Your landscape is green and green plus a tree. You need some color and some curves. You can remove grass to create gentle curved flower beds along the front hedge or the walkway, or around the base of the tree. Bring out the hose and use it to mark the shape of the beds: use a sharp spade to remove the grass, including the roots, and then add some flowering shrubs to anchor the new beds. The plant tags will tell you the mature size of the perennial shrubs, and you need to give them enough space to expand. Then you can purchase a flat of small annuals to scatter in the rest of the bed. Don't plant more than you are willing to take care of.

Pulled a random picture of updated windows for inspiration.
I would remove your shudders and decide if you want to keep that vein. I built shudders for our last home as I
wanted them to appear functional and be made out of wood(cedar) -Not that hard a project. Just an idea if you are ready for new windows and some trim work.
Good Luck.

What do you mean by "new front porch design"? If you're considering a pitched porch cover, you need to consult an architect who will give you various design ideas and costs. And yes, soffits on the middle section. Again, that's a job for an architect.

Couple items
-I agree with earlier post need some curves and color in the landscape.
-The two story portion of the house could use some depth/detail- awnings over the windows would be one option
-Paint the garage doors and front door an accent color, shutters or awnings could match.

Landscaping is your friend. Tree is in wrong spot. Widen the porch all the way across so railing doesn't cut off in middle of window. Remove shutters, they are wrong size. Curve out the flower beds for softness. Let the bushes grow naturally, don't trim into uniform balls.

The base of the tree with the mulch is miniscule compared to the top and how big this tree will get. Have the landscaper widen this, so it is more in proportion.

Some landscaped beds starting at the curb is what you should start with.

Also, the shallow pitch of the roof doesn't match the colonial-type details on the house. For a pretty penny you could do an overlay set of rafters that would increase the pitch of the roof while adding overhangs that would have the additional benefit of shielding the side walls from weather and increase the attic insulation. The choice of fascia details will be daunting and must be thought out prior to any of the framing. Of course, doing it for the extra insulation alone doesn't make sense because it would never return the investment, it must be an aesthetic decision.

Could you show me a picture?

This color scheme might work on your home.

Paint the metal railings black

Any ideas/photos of how you would reconstruct the front porch?

http://hookedonhouses.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Laurens-Farmhouse-for-Four-Instagram-Four-Gables-plan.jpg

See how how the roof is a little steeper and the overhangs are a little deeper? 1800's farmhouses used "gable towards the street" a lot. It's really pretty when done right.

Thanks for the photo. This was One of our ideas. It is good to see that we are moving in the right direction.