Awesome ideas! The budget is quite large as we purchased the home with the intention of a total redo. Definitely the windows are too small! Great idea - one that I hadn't though of yet - to add skylights

Are you wanting to use brick again or another material.

When people use the term modern I am never sure if they mean Modern Architecture or if they mean of the modern time as in current style.

Browse Houzz exterior photos of contemporary houses for materials and window inspiration. Like this one.

zipper house · More Info

Nice house and lot.

Keep the brick as is.

You could lose the shutters.

Bold black front door works. You might consider adding a bottom brass kick plate as an accent.

Unless the roof needs to be replaced, forget the skylights and go ahead and swap out the windows on the left side of the house for wider and/or taller windows.

Definitely agree you need a front porch. You could add a larger porch in front of the left wing of the house w/an additional portico in front of the brick area.

http://www.greenville-home-remodeling.com/greenville-home-remodels/curb-appeal/#jp-carousel-338

If the roof needs to be replaced, consider doing so in a way that extends that left forward facing gable to create overlapping gables for your new front porch.

http://coolhousez.net/excellent-exterior-design-using-ranch-style-home/exciting-ranch-style-home-decoration-with-brick-front-porch-staircase-including-white-house-pillar-and-single-glass-front-door.

Perhaps you could move all those shrubs to the left edge or back border of your yard and let them grow tall for a green privacy hedge while you make room for your new front porch. Then, you could add a hedge from the left corner of the house until the new entry steps/sidewalk. Don't clutter up the front yard w/too many plantings unless you actually like working in the dirt and/or are creating a privacy screen for a front yard patio.

Mailbox is askew; post could use some attention or even replaced with a taller post -- perhaps adding a solar light atop it and/or a hanging bracket for a flower basket behind it.

The shrubbery needs to go so workers can access the building, so go ahead and pull that out. I'd remove the traditional gas light pole too. Then spend a big chunk of that budget to enlist an architect who specializes in renovations and has done some ranch style homes similar to yours.

The brick adds a textured area and color to the house. Can you regrout it? Here's a nice updated ranch. This one has new stone. I do think your refurbished brick could be used in this way and perhaps work with a brick-trimmed path. Get a landscape designer and architect to advise.: