I'm stumped! Help with the curb appeal

6 years ago

We bought our house a year ago and are trying to figure out how to improve the curb appeal. We like a very clean minimalist look and are stumped how to improve the property

Things we would like to improve,

since we live on a private way, the house entry is visible only from the side of the garage. Rest of the yard is bordered with trees. This entry is all asphalt and tall stone stairs, doesn't look very appealing. Some of the advices we have got is to get rid of the front stairs and make it more elegant. That would be an expensive ordeal, because the previous owners just built that and we like it. Wondering if we can may be switch the railing to a wooden one for warmth or may be add a porch that will help with the overall look?
garrison colonials are not so hot - can I do something simple to enhance the facade?
do the shutters go with the house? All the windows around the house have no trim and we were wondering if adding a white trim to the exterior would make it fresh
is the walkout basement affecting the symmetry of the house? or are we over thinking it? would a trellis or a roof on top of the garage help?
we like the asphalt going up the side of the house to the back without any stairs, because it is easy for us to roll trash cans to the front on trash day - so we would like to avoid

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Comments (5)

ashtonchic
6 years ago
I would work on landscaping and lawn. Put is a bright flowered bush next to stairs and a few evergreen shrubs. Plant the rest in lawn. The urns and overgrown flower beds aren't helping. I would leave the house, stairs and railings as is for a clean, minimal look.
hillsidebox thanked ashtonchic
flopsycat1
6 years ago
What is your budget? The left side of the house looks a little asphalt-heavy. Trash bins are relatively narrow in comparison to the current hard surface, some of which could be removed and replaced with landscaping.
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hillsidebox
Original Author
6 years ago
last modified: 6 years ago
We have a 20k budget for landscape and curb appeal. @flopsycat1 you are right, that side asphalt is 10 feet wide and trash cans don't need that much. Would the slope with landscape look good? We walked around the neighborhood to look at similar houses and most of them have a retaining wall with stairs and have a two car asphalt parking spot - this is what my landscaper suggests too. We like to keep the slope not just for trash can, but for ADA wheelchairs as well, when our parents visit.
flopsycat1
6 years ago
You said that’s the side of the house that you see when entering the property, so I think landscaping would be a plus. I am hoping that someone with more gardening expertise than I will add suggestions. Since you already have a landscaper and have checked out similar yards, sounds like you’re on the right track!
decoenthusiaste
6 years ago
I would remove the side asphalt and install a walk near the house just large enough to roll the trash to the front. That leaves even more yard for pretty landscaping, which the main thing you need. If you still feel it needs a boost after you landscape, then consider replacing the wrought iron with something else for a railing.
hillsidebox thanked decoenthusiaste