It's a really cute house! I would extend the porch along the front ending at a point half way between the outside edge of the window and the end of the wall. Add window boxes under the windows, bigger house numbers and a new and interesting exterior lamp. Paint the front door, window boxes and porch trim above the door a nice bright colour ( I would go with an indigo blue) and paint the porch the same colour as the house. Add some simple landscaping such as a glossy evergreen shrub on either end of the porch, widen & edge the beds around the birch trees and a simple flower bed along each side of the pathway, perhaps a low fence at the street's sidewalk and it will look so fresh on few dollars.

Here's a few inspiration pix!

Extending the porch will probably break my small budget. I like the window box idea. The front door do you mean the wooden door or the outside white metal door? As for the porch stairs. I'm wondering about painting or staining the steps one color and the risers and handrail and balusters the same color as the house?

Ok! I know that kind of budget... If you are leaving it small, I would probably paint it all the same colour and add the pops of colour with the door etc as suggested above. Does the metal door stay on all year long? If so, paint both doors the same colour. It's hard to see the inner door in the pictures so I just assumed the outer was the only door.

If you want to see how it will look you can use the Sherwin Williams paint site by downloading a photo of your house and playing with different colours (It's not hard to figure out btw) see it at : https://www.sherwin-williams.com/visualizer#/active/default

I would stain the front deck/rails in a darker color, (maybe match your front door stain) which will hold up better than paint. Paint the storm door black. Plant a variety of foundation plants and flowers in the front, instead of using window boxes, which are difficult to maintain. If it is in your budget, you could add wider trim to the windows on the house.

Some inspiration

To each her own, but I have a type of window box aprox 24 feet long along the end wall of my deck. It looks like a big planter but actually is designed to hold large clay flowerpots which I rotate seasonally. I don't find it hard to maintain and enjoy having the fun changing the look. Also, no bending over required!

I do think wider trim around the windows is a good idea as cali suggested and depending on your weather, stain does hold up better than paint (although it is a different look) Have fun with all the different ideas!

Wider trim is not in the budget. I see this last picture has shutters and window boxes. I think I'll go with one or the other. I don't care for black, something dark but a bit softer or even a brick red might work as the foundation is red. I've had window boxes before and, yes, they can be hard to maintain so I'd rather do plantings, which I intended to do anyway. There are two big birch trees, so it's a lot of dappled sunlight. No plants and flowers that need full sun will work. The first picture has a nice combination of stained steps and white risers. The second has brick red, white. All have shutters but the first and second have thinner window trim which gives me a better idea of what my shutters might look like. I see a lot of black shutters against white but don't care for the stark contrast. It's interesting how so many of these pictures show only one door but in Wisconsin, even with a covered porch, one door with no protection, get weathered very quickly. I know, I had one in my last house. It got hammered without a second door.

House is adorable. All it needs is landscaping. Maybe ditch that storm door for the full reveal type and paint front door and storm door in accent color, or black.

Right, it's why I will be painting them.

if you have to keep a storm door, I would get one with less metal and more glass to show off your main door and paint them both the same color so the storm door blends in as much as possible. I would update the lighting fixture and house numbers. Lastly, in the photo, the accents on the overhang look out of proportion (the pieces that "appear" to hold it up). These are not expensive and larger ones would accent better.

The house is charming. I think window boxes would be great on the two lower windows. They can really add a nice touch with colorful plantings spilling out of them. You have a lot of options when it comes to color.

Painting the steps and adding some shrubs will go along way to improving the look of your lovely house. Some color on the front door would be nice.

One thing about window boxes: they require maintenance. Flowers need frequent watering, and dead plants are not an upgrade. If you have long winters, they are empty for much of the year. Also, remember that drainage is necessary. Muddy water dripping on white walls may not be attractive. Window boxes are great, as long as they are maintained.

Good luck with your project.

I have lived on the Cape for longer than I want to say…as adorable as your house is, it is not vintage Cape Cod. Vintage would translate to”authentic" Cape Cod meaning it was built in the 1600, 1700, and early 1800 hundreds with a low pitch to the roof and foundation, not brick but stone, with a center chimney allowing a fireplace in each of the four rooms. Good example:

Your home is adorable as it is…put muntins in the windows; take care of those gorgeous white birch trees; and change the front door to a solid wood.

