I would not paint the brick. Hand prune the shrubs so they don't obscure any windows. Make sure all paint trim is in good order. Overall, I think your house looks good.

Your selling dont paint the brick, nt the time for that investment, can you post a picture that isn't so small?

just an example of what color can bring

Hopefully this one is better

sorry, it's still small, but yes what I would do

dig up the lawn around the tree by the front, add mulch, and some color to the bed, brighten the porch up to look inviting, paint the front door, fresh and cheerful. What's going on with the windows? why do they look like 2 half-open eyes lol. Paint the garage door, again a fresh and more modern shade of beige. Seed and water your lawn.

Can't see your house well enough to make any determination. What is under that dark porch? Who will want to trim that hedge? Got to make it look maintenance free since people don't have time for extra labor these days.

Your house looks in good condition. No apparent repairs are evident ( from the photo) which is a great place to start. Thereafter it's just a matter of maintenance and adding a few things to finish it up.

As a Designer and Realtor of 10 years, I would say, paint that brick white. A white house sells faster. Just spells fresh and clean, for buyers. No beige - if you can help it. Paint the garage door white as well. The roof will pop once you do that. Then you might want to seed the lawn and water it - brown patches are not helpful. Once again green spells fresh and new.

The front porch looks a little dark. Repainting the front door is always a good idea before selling. Depending on where the home is - in what state and what city - paint it red (not burgundy, not wine but red) or glossy black. Both make the home stand out without making it stick out - if that makes sense - and gets people to want to walk inside to explore. Make sure you have a nice modern looking light fixture installed on that front porch - people sometimes drive by in the evenings after they've seen a house.

From the photo - one cannot see the path that leads up to the front door. Is it brick? Is it clean? If not I would power wash it and the driveway.

Your windows look a little tired. Hoping the white paint will lighten the side of the house adequately so you don't have to do anything to the windows. The house looks a little squat. Think about giving it height - visually. If I were you, I'd get rid of the hedges and plant some flowering climbing vines on either side of the window and train then up to the roof, this inviting the eye to travel vertically upwards - aka adding height.

Hope this helps even a little.

Take care.

Tori

TORI BLACK HOMES

Don't paint the brick. I'm a Realtor for 40+ years and painted brick isn't the way to go in my market area because of all the added maintenance. Check with your Realtor for your market area to see what improvements work.

Landscaping is one of the best ROI's and that is where you can use the most help.

The other thing that jumps out at me is the very old garage door. It is detracting from your home's appearance in a big way. A new garage door with or without windows - wood or wood look would help tremendously with the curb appeal in addition to the landscaping.

50 Inviting Garage Door Ideas | HGTV · More Info

Cowart Door - Quarter Sawn White Oak Garage doors · More Info

I am not a professional in any field that applies, but I have bought and sold a few houses. The overall appearance is very horizontal and dark around the entry. However, I disagree with changing the garage door or painting the brick. It won't gain much return on investment.

Here are my suggestions:

For the bushes along the front: they are looking a little crowded. Remove about a third to half of them, say every other bush. Find smaller shrubs in a different leaf color at a local nursery. Electric Love Weigela gets about 2'x2', Rainbow Fizz Spirea gets about 3'x3'. Google search for small shrubs with colored leaves.

Instead of removing the grass under the entry tree, add some colorful garden art or potted plants. From experience I can attest that replacing a grassy area with mulch becomes a high maintenance weed magnet. Even a garden bench in white or a bird bath would help brighten the area.

I agree with painting the front door a lighter color. I think I see a brown chair in the shade, I'd put a white one, or 2, there, along with a bistro table.

Purchase several solar lights designed for walk ways to place along the inside curve edge from the driveway to the front entry. They are not a big expense, but help a lot at night or on stormy days.

Add a couple of colorful pots in the shade of your entry. For example: buy a large clay pot, set it on the ground upside down and put a pot of petunias or fuschia on top of it. In the winter time, after the flowers die back, put a seasonal decoration on top of the pot, then new flowers the next spring. Being up off the ground it won't become a weedy chore, but will brighten the dark corner.

The garage door needs something. Maybe just painting? And I'd paint the dark trim around the windows and all the dark "stuff" in the porch areas to a lighter color, probably the same as the garage door. Except the front door and it's storm door if there is one; I'd probably use something in the turquoise-light teal family . Don't paint the brick -- huge expense and turns many people off, plus your brick is not unattractive. Add flowers when it goes on the market -- whatever is robustly blooming at the time at your local nursery. This fall would be the time to add shrubbery. Even if you don't redo the area around the tree, think about replacing the shrubs against the garage wall with something that has naturally red foliage to pick up the red tones from the roof; consult a nursery with a landscape designer to make a good choice -- you don't want to end up with something with purple tinges.

Repaint garage door, trim a darker. neutral color, paint the front door a light color

Add light furniture with colored cushions for a cute sitting area on the front porch.

I would focus some attention on your porch. The porch should draw the eye and make a person want to come into your home if you are looking to sell. Look at what is popular in your area that you can adapt to the style of your home.

Paint the front door, trim bushes and tree and then add color in landscaping with flowers in pots so you can take them with you! Make sure the entrance is friendly with a chair or two. Good luck.

Please do not paint the brick. Let the new owners decide (and pay) for that.

As stated above,
CLEAN everything little thing.
Flowers in large pots are good because you can take them with you.
Trim the tree.
Mulch the planting areas, even of you just set pots on top.
Seed patchy areas of lawn.
Make the porch a focal point.

Look at photos on Houzz of house styles similar to yours for ideas.

Best wishes.

I would definitely paint the brick white (or light cream.) It’s all one level and could be done very economically and would instantly update this house’s appearance which is what you’ll want in order to put it on the market. White will also bring needed light to your porch. You could find inexpensive black sconce porch lights which would also help update the look for very little $. With a clean white house, trimmed bushes and some nice container flowers on the approach to the porch, it will look great! Good luck!

I would not paint a brick house just for resale. It may look fresher but it would turn me and any others that actually like brick off. Brick is maintenance free once painted not. Painting a whole house is not cheap. clean it up and paint trim, doors and any other NOT brick...if it needs it. Make sure the house and yard is clean and looks good when you do go to sell. It amazes me that people would think they could sell with some listing photos and yards. (Thinking about a few in my town in particular.)

A few ideas for trim color

https://mariakillam.com/the-best-exterior-trim-colours-with-brick-not-cloud-white/

I agree with not painting the brick. If after listing it isn't moving, then consider it. Be careful of putting too much money into something you are selling, you just don't always get it back.

The front door looks dark, but can't tell what the color is. The neighbor next door painted her door Navy blue - but not too dark a shade - and it really pops with her brick. I think it may be nice to do a dark blue - not so dark that it looks black though. Saw a nice one called "Blueberry" by Ben Moore.

Then use that color to also paint the garage door. It has trim creating boxes on it: keep those trim pieces a bright white and do the blue within the "boxes". If that seems too extreme keeping the white after you paint it, then paint that part blue too. Nice to have white next to colors you want to "pop". Stay away from off-whites, and I don't think there is a "modern beige" as someone else indicated. I personally don't resonate with that color.

The challenge with your shrubs in front of your house is they are all the same height/shape. I suggest using Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo) on the side of your windows for height:

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/shrub/heavenly-bamboo/

It's evergreen. Has red berries in the winter. Doesn't spread like real bamboo. Attractive without becoming real bushy.

Then have just like 3 small bushes in front of the windows. Gotta say, one thing that bothers me with them as is, is that they come up over the lower part of the window. I think I'd replace them with something. I typed "low growing flowering shrubs here:

https://search.aol.com/aol/image;_ylt=A2KLfR5Seh1f42AAHVNpCWVH;_ylu=X3oDMTByMDgyYjJiBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMyBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzYw--?q=low+growing+flowering+shrubs&v_t=webmail-searchbox

Or just plant those Narnia's on either side of the windows, and put a large, colorful pot between the 2 windows with flowering plants in it - the it will be attractive from the inside too. Geraniums can be an easy flowing plant to put in the pot that will add a splash of color with it's flowers.

I didn't really even notice your frontporch at first - it's all so dark. Add a bit of zing. If you go with a blue front door, perhaps get or paint your current furniture a color that will pop with the blue and the brick: perhaps turquoise chairs with an orange table.

Adding potted plants can help too. I remember my cousin saying that blue pots look especially good with plants. I think it's a great color, so is yellow. Also paint those posts/columns. I tend to like 3 colors: blue door, white trim, and you have your brick. Probably paint the columns the same color as the front door.

Well, lots of varied advise! Good luck with your choices! And your sale!

I’d buy it! Upgrade the front door with a high quality door (no oval window- think Greene and Greene architecture) that is a light or bright color, and coordinated storm door, because it’s dark under there. I agree about painting the trim and anything but brown. I like the colors themes in other comments. Since the garage door in the first thing you see and a two-car, paint or replace. I’d say no to shutters because it has a modern vibe. I’d probably not replace anything expensive- leave that for the negotiation process.

A few simple things- remove white storm door/screen and stash in garage. Paint garage door and house door in 2 shades of the same color- darker on garage brighter on front door. Picture too small to see but change all lighting and house numbers and mailbox hardware to something more contemporary- maybe black, simple, and big. Put in ground cover around tree area and place a few big pots with colorful seasonal plants, bright chrysanthemums for fall for example. 'Decorate' the porch with a bench or chair in a light or bright color to complement the door. And add another pot of flowers by the door. The two windows on the right need help from inside- roll up the shades, open the curtains. All the vertical lines are competing with the window grid- simplify. Paint window trim to match garage door. Outside, how about a window box under those windows and trim back or cull out the bushes. Something simple with another bit of color in the plantings, hopefully something lasting year-long with just a few added colorful pots inserted with the seasons. I have nothing against painted brick, lived next door to a white painted red brick house and loved how it weathered, sort of wabi sabi! But for now don't do it- keep your expenses down and from the tips here, it looks like painted brick aren't very popular! Biggest expense will be a power wash to whole house and roof- will really change the look! Good luck!

I agree with the “don’t paint the whole house” group. Think about your budget and spend accordingly. Update (through paint or replacement) the front door and garage door (to more MCM style). Change landscaping to dwarf, low maintenance plants, add flower pots at the front door and a charming bench, and colorful flowers along the walk. Your interior is just as important so clean, discard, minimize and repaint as needed.

My suggestions:

1. Remove the tree at the front. maybe replace with shorter and/or colourful shrubs.

2. Do a little landscaping up the walkway/driveway.

3. Repaint the garage door the same/similar colour and use that colour around the door and window trim.

4. Repaint the front door a light or accent colour to brighten the entrance.

4. Clean the space.

My immediate impression is that the brightness of the garage door brings the focus there instead of to the front entry. I would paint it a darker color that matches color in your bricks better, or if you have a realtor already, check if replacing the garage door is a worthwhile expense in your area. I also wonder about painting the gutters or fascia, they seem very light compared to your roof and brick, making it a white line dividing them. I wouldn’t paint your brick unless you went for something like this photo below to brighten up just the porch/entry, but it would only work if the garage door is less prominent and the light color works with the brick. Upload photos onto Benjamin Moore or sherwin Williams websites and try some paint colors. If you do paint, be sure to get the right kind for the garage door, brick, etc. and do the proper prep work. The photo looks like a different type of siding used with brick (more expensive project) but it gives an idea.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/braes-heights-renovation-of-mid-60-s-home-midcentury-exterior-houston-phvw-vp~57440148

Second, the dark green of the foundation shrubs along the wall with the windows sucks up the light and makes everything look darker and drab. Unless they are something that blooms like gardenias I would completely take them out, or at least take 2/3 of them out if you don’t want to replace all the foundation landscaping. There’s also a straggly looking shrub behind the tree growing against the garage, take it out or prune it. The little tree looks like it needs some pruning too. Without knowing where you live (looks Midwest?) it’s hard to give definite plant recommendation for anything to replace the foundation plants but a few ideas:

Get to your local independent plant nursery, bring your photos and your knowledge of how much sun/shade you get there for their recommendations. They will be able to help in ways a big box store won’t.

I’ve read recently that the #1 exterior plant that buyers like is hydrangeas. If they grow in your area, it looks like you have the right dappled shade, just bear in mind that it’s a beautiful plant in bloom but they can look pretty bad when dormant so you would need advice if bloom season will be when your house goes on the market. It’s a more “cottage-y” plant but used sparingly it could work with your mid century house. Color is important, you don’t want soft pinks with your brick, I would go with cream or even lime blooms to brighten it up. Azaleas might be another flowering plant that works or boxwood for greenery; again, get local nursery advice. I would plant two, one in each space between a window and corner, leave the area under the windows mulched and add a colorful glazed ceramic planter, birdbath or something similar in front of the window.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/mequon-fairway-overlook-traditional-landscape-milwaukee-phvw-vp~2274451

https://www.houzz.com/photos/updating-the-existing-midcentury-landscape-chicago-phvw-vp~147700090

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/a-public-library-goes-for-color-contemporary-landscape-orlando-phvw-vp~4374858

A different option would be low plants like colorful heucheras if they work in your area

https://www.houzz.com/hznb/photos/pacific-heights-residence-landscape-san-francisco-phvw-vp~16915

Or colorful grasses or ferns

https://www.houzz.com/photos/the-incredible-bright-yellow-of-japanese-forest-grass-contemporary-landscape-los-angeles-phvw-vp~146394649

https://www.houzz.com/photos/formal-city-garden-traditional-landscape-new-york-phvw-vp~3191398

Do blueberries grow in your zone? They’re an attractive shrub with benefits.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/brazelberries-landscape-portland-phvw-vp~10725082

Is the yellow spot of grass a drainage issue? If not just reseed it. You could put a couple of lawn chairs there if you’re selling in the late spring or summer, getting the most out of outdoor living space is so necessary now!

Next: do you have wiring in place to add path lights along the walkway? If not, do like someone else suggested and get some solar path lights a few weeks before putting on the market.

Your front door is very dark. I would suggest a bright colorful front door and a doormat that picks up the bright color, but that also depends on whether you’re showing your house empty, furnished or staged. It makes no sense to have a bright green or turquoise front door if your interior furniture and walls are not going to coordinate. If you do paint the door have the screen or storm door painted to match. You could add a pillow in the bright color or print to the chair.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/woodway-mid-century-modern-remodel-midcentury-exterior-seattle-phvw-vp~50385115

no shutters.

The style of your house is quite appealing, but here's what I see: a garage door that is the wrong color and it detracts from the curb appeal. You need to paint it a light color in the right shade that works well with the brick. Do not paint the brick. It is too expensive and too high maintenance. It will turn more people off than bring them in. You either need to rake and seed the brown patches or make the bed bigger with more plants/shrubs under those 2 windows. I would not remove any of the shrubs but I would trim them down a few inches. The porch area needs brightening with some light colored furniture, a bistro table perhaps, and maybe even an inexpensive outdoor throw rug. You want something that says to buyers that they will enjoy being here. In the triangle area that has the tree, make a wider cleared circle around the tree and add flowers. While everyone will cringe at my next comment, find some real looking fake flowers and stick them profusely in the ground if you have to for instant but easy color (I did it at my house and a landscaper and numerous guests didn't even realize they were fake.). On your porch put real flowers in a pot on the table. Perhaps put up 3 hanging baskets. Rent a power washer and clean the brick BUT DO NOT PAINT IT. Keep the sidewalk and porch well swept and a Welcome mat at the front door. Get solar lights for the walkway (you can get them at Home Depot, box of 5 on sale $12.88/regular price $19.88) and they take about 5 minutes to set up. Whatever color you choose for the garage door, figure out a way to add that color somewhere else on the front such as the window shades. If you have a mailbox at the end of your driveway, plant flowers/ornamental greenery around the same as around the entry tree and on the porch. Make sure any low hanging tree branches are pruned. Keep the grass green and mowed. Inside the house, cull anything you don't want to take with you and pack half the remaining stuff before it is on the market. It can be stored in the garage, but packed boxes cannot be stored in the house. Clean out the closets and remove as much as possible so that potential buyers can see the floor and how spacious they appear. Clean all the cabinets and pack up as much as possible. Anything you use only once or twice per year, pack it. Anything that is installed that you want to keep, uninstall it now and replace it with another model (a special chandelier you can't live without, etc.). Expect to leave all window furnishings with the house. Live sparsely until you're in your new place.

Back to the outside - do I detect a partial garden edging that is in front of the right-most window and goes towards the right edge of the house? Either take it out or complete it (I vote take it out). Check your side yards and back yards to clean them up too (prune, fix brown patches, etc.) Best of luck with your plans!

Update front door hardware.

