What do you like and not like?

I love the home but I'd like to add my own flair. To cut costs I'd keep the hostas and my husband wants to chop the tree because it's leaning over the neighbors driveway. The garage door needs to be replaced soon as well. Wondering what colors would look nice when we do decide to paint the exterior, and what can I do to clean up the driveway.

Is the house brick? So you would be painting the trim? The red is not bad for the garage door as it blends with the brick, but lose the buggy picture. Then paint the shutters a solid color, white or black. Is there white around the front door? A better picture of that would be helpful. Perhaps you could save up to fortify the columns and railings on the porch. See what pressure washing the driveway does for it.

There is no need to take out the tree if it is healthy. Good luck

Yes it is a brick home, we have ideas to paint the trim but my Lord we were quoted over 4k ( in the Midwest) for that paint job! I'd hop on the ladder myself if I have to. The door is red, I want to keep it because it has a cool peep hole😊.

The shutters blend too much so a color that would complement but stand out would be better (like black or charcoal and paint the porch railing black, beef up the porch posts). I would get rid of all the foundation plants and the tree (it is not pretty and cannot be made to look better, any dropping limbs on the neighbors would be a negative) and make the beds bigger, extending to the driveway and circling a new prettier flowering tree near the location of the existing tree. The hosta can be easily moved to a new shady location.

Do the shutters have the horse and buggy motif also? Paint over those too. The red doesn't work for me. Take a drive through the neighborhood and find other houses with your same brick color. Notice the trim/door/shutters colors and see what appeals to you.

The graphics and matching color accessories (shutters/porch canopy) don't work for me. Would be better if those were dark, solid colors that contrasted well with the brick.

For landscaping, you need to stand in line with the door, at the curb (not out in the street) and take some slightly overlapping pictures that pan from left to right, capturing additional space beyond the right and left ends of the housed, as we need to see the neighboring background properties, too.

We've not fully moved in yet that's why I haven't gotten the best pictures yet.

For me, the whole canopy structure around the front door is an eyesore. Making it look clean would be a big improvement...see the neighbor's front door.

I'm aware hence the "power washing" title. It's freezing here right now, but it's top priority on the spring cleaning list.

Didn't mean that kind of "clean". Clean lines, uncluttered:)

Yes that's something I'd prefer as well that's what beings me here, for advice on how to attain it.

The leaning tree looks like it is half dead and it is too big to be in scale with your house, is therefore making your house look smaller than it is (dwarfing it, visually). Get estimates from ISA Certified, fully bonded and insured arborists for removal of the tree. As with the painting of the house hiring a business to do this will involve some expense. However unlike with painting of the house this is really not a possible do it yourself project.

Do you know handy people, or are you guys handy? I figure young family, modest budget, the more you can do yourselves or w/help the better. Professional perfect magazine worthy paint job, or....? Some visible brush strokes isn't the end of the world when you're on a budget. I agree w/others about not being keen on the buggy on the shutters/garage door, the awning over the front steps, and the red. The tree I'd take down. We spend a lot of time checking other houses out, to see what people do w/their places, and we've been married 18 years! We had people side the house and put in new windows, otherwise we've done everything ourselves, with help now and again from my parents and Uncle.

Missi, I consider myself handy, or at least eager to work! We are grateful to have gotten a home in such good shape, since it was an elderly couple's home which would explain the horse and carri;which is funny because that quirk is what drew me to the home! Also, I am looking into changing the railing out, as a previous user mentioned-that would make a difference in a more clean and modern looking front.

Since you are just moving in, take your time to 'listen' to the house and what it needs AND to save up to do everything the right way. Yes, home ownership is expensive! Every job you want to do will cost twice as much as you think! But you're on the right track- get the trim painted asap- perhaps new simpler shutters and garage door with windows. I'd go with black window frames, cream trim on shutters and garage, and a black front door for now. Save up to re-do the entry- some stone steps, a larger platform, perhaps extending to a porch, with interesting bigger posts and rails, or perhaps wrought iron would work to make the front door more visible. The roof on the entry has gotta go too, but probably the whole roof will need replacing sometime soon- so pick a roofing material that you want for both. With a larger space, you can bring in a bench, a beautiful porch light, and pots o flowers to add color. The round trimmed bushes are out of style, find something easier to care for and more flow-ey. The tree has outlived its usefulness too- think about replacing with a flowering tree that won't go so tall, and moving it over from the edge of the lot. Start collecting magazines of house designs for ideas- you're lucky that this is a simple style and it just needs some TLC (work AND money!) to bring it up to a beautiful place. Take your time!