FYI, in the late 1800’s, brick was brought to the Cape for foundations…but the homes were of a Greek Revival in style.

Right, well, I don't mean vintage in authentic. I live in Wisconsin, not the place where Cape Cods originated. And, it's got a center dormer. Not typical of the type. But, it was built in 1941, which, to me makes it a vintage house. When I look at other house styles Cape Cod is about as close as I can get to describing it. I lived in one in Mpls. with the two dormer look but I still understand that both houses were built in the 1940's. So, authentic would most likely be found on the East coast if I'm not mistaken, not in Wisconsin.

I'm on the same kind of budget you are. I would paint the stairs and railing white (or to match house) like in the after picture that Irene posted. (and you posted it too from a different angle!) Shutters on lower windows-you say you don't like black but how about dark gray??

And the front door a fun color-rich and bright is my preference.

I wouldn't mess with window boxes. I would do a planting that will grow about 3' high like these rhododendrons. They grow everywhere in low light. But run by a local nursery. They can advise you for Wisconsin. Find something that will grow tall enough to cover the foundation by about a foot. Use that one plant. Mulch. Again Simple.

Whole project would run about $150.

Later replace your address with chunky new numbers and a cute new mailbox.

I like your house. And, I think the proportions are just right. The next question is what is your budget. Yes, Porches are great, plantings and all those things, but they cost money. The first thing I would suggest is to tell us the budget. What to do, my advice would be, 1. Find a paint color you like and paint the house, paint the steps, they will not do well in weather like this.

2. I would expand the front overhang so that you can stand under it and put a pkg down to open the door. You might build a bench that opens on one side, this can also be a place to sit, and on the other side and open cabinet same height, a place to put boots or shoes. Above you can use hanging canvas that rolls up and down, I have done this and it comes out very nice looking. Try looking at boat magazines, they have a lot of interesting items for storage, and for the outdoors that work quite well. Having fun with the front would be great with old columns you might find somewhere, they do not have to match in my mind, just the color.

I think making this small area into something will help a lot. The left and right just need bushes and ones that will grow low so you do not have to cut them. I have used hemlock that grow out not up, and they worked great. Mix in some mulch and you are ok. If you want more than ask you local nursery what grows best in your area. Too often we write what we like and you live in a really hot climate or in the Ice Country. So I generally suggest you ask you local garden store. I love Rosemary and have used it on either side of an entry. It was wonderful and tall and beautiful.

Shutters add a lot to a small home and they tend to make it look even larger. I like to add an unusual treatment instead of the standard window box. There is a holder for clay pots spray painted in a good outdoor heavy lacquer very bright color. Let's say you paint the house a deep charcoal with white trim, and the clay pots are painted, bright yellow, bright green, bright pink, bright purple. In each one you can plant one item vinca vine, it lives all the time. They look very nice as a hanging unit that will hold them and they are quite lovely.

The walkway could use some additional treatment, and there are plantings of course. The other option is to put in a white picket fence. About 24" high, with a swing open door at the front, and then line the walkway with the fence. it is fun and always looks great. I suggest one made of one of the new materails that stays white. You can always add rose bushes that will creepy crawl around the fence in yellow and pink and you are done. Your choice left, the lawn, grass or sand. And, the other choice is white rocks with a few black ones. To do this you let a bit of grass stay by the fence and then make a semi-circle around the house for walking of the white rock. It looks wonderful, and mowing is very simple. I think the white rocks and a grey home with very white trim and colorful clay pots will look very nice and come in at a good budget.

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/modern-japanese-garden/

http://blog.gardenloversclub.com/outdoor-garden-designs/beautiful-white-fence-landscaping/

https://www.pinterest.com/explore/painted-flower-pots/

For some reason I can never get my photos to pull over. These pages have lots of ideas for you to look at. The white stone with a grey house and the white shutters and fence with roses. The potted clay pots, you can put them in lots of places. You can add lacquered or pre treated boards as walkways over the rocks in many different shapes. It's fun and different. I actually did one of my homes with sand and white rocks, a boardwalk and funny odd stones as stepping stones. It came out great. And, no mowing. Sometimes doing something a little different is ok and it turns out great for many reasons.