A new garage door would make the house look 25 years newer! I would also consider new house #s, prune, and do a few planters w pops of color that you can also take with you.

IMO, this winter you should trim all the shrubs, so they look tidy. You should also trim the small tree in front of the porch and narrow its trunks down to two, or one of possible. If you can't remove the excess trunks, then at least remove all the branches from those trunks all the way to the roof line. Hopefully, that will help folks see the porch, which currently looks dark. If possibly, I would paint the dark window trim a color that matches the garage door. I can't tell, but if the front door also has a screen door, then I would remove the screen door. Flowering container plants throughout will help as well.

The biggest part of your budget should go first to repairing or removing anything visibly worn out, cracked, stained or dying. After that, I would clip and trim back very tightly and neatly all your plantings so the buyer has confidence you are the kind of people who took good care of everything, outside and inside. Then I would suggest you create one nice swoop of native wildflowers or a generous area of them, just for happy color. Something cheap and easy to plant, one color or a mix. Ask advice from your local nursery

You've had some good suggestions but I would concentrate on opening & brightening the porch area and remove and replace the green shrubs under the windows. The shrubs are covering the lower portion of the windows and create a hard , dark line, remove them all. Just a few shrubs in varying green shades would soften it a lot. I would remove the tree in front of the porch, it blocks light and a view of the porch. I would add a light colored stone to that area, as well as to the shrub area, to brighten it up and make the porch feel larger. Merrimac colored stone would blend well with the brick. Only a few low growing plants or shrubs in the porch area are all that it would need and it will have a very clean & open look. The porch furniture is very dark so replace or add light colored seat & back cushions. A few pots of flowers on the porch and in the stone area, paint the front door with a pop of color in a light to mid tone, paint the porch posts a soft white to match the soffits and gutters and even possible also paint the window trim to match. Your curb appeal will be much more welcoming. If you wanted to go one step further to really modernize the landscaping I would increase the depth of the shrub area by at 2 feet and continue it down along the other side of the sidewalk, it would give you a place to set out a few pots of annuals and open the entry up even more. The cost to do this is low if you can do it yourself. I can't see your driveway or sidewalk but usually a power washing does wonders!

Good luck!

So many amazing ideas in here already! In my experience, buyers are usually looking at the yard first (hence the need for curb appeal). Beyond the "how does it look when someone drives by", we need to focus on how will it look up close as someone is walking to the door. I would make sure your grass is in pristine condition (as green as you can get it). Add a garden in the front, this will brighten the whole look up. My last thought is to put solar panel lights bordering the walkway. Hope that helps! ~Rachel

www.homesweethomestore.com

As realtortsheaffer says CLEAN! that goes for the bricks too. A good power washing--being careful w the mortar will brighten the place up. If you can't replace the tree--trim it & the bushes. Add some flowers and what others said about lighting, mailbox, address etc.

1. You should supply an up-close picture of the front entry area so that it can be seen clearly. Everyone has said, "We can't see the entry."

2. Everything spotlessly Clean: pressure wash [carefully] the exterior and all concrete.

If you've never pressure-washed concrete, the effect is amazing. Goes from dingy and dark to bright and light.

Do NOT paint the brick, just be sure it's clean.

3. Why not give a fresh coat of paint to the garage door; If nothing is wrong with it, I don't see the need to replace it. Fresh paint will make it look new. I'd say match the paint to the deepest shade of the brick. It will change the look from drab to snappy.

4. The triangular bed with the small tree and walkway to front door should be a landscaped focal point. True, removing grass then planting and mulching is asking for weeds, but you can manage any weeds until the house sells. Point is to take advantage of that space for the best looking entry and curb appeal. Don't see any reason to remove the tree, it's a plus; just be sure no branches are low hanging and obscure vision of the entry.

If you choose to power wash the house, be EXTREMELY careful. Those power washers can rip out the mortar before you even realize it. Please give us an up close photo of your entryway. We cannot see it from the current photos.

IF a dark porch is a problem, what about a sun tunnel? They are (supposedly) much less expensive and difficult to install than skylights. I agree w others, we really need a close up of your front porch.

Thank you to everyone for your suggestion! I’m adding some better pics of the front entry.

I am having new exterior light fixtures installed this weekend - plan on putting one of them in the brick above the hedges on the right side with an address plaque under it...

