Unfortunately exterior updates cost big bucks. And if you don't have a budget then I would just leave the house as is. It doesn't look terrible. Perhaps paint your front door a greyed down blue to compliment the red tones of your house. I would, however, put whatever budget you do have into landscaping. If you take out any of what's growing then you'd have almost nothing! Leave what you've got growing as is and add a big garden bed under your window on the left. Add a big planter of flowers beside your door on the left where there's room. All that mulch looks uber weird to me. Can you not have grass in your area? I think if you improve your landscaping, your house will look a thousand times better.

Brown Dog has it. Spend your money on landscaping incorporating the plants you have and building an extended garden bed on the left especially. A small garden center can help you. Tell them you're selling the house. If you have the budget, install a red brick or paver walkway leading up to the house. Do not paint the brick. It adds texture and color to your house.

If you are going to paint anyway (but not the brick) and want to enhance the brown/red brick and roof, then choose a charcoal brown with gray in it for your trim. Here's the palette. Add a teal door.

South Boulevard · More Info

This blue for the door:

Inner-City Seclusion · More Info

The house looks fine, except for the door color. I agree with all the others, it desperately needs landscaping.

Thanks everyone. Yes, we are going to landscape. We are in a drought and high fire area (northern California) and the front yard had become weed ridden and scrubby - the mulch is for a fresh start, as we don't want to do lawn while water is in short supply (many homes in our area do this, so it doesn't look as weird in context). We will be planting in front of the house, using planters etc.

I am doing the painting myself, so the only cost will be the paint.

I hadn't ever considered a teal door - thank you housegal200! And I like the charcoal brown too. Will update when color has happened.

Love that, thank you housegal200!

Neat looking house.

Would NOT paint the brick.

Would paint the exposed metal chimney pipe a heat resistant black.

Would repaint all the white trim white.

Look up the "c are" instructions for that bush nearest the porch and, if appropriate to do so this time of year, trim it to below window height and a bit back away from the porch post.

Would wrap that skinny front porch post to make it sturdier looking and paint it white.

You might outline the sidewalk in pavers (tops level with the sidewalk top) to widen the sidewalk -- after creating a flat place between those pavers and the higher dirt/lawn. Then you could plant an outlining row of a low growing plants (such as liriope, if in Zone 7 or if it will grow where you live) to outline the sidewalk and prevent the dirt from washing over the sidewalk. Spider plants will grow faster and might work for the summer but the plants may not survive the winter and whether or not the roots will survive might require covering them in plastic.

Then focus on creating a healthy lawn.

Your house will sell like hotcakes either way (I'm also in Northern CA/Bay Area), so I agree - tidy up the landscaping a bit and don't worry about the exterior too much beyond that. No sense in spending money - you're in a great seller's market and it'll go for well over asking even if you don't paint.