Why spend the time tearing off what you have and replacing it with something similar? I think it looks fine, nice even. Just spruce up the yard and front landscaping with something easy peasy. Looks like there are some overgrown areas in the yard and bare spots. Spend the time and energy on those, and on upgrading the inside. Perhaps upgrade the doors if you have to do something, but that is pricey and really not needed. Put some cute-colored adirondack chairs out on the portico and it will look fine. There's nothing odd or dysfunctional about what you have. I'd be more concerned about sprucing up the driveway and run to the garage. Up north that will be key--ease of snowblowing!

Thanks I pinkmountain! That sounds like a good idea. I’m happy to know you think it looks okay.

Ditto. Exactly everything Gardengal said x 2.

While I wouldn't do any extensive remodeling, I would consider a very cheap change and that is with the very "busy" arch system. Get rid of half of the posts, and beef up to others to fatter, more substantial ones. Beef up the porch posts, too, so that everything looks consistent. (I can't tell whether you need to replace the posts, or if you can add to them.) I would NOT remove any roof portion as it would suddenly make the walkway seem pointless or inferior.

The other change I'd made in addition to what Gardengal said is to paint your house a totally different color (though keep the white trim.) Any color that, as the current one does, looks like a possible variation of baby excrement, is NOT a color to paint one's house. Make it taupe or medium-light grey or something that appeals to a lot of people ... and looks uplifting and cheerful (without being gaudy.)

Another possible solution to the long porch roof is to remove the posts entirely (and scalloping) and support the roof with angled wood brackets that connect to the wall. Anything like that, you'd need to work out in drawings first to make sure that it will look right.

Yardvaark - I like the idea of beefing up the posts. Your comment on the color made me laugh! Believe it or not, my husband and I repainted it that color about 3 years ago, at the request of my dad. He couldn't decide what color to change it to, so went with the color it had been forever. Wish we would have tried harder to talk him into a different one.

yeah, I was also going to comment on the house color.......not very appealing :-) But that's an expensive undertaking as well and also very likely to be changed by new owners. But it is one investment that could certainly help accelerate a sale.

I also have a concern about the bottom step off the entry porch. It seems to be offset for some unknown reason. I would fix that as well.

I was going to say something about the color but I thought maybe it looked better in person or was natural stained wood, could not tell. It's not absolutely necessary to change the color, it may not be a deal-breaker, but it certainly isn't doing you any favors. I'm not a fan of big splashes of orange and green together, but it will be against a white backdrop a lot of the time up there. God's country! Well kept and not peeling is more important than color, depends on what the inside looks like and how much you expect to get for the house. With views of Lake Superior, who cares about the color!

With a good view, one easy thing (or you can hire it out) is to be sure that the windows are absolutely sparkling clean inside and out to enhance the view.