The one I like the best is I added no chemicals to have the pefect lawn, no mowing, no noise, and no blowing no noise. The rocks perc and the water goes down faster and we had 0 mosquitos. Take a lone look at the pages and you will se lots of curves etc. I also planted beach grass in the four corners and they grew very tall and stunning. Enjoy whatever you choose to do.

Such a fun house! It is darling...I agree to keep it simple. White siding with navy blue shutters and blue/grey front door. As for the window boxes, my lady friend put red silk geraniums in her boxes and they were so adorable....maintenance free!

I have enclosed this pic as it shows Navy Blue shutters; also the landscape shows two clumps of trees like yours....get your wavy walkway established and then just start filling in with plants that enjoy the humidity of Wisconsin....lived in Stoughton for ten years an loved it! Hosas can be divided each year as can day lilies.....have fun! Take pictures!

Cute house. I would paint doors a bright color then carry that color through flowers and plants as well shutters on down stairs Windows only if budget allows. Bright yellow doors with yellow daffodils in spring and mums in the fall or red doors with red geraniums or roses or pink and purple plants if you choose plum and a cool green or blue for the doors. To save money start with a few small dwarf evergreen shrubs along the foundation for year round color that won't need pruning as much. Fill in with some perennials like mums, irises, day lilies that will spread each year. You might get cutting or divisions of them free if you talk to neighborhood gardeners. I would curve beds to circle the trees use mulch to get down weeds and hold in water as the plants fill in.
I would paint the rails white or the house siding color but use a grey or beige on the actual steps to not show footprints as much.
A couple pots of flowers would be nice on either side of steps. That and a few shrubs ( not too close to foundation, plan for full growth size) may be all you need at first. Learn what is hardiest in your area. Enjoy adding to your design over time.

Paint should really be enough...shutters won't fit well enough to be believable...painting the window trim...the door...the little arch in a bright color would create a little detail..while the steps could match the house with the stair tops and porch with a darker shade of the color chosen for the trim...or a complimentary contrasting shade....(stain will not really relate to anything and will only call attention to the porch and steps being an obvious add on)... if there is a little money left over I would put it toward a little upgrade on the porch and step hand rail..perhaps finials or trim?

I agree with calidesign. A stain will hold up better than paint. We painted a small deck and wide steps off of our screened porch gray. Because we have a lot of trees, it is a lot of maintenance and very difficult to keep clean. I would never do it again.

Also power wash the concrete path and add a brick border to it.

I don't think shutters have to look believable. Oh, I know I've read somewhere that they must look like they have to close over the window to work. But, I've driven my city and there are plenty that don't fit the windows perfectly but still look great. I think paint will probably be the cheapest and easiest to do. Shutters, a different mail box and numbers. I need to balance everything even before I add shrubbery. I like brick reds and grays or maybe something more complimentary to the environment in softer shades. Painting the porches the same color as siding is good except for the actual steps. They need to be a different color like red or stained or grey or even a grey green. I mean, imagine trying to keep white steps clean! I do like the copper mail box and different numbers. Easy and affordable. I like Barberry, Boxwoods and Virbunum for bushes. Though I don't want the kind that get too big. Maybe a mix. I'm a gardener so I know what will grow here. I've had window boxes in the past, they are adorable but a pain to keep clean. I'm downsizing and looking to landscape inexpensively as well. The backyard is bigger than I want with very little garden. So, I've got my work cut out for me.

You're right, Wendy. White stairs would be a bear to keep clean. I think your idea of staining the stairs is a good idea. Here's something else to consider then. The color of your dirt as your stain color. My daughter stained her deck a darker red and regretted it when she saw the dog's footprints in a medium brown crossing back and forth!

bigger windows with flower boxes and a stone front porch, landscaping too of course

I agree with your brick red! I would paint the door/stormdoor the red. Landscaping will have the biggest impact right away. Enjoy your charming new home!