Perhaps consider some bright annuals (ones that can handle shade) in pots on either side of the door to further highlight where the door is.

Too bad about that post being where it is.

Also try to decrease the amount of things under the carport or put them in storage places like those trunks or cabinets for the composter etc.

Brighter coloured shutters might make things more lively.

So maybe shutters in an antique red or med-deep turquoise. (It's hard to tell but pale blue siding?)

Suggest also increasing the size of front shutters to add presence/weight to front of place.

I'm not so good with gimp/photoshop but hopefully enough for you to get the idea

Stuff, stuff, and more stuff under the carport and around the area does not make for an attractive curb appeal. Put it all away. Resurfacing of the driveway is a good idea.

I like the mockup pictures above with swooping beds and some tallish shrubs. The home can really look nice with some work.

Frankly, I'd call the 'carport' a porch and move the driveway to park beside the house to the right. Then, I'd put a wide path to the front door, flanked by garden beds (lavender looks nice) and replace the driveway with lawn.

You'd have a sweet-looking house. If you actually park a car in the carport, you won't have a useful porch and the door will be overwhelmed by the car. Those lovely photoshopped pics are going to look very different with a car in the carport.

You note the other posters have tidied up the foundation plantings to the left and filled in with some smaller plants.

Hello Allison,

Other than the landscaping and remodeling design tips offered, curb appeal can also be achieved through properly placed landscape lighting. Low-voltage landscape lighting offers security, beauty, efficiency, and is the finishing touch when transforming any outdoor space.

Given the layout pictured at this address, the goal would be to highlight the Maple Trees in the front yard (if kept), possibly illuminate any new landscaping added to the front wall of the house, and definitely accent/highlight the front door.

Spotlights would work well to uplight the trees and potentially the house. Path/area lights would be ideal for any planter beds or small gardens in the front yard. For directing the attention to the front door, I would recommending using a pair of sconce-style lights; either directly on either side of the door or potentially on the carport columns.

Hopefully this helped provide some additional insight.

-Evan K.

Industry Liaison - VOLT® Lighting

Sorry, I’m not a fan of a lot of exterior lighting aside from whatever is needed to light the entrance and pathways for safety and to guide the way from parking area to door. Unless you have a really special feature, like a specimen tree that deserves to be lit at night, I’d forego lighting up the house exterior or planting beds. There is also the energy waste to consider when using unnecessary lighting.

And light pollution to further Saypoint's comment. I would also check to see whether the beam over the front of the carport can be reinforced and the left post be removed. If the right post is boxed to enhance its ornamental value, it will help make the entry more welcoming. I would find a way to move all the various utilitarian items in the area such as the trash barrel to a storage area out of easy visibility similar to the fenced enclosure to the right, though it may need to be roofed. I like Yardvaark's overall layout, particularly the sweep of the walkway a bit farther from the house so that if a car is in the drive, there is space to walk.

Is it possible to extend the carport to the right to have a covered parking spot to the right, a central, ornamental post in addition to one on the right, and have a larger space to the left be a covered entry porch?

Fortunately,

Outdoor lighting solutions today offer power-efficient LED options, and Dark Sky Approved fixtures. So, electricity bills remain the same (unless upgrading from inefficient Halogen lights of course) and light trespass can be minimized given the wide range of design options as well as additional accessories (glare guards, optics, etc.) Some manufacturers have even taken additional steps towards wildlife preservation; such as bulbs or fixtures deemed safe for sea-turtles or other migratory species.

After landscaping is all said and done, whether it be a few fixtures for accent lighting or security, proper outdoor lighting extends the beauty and curb appeal of a home into the nighttime.

Best of luck with your project!

VOLT, good point on the efficiency available today. Still not a fan of over-lit landscapes, though. Random photos off the web. Not a good look IMO.

This next one is actually not bad, it looks like it’s being lit up for a reason, to use the area for entertaining. I like it. Shut the lights off when you’re done. Do I sound like your mother?

Completely agree with those saying you should consider resurfacing the driveway.

Assuming they park their cars on the driveway, I don't think there's much they can do to improve the curb appeal.

The “carport” doesn’t look deep enough to actually put a car in it, and seems like it may have been added as an afterthought. The brackets on the left side seem kind of odd. Maybe they should remove it altogether. It would open up the area around the entrance, but I’m not sure what you would do with the huge concrete slab. Maybe large containers for plants and a couple of chairs?

Yardvaark’s plantings look nice. Definitely have the driveway redone.