These are all the things I have to have do...

1.) Get gutters away from house as they are all trapped within concrete and flood my basement when it rains.

2.) remove the front step and the sidewalk in the front you can't see in the picture.

3.) Fix gutters

4.) Replace windows in the back of the house.. about 10k in window costs. This will cause new trim inside and out for the windows and the window WHITE TRIM needs to be AMAZING.

5.) What to do about the siding
a.) I have no insulation in my walls. I have plaster inside. Try to get the mold off the house and repaint these nice ceder boards.
b. rip it all off.. put on foam board insulation and get James hardy fiber.

6.) Trim out and put cornice boards or something above the windows and some of those dental block across the front...

7.) WHAT TO DO WITH THE PORCH.. ITS HORRIBLE AND NEEDS TO BE REDONE.

8.) Roof what to do with the roof ???

9. Cables are on the exterior and needed to be moved inside.


I only have a 50k budget. That's it.

Yes, you really do need to find a professional to guide you through the decision making process. Hopefully some experts will chime in here with helpful suggestions. You can search Houzz for local professionals, as well. One tip...go in to your original dilemma and edit the comments to include more information about the problems you're dealing with, it might attract more construction professionals. The way it reads now will attract people like me that like to talk about design elements. Obviously, you need to deal with other issues first.

I agree with bluenan.

While I do think you need to tackle the structural problems before the cosmetics, I want to say that when you have all of that completed, you are going to have one beautiful home on a great piece of property!

The water in the basement and insulation seem to be the things that need the most attention. If the roof is not leaking, that can wait. If the steps in the front are stable, that can wait as well. (Take off the indoor outdoor green carpet and paint whatever is under there. Cheap fix.)

I don't know if you are a first time home owner or a seasoned pro, but things take time. We have lived in our home for 17 years, and it is always a work in progress. You may not be able to do everything you want all at once. You may have to live with the windows as they are for now. Prioritize your projects with things that are going to save your home from damage and things that just will make it look nice. You can only do so much with whatever budget you have, so make it count.

My home will not increase in value. No one would pay me for it in this area.

I have read that I should not put insulation in the walls as it would cause many more problems in the future with plaster wall home. My bills are not extremely high and I feel like new windows would go a long way into making them that much better. Along with just adding some poly foam board before putting on the Hardy board. I think I could just foam my walk up attic and the box sill in the basement would make the biggest improvement.

i like the idea of bringing the front porch out with a gable and columns. also i would do the moldings over the windows and take the shutters off. if you are replacing gutters i would do them like mine. they are the color of the trim up to the house then copper down the side of the house. there are several conductor styles you can choose from and look really pretty.i would change roof line on the screened in porch and change entrance to the back. this house has alot of character and charm. a ongoing project but well worth it. you could really have a gem of a backyard with this style.

Trent,

(!) DO NOT insulate the walls if you've been warned it could be a problem and your utilities bills are not extremely high.

(2) Regarding your gutters, what do you mean they are "trapped within concrete"? I couldn't understand this comment.

(3) What part of the country are you in? Why won't your house increase in value if you fix the structural issues? Most will.

(4) I like the shutters and would leave them alone; simply re-paint the siding as suggested and re-paint the shutters (maybe black? always in style).

(5) You mention mold -- is the mold on the exterior of the siding, and is it everywhere, or is it just under the problematic gutters?

(6) If your roof is (a) leaking or (b) extremely (30+ years) old, you should replace it. If it's not leaking and newer than 30 years old, don't worry about it until you've fixed the other issues.

It really is a lovely house -- classic style, symmetric, very pleasing to the eye! Do you have a big family and need every square inch of space? If not, just tear the porch OFF for now and replace it later when you have a bit more money. Take care of the structural issues first as those will create more and bigger problems if you do not take care of them now.

First step is deal with the ongoing water issues. Fix the roof (if needed), redo the gutters and get the water away from the foundation which may require some regrading close to the house. When you replace windows, make sure they are flashed and installed correctly...window quality is only part of the equation, installation is just as important!

I would remove the fake shutters...I don't like shutters unless they appear to be operable.

This is what I used on mine and I love it:)

It won't take a professional to remove the overgrown greenery and you'll want it out of the way when you paint.

The overgrown greenery is gone! :) I have removed everything that was no big task.

1.) the downspouts are all trapped in concrete behind my house which is not show. '

3.) I live in a small town. the only chance I feel like I would have is from some outsider who really wanted however this house has been in my family and I will probably keep it that way if I can afford to.

6.) the roof isn't leaking however its just going to be a huge eye sore after all the rest is fixed up.


I added some images.

I have had 2 colonial style homes that we added siding and new windows and doors.

Here's what I recommend.
Call a roofer and get price on a 30 year roof.

Call someone that does siding (might be same guy as roofer) get a price for siding with new gutters and leaders.
We used Certainteed Cedar impressions Vinyl shake siding. Most people that see our house think it's wood siding. They have a web site to locate a dealer.

Get a quote on new vinyl windows. One house we used Harvey windows, the other we used Andersen.

Add up quotes and see how far your budget gets you.

If you are not going to get a return on these then don't blow the budget on wood windows or cement fiber board siding, when a less expensive material will look good and protect your home from the elements.

Well I have gotten some quotes. I think it is possible to do it all within the budget.

However the pro's at doing the siding wanted to charge me around 33k just to put up the siding. I know the cost of the sidding for my house is around 10k. So they are estimating about 23k in labor costs which seems a little out there in my eyes.

Material only costs are as follows....

1.) 10k for the siding.

2.) 10k for the windows

3.) gutters white - are only around 2k installed. for house and garage.

