With a new roof, this is the time to consider the colors that might improve your house. I highly recommend hiring a color consultant. Your brick is a good color, you just need something other than white to flatter it. Shades of greyed blue or green might be possible. Wait to see what others suggest.

Consider all your options with roofing. Going to a hidden fastener or standing seam metal may be an option vs asphalt shingle. Or real cedar shake. All have tradeoffs.

Will you be considering roof top solar in the future? I understand you said it's a shaded lot but if it's even an option depending on how your house is sited on the lot with respect to southern exposure roofing material can play a role on how your system can be installed. (many concealed fasteners and standing seam roofs can utilize a clamp on system for the panels eliminating roof penetrations and their possible failures later on.

I agree that roof color will definitely set the tone for every other color choice.

I will also say that while I do like the look of painted brick (it's a trend) I know as someone who has painted briefly for a living it then becomes a maintenance upkeep item and in some cases specifying the wrong products can actually degrade the integrity of the brick by retaining too much moisture.

Those columns near the front door holding the roof could get wrapped to add architectural interest.

While reroofing I'd consider a different finish on the gable end facing the street. Could do some cedar shake, horizontal or vertical stained wood. Could do horizontal or vertical painted wood look like shiplap or board and batten.

Garage doors can be replaced with ones that have a carriage door look or any other look you want in higher end finishes including wood look and real wood.

Obviously, if it's an older front door you could invest in an entirely new higher end front door solution. If going color opt for a factory finished door with a long warranty. It'll look like an automotive finish. Not that it couldn't be achieved on site by a quality painter with a sprayer but typically the products applied in a production setting are harder, more flexible and more durable long term with better uv resistance because they are either two part, uv or heat set.

Things to consider. The curb appeal doesn't look too bad though already so really anything is an upgrade at this point.

Part of the prominence of the garage doors from the street view is because the driveway paving pulls the eye toward them. Is there enough room to reroute the driveway?, I'd think about adding a new L segment, first turning to the right of the photo parallel to the street and then turning back to reach the street at a new position, to the right of the existing tree in the foreground of the bottom photo, making the driveway a rounded S shape overall. I would pull up the no longer needed 2/3rds of the existing driveway and replace it with shrubs and flowers in place of the straight line of the paving to the garage doors. A low, varied and interesting planted area will be more attractive than the existing blacktop.

I thought you might like to take a look at our new garage door. It faces the street and takes up a lot of visual space at the front of the house. We found a garage door company in Texas that glues cedar onto the front of steel doors. This is a semi-custom door that cost around $4,000 installed. We called a lot of garage door companies before we found the guy in Dallas, Texas.

You need to find garage doors that match and look custom but don't cost custom. My door is made in America by a craftsman.

A few years ago we hired a contractor to put on the front porch over the door. It used to have that small gable in the front and a huge expanse of roof. The porch gable breaks up the roof so that it no longer looks like a monolith.

I mention this because that round front porch does not look quite right on your house. I think a shed roof would look better. Something more like the style of your house.

First thing, I would check those trees. Apart from overhanging branches, they may be the type that grows super-fast and easily falls apart in a storm. Your new roof will be toast!

I am following with interest. Our brick L shaped ranch looks almost identical. In addition to your concerns, I am also looking for ideas on how to make an inviting "path" to the front door when it abuts the driveway.

Thanks for all these ideas. Really helpful. Bphase, we have definitely considered solar, but don't think we're a good candidate on our shaded lot. Thanks about the warning about the upkeep of painted brick, that has been one of my worries. Elmer, I like the idea of rerouting the driveway a bit, narrowing, and perhaps using different materials. We have a utility drag line that prevents too much of a shift. Yvonne, good idea about the color consultant!

This is the style of shed roof that I think would look nice on your house. It is the only example I could find that fit into a corner, so please excuse the mess on the porch.

You have a nice, basic house to start with, no architectural weirdness to deal with, so that's good. I like the curved porch roof.

I see a white chair near the front porch. If you expanded a sitting area/patio along that side of the house, facing the basketball hoop, would you use it? (to enjoy the view, rest from the game, etc.)

Investing in a color consultant is a good idea; be sure to tell them your goals (blending in the garage doors, highlighting the front entry door). Don't chase the latest trend, find what works for your particular house's natural style. Remember bell bottoms and mullets were trendy at one time too....

Can you label the picture saying what rooms are where. Because I’m not sure the interior would allow for the following few ideas. But if it would here they are :)

Do you use the garage constantly?
-I think I’d move at least one of the doors to the empty side of the garage.

I’d then add a window or maybe some French doors where the left garage door used to be.

Shrink the driveway to include only one garage door. And add some driveway where the new one would be.

-extend the front porch on both sides. Adding doors to access it easier from more rooms inside.

I’d paint the siding and shutters. Maybe a blue? Black or navy would also be pretty.

Possibly a new front door.

Then some small fun details. Like new address sign. Lighting. Mailbox. Porch furniture. Planters....

