Thank you! Yes the gutters are a must to redo! We have toyed with the idea of building a front porch over a section ( or the entire front) of the house. It's tough because of the awkward flat roof above the door. Not to mention this gigantic pine tree in front of the house. There are a lot of issues here! Thanks for the ideas. It's very overwhelming because it's sooo bad

Agree with Cali. Also, paint the downspouts to match the siding. Tons of potential!

That is an old window in the cellar covered over with some type hinged board with rubber roofing. Surprisingly the basement is dry and no foundation issues.

Your house is so cute! I think right now there is no focal point to draw the eye in.

What color are are you painting it? (I hope white or grey?) I love light airy colours for a seaside house.

I think you need to paint your door- I can't offer a suggestion without knowing what the house color will be but you def need something to draw the eye over to the door.

i would also put in a bed of flowers/shrubs under those 4 windows and right over to the door.

Not sure what the rest of the yard looks like but I would be tempted to have a stone walkway flanked with garden beds to the front door (not in a straight line but curved somewhat) to again draw your eye to the front door.

Jessmp, Thank you! I was thinking a light gray exterior and I love the aqua blue door reminiscent of a beach house. Would the walkway lead toward the street or driveway to the right of door? Much like the house, the position of the house on the lot is strange as well. We have a large yard to the left of the house that has fencing & shrubbery for privacy and only 45' of yard to the right of the house. Do you think beach grass would look ok or would it be weird with the large pine tree above? I would love to have some hydrangeas but haven't been very lucky in growing them.

Oh I love the idea of a turquoise door!!

I'd have to see the whole yard to comment where the pathway from the door should lead- it could just loop back to the driveway if that makes sense for your area. (Is it a 2 or 1 car driveway?)

for a garden bed I suggest having at least 3 or 4 different varieties of shrubs so you have something green in the winter and some colour in the warmer months. Not sure of your zone but I'm in zone 3/4 and hydrangeas don't do well for me either- but surprisingly peonies do quite well and have big blooms. I love the idea of some grasses as well near the house for some height and something that can be there throughout the fall/winter months.

It is a 1 car driveway at the street then loops out to fit several cars. I like your idea of 3/4 different plantings for greenery and color. I guess I'm in a 7a zone but honestly I don't have much of a green thumb. Thank you for the great ideas. The bulk of our budget is going to constructing the garage & new driveway but I cannot leave the front of the house looking like this... and the orangey color must go!

Do you think this style house could look beachy with those windows?

Have the big old pine professionally pruned at the right time of year for your area. No matter what you do to the house, the cared-for way the pine looks will set the tone for the entire property. Throw out the old pots. If you will be living there full time, add a big new pot with colorful annuals. If you use the house only for vacations, forget the pot. The front yard can be native ground cover for easy upkeep.

Blue gray or sage green paint with off white trim will look upscale. If you want less retiring colors, try cream or antique white with darker trim.

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Jennifer, you mentioned staining the exterior in your first post. Are you doing that or painting?

Apple Pie Order posted the same image I was thinking off. The gray house above used Cabot Solid stain in Pewter Gray.

Just make sure that any plantings leave at least 24 inches of air space between the plantings and the house...at their mature size. With the humidity in your location air flow is super important.

Where on the house are you planning on attaching the garage? The house has tons of potential and most of what it requires is elbow grease to really make it shine. Unless you plan on replacing the brown roof, I would stay away from a gray stain. The roof seems to have some red in it as well, so I would consider a warmer stain color.

I love the Cabot pewter stain- is rather stain than paint since it seems to last a little longer and doesn't peel like paint. We realize the roof wouldn't really match so we may have to reshingle it ( maybe right away or in time). The attached garage is going toward the back of the house to the right.

Because of the different roof lines on the house (which give it such nice character) it might be nice to build a small breezeway between the house and new garage to separate them. I like the Pewter stain as well, but since you're by the water, why not go with something a little lighter so a brightly painted front door could really pop. This is Driftwood Gray.

I love those two colors!

I think they would be lovely together. You don't have a lot of roof that shows so it might be possible to get away with a cooler color. The best bet is to try a sample and see how it looks with the roof. If you only have one layer of shingles, it might not be terribly expensive to re-do the roof if necessary. This is super quick and nowhere near perfect but perhaps it will help.

I think a lot of this will be dictated by your budget. Keep it simple. Unless the house needs a re-roof, stick with paint, re-gutter, arborist, a concrete landing, and landscape. I'm guessing that with just that, you're looking at almost or at a 5-figure budget. Invest heavily on front-end planning so that you have a clear vision and direction, and can get bids for everything. There are a lot of colors that can work with the roof. Drive around the neighborhood and you'll see some good examples.