I see that the trim is a vinyl--painting might be an issue? I suspected the colors had burgundy in it and the trim is not black but a burgundy. When it gets closer to Labor Day, recommend you take advantage of End of Summer sales and put a nice loveseat in --I don't think chairs will work w/o it just lining up along a wall. New Door mat etc. You said you'll be selling next year? https://www.hayneedle.com/product/belham-living-manteo-all-weather-wicker-loveseat-with-cushion.cfm

Most of the comments reiterate simple fixes. CLEANING, landscaping, lighting, some painting. SHAPE the tree--it looks like a Crape Myrtle. Trim the lower branches--it looks like its been a victim of Knuckle cutting--NOT good for the tree. You can shape the canopy. Its going to look nice. This is not a color scheme I can suggest--I'm sure others can. But I agree some color for your front door other than what is currently available. Some type of blue perhaps--or a bright green? The gold pot while beautiful, doesn't look like a good color. Another colorful pot so you can do a nice container will help.

GOOD LUCK and please keep us posted on your progress; we're rooting for you!

I agree with the folks who comment about how dark the entry is. While the tree near the entry looks like a nice specimen, it should go. The idea for a couple of light colored deck chairs is good, bring some lightness even during the daytime to the entry area. Lighting will help at night, but most viewings will be during the day. Good luck!

Make sure the light is 1/3 the height of the door. It's a nice house, you won't need to do much; just by turning on that light it changed the whole aura of the home.

While showings will be during the day, people will drive by at all hours of the day and night--so good lighting is essential no matter. Although the solar walkway lights were a good idea--I've never had mine provide enough light or work consistently to justify even having them. If you do decide to do some pathway lighting, don't have a ton of lights so it looks like a runway. Houzz has a very good article https://www.houzz.com/magazine/landscape-lighting-that-doesnt-wake-the-birds-stsetivw-vs~76419325. Upon examining closer your colors that gold pot probably works w the brick, just not a stand out color. Add some pink or fushica colored plants when you sell. Since you have shade you can do plants in pink & wine colors. HANGING baskets w colorful flowers will also help.

I do like the idea of a turquoise colored door or other accents. Not in your face, but a color that you notice w/o it being garish.

Whether bench or chairs, make them colorful. Landscape with COLOR is most important--as others have said and shown, color will make your house pop.

Is there an outside outlet? Perhaps a small wall hung water feature?

As far as the tree--I'm 50.50. It looks bad because the branches were cut off at the trunk (what I call knuckle cut) horrible for the tree. If you decide to replace--your agent can guide you, how about a dwarf weeping Japanese maple in a stunning color? https://www.google.com/search?q=japanese+maple&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjC17ShkO7qAhUGWa0KHQW0A1oQ_AUoAXoECB0QAw&biw=1366&bih=625

Your beds need cleaning and clarity--height differentials w different leaf shapes etc. We can help you get there once we know your growing zone.

With the up-close picture of the brick, I suggest painting the garage door close to the medium burnt orange tone in the brick, not the darkest/brown tone. Best that it blend with the brick, rather than standout as a feature.

Not necessary the tree be cut down; it's not blocking the view of the front door. All you need do is thin and shape it.

Again, limb it up and little more than it already is, then cut out some of the crowding multi-stalks caused by prior pruning [crepe-murder].

Isn't it sad that we update our home's appeal when it comes time to sell it, but we don't bother with it for our own enjoyment? My husband and I have been guilty of that in the past. Not any longer. Our homes should make us happy now. So, please, everyone, update your homes for you now, not so you can sell it.

^You are so right CAS. Why not enjoy the fruits of your labor?

Also inside remove personal items and family pictures.from the walls. Bake cookies and good luck when you decide to sell.

I would pave where the tree is taking away too much from the walkway. It’s hiding the house.

I’d consider painting the front door, pillars and window trim a brighter color to draw attention and contrast before removing the tree. The tree is fairly wispy and I’m not convinced that’s what is causing the porch to look so dark. Crepe myrtle are lovely trees that when in flower would provide a needed punch of color to that area.

I also echo someone else’s suggestion about replacing those dark chairs with a love seat that can also add a punch of color to the porch area.

You might also consider adding a wider pathway directly from the sidewalk to the front of the house, so guests don’t have to access the house via the driveway and will draw more focus to the front door