I love the idea of a medium-to-large, flowering, upright, broadleaf evergreen tree to replace the kinda scraggy-wild thing y'all currently have, lol. I wouldn't want it to grow taller than your roof peak. (Tall trees behind the house, small trees in front, to nicely frame it.)

Expanding the flower bed is a fantastic suggestion. To keep it in scale with the rest of your yard, I would make it only 3-plants-deep. An evergreen background shrub closest to the house, then a flowering perennial grouping in the middle that won't exceed the height of the first layer, ending with a smaller scale groundcover up front.

Keep in mind the mature height of whatever you select for the beds, so that they don't grow above the bottom of the windowsills/aprons/whatever the bottom trim piece of the window is called. :-D Also prioritize plants with a bit of heft to them... The brick can handle stronger looking/denser foliage and prominent flowers.

A pathway that avoids the driveway, going directly from the sidewalk to the front door, would also make this already cute house super cute. This would be best accomplished by removing/restructuring the awning and moving the stairs to the front, instead of the side, of the porch.

The great thing about all of this is, it can be done in stages. Not only is it easier on the wallet, but by letting things go a bit more slowly, it feels like a more organic transition, making it easier to visualize as you go. <3

Thank you all so much for this much needed advice! I am making a list and like Yardvaark suggested-a masterplan. It is very exciting to add your personality to your home but again, costly! Therefore, we will be taking it slow being sure everything is cohesive and functional.

One thing we see time and time again, is people fixing up a house, taking quite a lengthy time of it, and ignoring the yard until everything on the house is done. This might be a period of years. Of course, it makes sense not to do landscaping where construction or demolition work will destroy it. But once that phase has passed. it would be best if people get onto landscaping ASAP. If they do it sooner than later, it will be EASIER and CHEAPER. Reaping a reward with landscaping is a lot like reaping retirement investment benefits. Small, early investments can grow as large or much larger, than late, big investments. A homeowner who has the time to wait, as they will be in their home for several years, can start with small plant material and achieve a totally satisfactory result with a little patience, and some water and fertilizer. Those who wait too long and try to develop a landscape near the end, must use much larger and more expensive plant material in order to achieve a reasonable result. Some people do nothing at all until they are ready to sell the house, and then, it's an impossible emergency. There is nothing that someone can do by swooping in at the very end with high hopes of creating street appeal in order to help sell the home. It's completely futile by that point.

The first year would be a good time to work on a complete finished plan. There's no need to rush and there's probably plenty of other things to do. As the plan gels, one begins to see and confirm where demolition of existing landscape is necessary, and taking care of those areas can turn into productive weekend projects. At the end of the first year, one might end up with a nice, clean slate, where the only remaining plants are those wanted for permanent incorporation into the finished landscape. Beds can be laid out and developed, even if nothing but mulch is in them. During the second year, one can install plant material according to the master or planting plan. It doesn't matter how small it is if one is willing to wait. There might be areas of perennials that require a high volume of individual plants. One could acquire starts and grow their own supply if they are willing to learn some simple propagation techniques, and if they're willing to wait. If most plant material is in place, or started, by the end of the second year, it will grow and transform dramatically -- exponentially -- over the course of the next half-dozen years. It could be a showplace by the time the homeowner decides it's time to put it up for sale and move on to the next house. If there's no move coming (lucky!) the maturing landscape could be the source of satisfaction and enjoyment for the remaining duration of living at that property.

So thought out..the take away for me is to start small, and don't procrastinate on nor neglect the yard.

Bingo! It all begins with THE PLAN.

Congratulations on your new house! Very exciting. Home is the loveliest place on earth. I'd wash it in white paint because I absolutely love that look and paint the shutters a deep teal or black. But for instant charm I'd paint the shutters black, trim the hedges and add two window boxes overflowing with flowers and some urns or planters under the porch with a bench and pillows in that extra niche there. Change out the porch materials to something more updated and substantial as soon as you can but in the meantime clean it up nicely and live in the moment. I'd take the tree down. It seems misplaced. Not sure of your area but if Endless Summer Hydrangeas would work, I'd add them in front of your shrubs and tucked around the house, or something like that that can soften the landscape. Endless Summer blooms and blooms and is easy to take care of. They have self watering window boxes on the web which will keep you from watering as much. The garage can be determined after you know what you are doing with the house so they can coordinate. So happy for you. There is always a hundred things to do so don't get overwhelmed. Enjoy the moment. :) The most important thing is creating a loving environment. That is what your little ones will remember most. The best houses come together over time. Use your money wisely and each year tackle a little more. May God bless you and yours!