5.) The ez-breeze porch window system is around 3k

6.) The roof material is estimate at only 2~3k

7.) Know one can yet tell me anything about the cost to re trim all the windows.

Start with the most important renovations. IMO, that is a new roof, gutters and windows. Those are definitely professional jobs. Put them out for bids.

The roof seems to be fine. I am not exactly having a problem with it,

It will just be an eyesore when the rest gets done.

I would check the grade around your basement windows. It doesn't take much to have water collect in them. You might have to add another course of bricks around the window wells. When you get gutters, get the 5 inch. Much better at removing the water.

If you can get Hardie siding, I think it would be better than vinyl. See if you can insulate at the same time. Although I am surprised that there is no insulation.

Good luck!

i agree siding price seems high, but you did not say what products you are basing material costs on.

As you said, once you do siding and windows, roof will stand out and not in a good way.

Please try to look at the brand of siding I mentioned before you decide that vinyl will not give you as good a result as cement board

http://www.certainteed.com/products/vinyl-siding/shake---shingle-siding.

Yea, Vinyl won't work. It will just ruin the look of my house. I would rather paint what I got.

Ok, I just wanted you to be informed about all the choices available.

This is what I want! What type of Brand of Trim are they using for the sides?

Thanks! Your Awesome but I just would rather die than use the vinyl.

Once you do get started on your landscape it seems you have a very classical style and I would go with topiary and trimmed shrubs. See attached image for reference.

Do you need to re-side? The siding looks like it's in decent shape. I would think that hiring someone to scrape, sand, and re-paint the siding would be a lot cheaper than the cost of materials + labor for new siding, regardless of what type.

If you *don't* need to re-side and can get away with just re-painting, consider adding the money you'll save on siding to the roofing costs. You don't have a lot of square footage in that roof, so you could actually get a standing seam metal roof, it will look great with your house and will last FOREVER. (My house is only 1800sf and the roof was a small fortune because the garage and house are all one story, so the roof was over 2500sf!)

I think the roof is 1700 square feet. I do have a flat roof on the back. The cost to repaint has been estimated at around 10k and the problem is the mold that has grown into the wood and then works its way back out that gives it a dirty look... it has been power washed.. and those pictures are last years pictures. It looks worse now than it ever has!

Ohhhh. Mold. Terrible problem; I feel for you! You need to KILL the mold with a bleach solution, and that might be difficult if it's into the wood.

OK, then, I'm with you -- get the Hardie cement-board siding. It looks like wood, takes paint like a champ, and lasts forever. (I love cedar siding too, but if you like Hardie siding, it's probably a better choice.)

Have u used bleach on the mold?

You have a very classic home. How old is it ? If the windows are wood and original I would try to save them by adding new storms. It's been proven that new energy efficient storms are as cost effective as replacing the entire window. Original wood windows are very valuable. I preserved everyone of my cedar double-hung windows ( and there were tons in my -3 story century old American Foursquare ). Damaged ones were repaired and glass replaced by a local window company. We had cedar siding on our house and there wasn't a single spot of decay after a century so if I were you I would have it prepped and painted. We also had plaster inside walls but had a company come in and blow in cellulose insulation which really cut down on drafts and the energy bills. and it wasn't expensive for the amount of insulation and work involved. If your budget allows go for copper gutters which will last a lifetime, especially if they are box gutters. As for landscaping, post again when you get to that project. In the meanwhile I suggest removing the overgrown yew or juniper .

I would play with different shades of grey and warm it up with wood shutters for the window, perhaps add color to the front door can be bright color or dark shade of grey! Even ash!

The house was built in 1947. The front windows have been replaced by Pella architects. I just have the rear ones left to do. The old windows do have broken glass in some and even some of them were painted shut and they leak ALOT OF AIR and ALLOW BUGS IN SOMEHOW. The overgrown tree's have been removed (these are last years pictures). The house was power washed and bleached twice over the past 6 years and the stuff just comes back in the same spots... it wasn't painted however and your looking at 15 year old paint.

In the absence of a mold inhibitor, mildew will return.

Vinyl siding is the way to go. No maintenance at all. Tan or brown with white shutters.

Contact your local utility company and find out about local, state and federal energy tax credits for insulation and other improvements. You can save a small fortune. In my area it all started with a thorough assessment by a professional who provided me with a long list of possible improvements and a cost/benefit analysis for each. In the end I opted for insulation (and I live in a stucco house), crack sealing and an energy efficient door. New windows and other improvements didn't pencil out. There may be options for heating and cooling systems, hot water heaters, appliances, etc. I received about $4500 in tax credits the year I bought my house. Check it out -- these offers come and go so take advantage of them when you can.

Trent, those louvered shutters that you posted would look great on your home. Our louvered shutters come in fixed and operable. We have 3 different style louver slats for our operable louver line that come in 24 standard colors. If we do not have a color you like we are able to custom color match any color. Be sure to visit our profile and our website for more information! Also, don't forget to request a free catalog.

Re: the mold. Chlorine bleach doesn't leave a residual. BoraCare is a paint-on boric acid solution that can be helpful, especially if you have mold plus bugs. Also, I encapulated my crawl space -- that is, I *really* sealed the water/moisture that was under my house OUT of my house and wow, what a difference that made! If you have a lot of moisture in your basement rising up into your home, that is bad. This house looks like it is on a crawl space, or on piers? I'm not sure what zone you are in? Or is it on a slab? I don't know what you use for heating or cooling? But getting the house more energy efficient is going to pay for itself in money savings and comfort.

Also one other thing re: moisture. Rain falls into chimneys. Chimney caps are an easy fix to that...