanese Maple in front of the garage window.

"I like the ivy but everyone else seems to think ..."

I have lived with a LOT of ivy for a LONG time. Where I took care of it on my own property I considered it the EASIEST thing to care for, never demanding, always giving, in many cases like dark shade, where no other plant could give. Most people, if they don't know how to care for ivy throw up their hands in despair. They hear from others who are also throwing up their hands in despair, so conclude that the only possible option is to remove it. It needs to be edged physically where it contacts pavement. It can be edged chemically where it comes to a structure. It can be severed once yearly from growing on trees (do not remove the well attached stems; let them fall off on their own.) It never needs to have its height trimmed. It will grow in shade and tolerate a lot of sun. If one is spraying sporadic weeds that occur in it, the ivy that dies will heal. (I am referring to careful, directed spraying, not broadcast spray. It is best to use a shield if there are many weeds.) Why would anyone want to remove an existing groundcover that is manageable only to go through the process of getting a different groundcover established, if they can't use turf in an area?

In your new pictures a lot of the property seems obscured by many too low hanging limbs limbs, giving an oppressive, neglected overall look to the property. Getting rid of these limbs would make a huge difference in developing a happier, more inviting appearance. And small trees or large shrubs that seem to have sprouted and are coming up directly below large trees also contribute to the neglected look. They should go.

There is a tree directly in front of the side window (that faces the street) of the garage. It should be removed.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! It is much appreciated.