Put the evergreen shrubs at the corners and the herbaceous plants ("flowers") in the center instead of the other way around. And use a shrub at the left corner (looking from the street) that is big and tall enough to soften the high sharp edge the exposed house corner creates. One that is roughly pyramidal in shape, rather than more globular.

Yardvaark's image above brings out the classic elegance of your home. It's a beautiful simple style under the current awning and shutters.

That said, the enlarged carriage design on your garage door brings back warm memories for me, and looks like it's in good shape. If you like it too, KEEP IT! Who cares what everyone else thinks?!

I can't help but think of the Wells Fargo logo.

I love the rendering from the Yardvaark and hear you loud and clear about the budget. I've been there and done that many times! Here are a few suggestions to get the look of the rendering without spending too much.

1.) Clean and paint the existing porch cover

2.) Clean and paint the existing shutters

3.) Clean and paint the garage door and side walls - if you aren't going to replace the door right away. If you get a new garage door, I suggest something with windows at the top for curb appeal and to provide natural light in the garage.

4.) If the tree in front is hanging over any power lines OR is a threat to the power source should it fall, you can contact your power provider to see if they will cut down the tree or at a minimum trim it up (which could possibly reduce the removal cost). I did this a few years ago with a LARGE dead tree trunk. The power company sent an arborist to assess the tree. It was determined the tree could fall on the neighborhood power box at the corner of my property. After the assessment, a crew was sent to cut down the tree trunk for FREE. They didn't cut up the wood or haul it off, but just getting the tree cut down for free saved me approximately $1,500. I then listed the opportunity for free wood on Craig's List and all the wood was gone within 2 weeks.

5.) Use an edger to clean up the grass line around the driveway and sidewalk.

6.) Add some flowering plants to the flowerbed behind the hosta. Blooming flowers combined with the hosta will make your front yard pop! Keep in mind the hosta can be divided and replanted for even distribution along the flowerbed.

I've read great things about the paint listed in this link for interior and exterior use : https://www.heirloomtraditionspaint.com/

They offer a free sample and have great project videos available online.

Good luck and as someone mentioned in an earlier post, ENJOY the process.

Thank you. I had to laugh at1-3 though, lol yes I know the house needs to be washed, wondering if I could do that myself.

I wouldn't be so quick to tear down the awning until you're ready to update the front. You'll be grateful, along with your visiting guests, to have cover over the front door while it's raining or snowing. I know the aluminum awning style is outdated - we had them in our last house, but it serves a purpose.

Landscaping is always good, expand the bed, maybe add a few more curves so it, to do it on a budget, hostas are easy to separate and make multiple plants out of one to sort of give a formal border that can be interplanted with other lower growing perennials or annuals until the the hostas fill out some more, I would shoot for 3 out of each. Instant gratification can have the budget soaring impact so I would choose plants that are easy to get seeds from or that self seed, you can always add or expand beds if you need the space or pot up babies to give to friends that have yards, you can also buy seeds that are the same variety of perennials you buy in pots to make bigger groupings by sewing them around your potted plants. If you do not want to neutralize the brick with paint, consider flowers with warmer tones, nothing cooler than a vibant deep purple .

As for paint and trim, if the diamond grills can come off the windows, remove them the Tudor diamond look really does not work well with a house that is really a simple colonial, if the shudders are vinyl and can not be painted, replace them with a color that keeps with the colonial style of your house. I would maybe consider trim in Benjamin Moore Sand Dunes 1072 if the window sashes can be painted, Shutters in Black HC-190 (I know, so basic, but neutral enough to work with any trim color if the windows can't be painted,) and Damask Gold CW-405, not red because with the red brick, the contrast color stands out more without being too much since it is a subdued yellow. I would also add trim around the garage door opening to better separate the door itself from the brick, for both the garage and the front door, I would paint them to match.

If the awning must stay, paint the top to match your roof and hide the the uprights and railing with lattice work with the square openings instead of the cheaper diamond patterned stuff, Major Wheeler honey suckle would be a good option because the coloring works with everything else mentioned above, and it does not lost all its leaves in winter so you won't have totally bare lattice work plus unlike ivy, it does not hold on with little roots so if it does come in contact with the brick there is nothing to worry about.

Then add accessories, planters flanking the garage door, maybe with some topiaries or an evergreen of some sort. toss in a pergola for the space between the garage and the house and maybe repeat the vine from above after painting it the trim color if it is not a nice wood like cedar.

Thank you all so much for your help.

Not sure if I've missed a mention of the down pipe beside the porch. It needs to be made vertical.