Hope this helps! Great house!!

briggs whitaker,

I do commercial electrical work for a living and many of my fellow coworkers have gotten solar installed. Depending on your state, at least here in NJ, many residential solar installers are offering new roofs, new electrical services and clearing of solar obstructions like trees. My one coworker had 20 trees removed and a new 200amp service done at no charge after they quoted him the system.

I'm not saying cutting down mature trees for solar panels is a smart move or the right move. I'm just saying if it was ever a possibility or you liked the idea and wanted to investigate then now would be the time before having work done. You may be surprised what could be done at no charge as many solar companies are getting subsidies to get solar on roofs at any cost. It's not for everyone, not every house or site benefits from a grid tied solar system.

I also find it's better long term to invest in one more high end item vs doing several smaller cheaper or compromised projects.

Say for example the front door. You might use that door daily instead of someone who parks in the garage and uses the interior door.

Investing in a higher end door gives you better build quality, better finish, better feel and better air sealing and or thermal performance. Then hiring a good contractor with good references and local examples of their work, who has a great attention to detail may be better than trying to do a stock door from a box store and using one of their installation contractors.

It might not be large overall sweeping change you are looking for but long term doing something like that once a year will get you there.

Same goes for roofing. Try doing a little research to see what makes a good roof installation. I'm not saying you need to necessarily learn how to do it yourself but knowing that the use of higher end underlayment products (tar paper vs some of the new synthetic wrb's to a full peel and stick membrane vs a liquid applied product), basic understanding of flashing, proper valley treatments or proper roof ventilation (ridge vents and eave vents) etc or as simple as knowing basic fastening requirements (architectural asphalt shingles get nailed on the manufacturer marked nail line).

We waited on a short sale years ago that we had to walk away from because during inspection our contractor friend and I got on the roof and discovered the all the shingles were nailed incorrectly and the counter flashing was installed backwards. I spoke with the neighbor and they informed us the previous owner did it themselves. The bank didn't want to move on price so we had to walk away.

Long story short is, just because someone gets paid to do something doesn't necessarily mean they are good or the best. Sometimes knowing some basics of the job you are hiring for can present you red flags of a potential hire during an estimate.

I always suggest to buy good materials but more importantly hire someone who installs the materials correctly. It doesn't matter how expensive something is if it's installed wrong.

Ymmv.

I’m guessing your rounded portico is not original to the house, but the later invention of someone who wanted more protection from the elements. It’s really not typical for a house like yours and as is it partially obstructs a window in addition to hiding your front door. If you plan to keep it the I suggest doing more to make it feature, to create a real feeling of “entrance” — probably by bulking up the columns a bit and the curved roof trim with more detail.

If you are ok with pulling it down you will have much cleaner lines for your house and more visibility for your front door. Does anyone ever sit on that bench in front of the house? I would bring a lansdscape artist to give you a plan to extend the beautiful flower beds you have on the slope of your property to the front of your house, even though much of the color will need to come from shade loving plants. He or she might also suggest re-routing the driveway or new garage doors.

I would not paint the brick but rather would use more unpainted wood on the house to overall tie it more to the many beautiful trees you have.

I love your classic ranch house. A few questions which might guide the discussion. Your windows. Are they new? Can they be painted or are they vinyl clad? This might influence your color choices for your home. Looking at your front porch area... Is the room to the left of the front door (facing it) a bathroom? (Vent above on roof?). The window to the right? I would think that any remodeling might include a new entrance roof that stretches beyond the bathroom window and towards the street. I would contact a landscape designer and invest in the creation of a long term plan that will address the terracing of the left side of your home as well as your front yard. Your home deserves it! Before you paint your beautiful brick....explore all of your options. Yes, brick can be painted. But I think much of the character of your home would be lost if you do. PS: I would remove the shutters from your windows.

Thanks so much Jinx for a picture of house with the same design, but different entry. I've been looking for an example for years and hadn't found one!

ptreckel, the windows aren't new, but in fairly good condition. They can be painted. You're right that the window to the left of the front door is a bathroom. The window to the right is adjacent to the entry way from the garage and the stairs leading to the basement. Beyond it is the kitchen. Would be nice to move the front door to have positioned straight into the house, but the basement steps make that impractical.

ital mover, definitely comfortable with removing the current porch and creating a better one. There are some structural issues with it right now, so it's the right to consider what we really want.

bphase, great advice.

HU-187528210, I would love to shrink the garage, but we have way too many bikes. So between the cars in the winter and the bikes in the summer, it gets pretty well used. Hopefully, my description of rooms to ptreckel helps. The front of the house has bedrooms.

Really appreciate all this advice/ideas.. I love hearing how others think about these issues.

I think Jinx’s photos are great inspirations for your side loading ranch. A porch stretched nearly the length of the L would look welcoming. I note that your garage doors don’t match and appear to be aging, and that the brickwork is different around one of the garage doors. Is the second bay and add-on? Perhaps you could integrate the two garages into one, and then include a new garage door into your remodeling plans? Perhaps a wooden door (or doors?) could compliment wooden posts on a porch roof/pergola? I would also look at a new front door, more in keeping with the modern, simple look of your home’s lines. The board and batten paneling in the entrance might also be a place to include a natural wood paneling. Just some thoughts....