Why are there two "front" doors and which one should guests use?

Please give your location (nearest big city & state) for meaningful landscape suggestions.

Are you a gardener who loves to putter about the yard on weekends or would you prefer a low maintenance landscape?

Here are my recommendations:

1. Remove the shutters or replace them with operable shutter of the correct size.

2. Replace the current porch columns with larger size and less "spindly" columns. Perhaps consider incorporating brick bases into the columns.

3. Replace the garage door with one that has lites (glass) in it.

4. Paint the man door into the garage the same color as the body of the house to make it disappear.

5. Replace the two exterior sconces with a gooseneck fixture centered above the garage door.

6. Repair or replace the concrete drive.

7. Hire someone to come up with a good landscaping plan.

Of course, if you have the budget and the desire you could go all out and rework the exterior of your home to a much more updated and contemporary look.

Good luck!

All of the above and IMO a walkway from the street to theactual front door is where i would start landscaping narrow the drivewya to just a bit wider than the garage door to keep guests from thing that small door is the entry and honestly do you need it at all.

Here is a before and after on another small ranch that might provide you with some inspiration. Your house needs better windows.

Walkways from the front door straight out the street only make sense if people would use them. Is there a sidewalk, and/or street parking right in front? If instead everyone walks up the driveway to the house, ensure there is a nice walkway from the driveway to the house.

Thanks everyone!! Unfortunately the side walk to the door wouldnt be worth the work. We live on a street where the speed is 55MPH with a deep ditch and a pine tree in its path.

Cecily we live in Michigan just north of Detroit

Could you show us a photo from the road edge? (Be safe taking it!) And then one looking out toward the road? It would be good to see the full front yard and consider privacy and noise control too.

I like Norwood Architects' recommendations. Maybe you could remove the narrow strip of concrete along the drive and add a short walk from the front door. You could do stained cedar shakes in the porch gable.

Unless you have pets or livestock in the back yard, remove the chain link fence. It can lower your property value in some locations. Matching lantern lights flanking the garage door and by the front door should all be 1/3 of the front door's height. Definitely remove the stick-on shutters and the storm door. Upgrade the front door to a more contemporary style that works with the new lights. Change the door by the garage to a slab one without details and paint it to match the siding or trim. Beef up the porch posts, and remove the concrete steps, replacing them with wider ones that almost fill the space between the posts. Do something about a walk and perhaps paint or stain the shakes on the gable. Where are your house numbers?

Here's my mock up. what do you think?

I lightened your side door. no need to call attention to that

I would also do something in the gable portion. either paint it or change it to cedar.

I like the dark garage door w/square windows, new lights, new front door to match, (I'd remove the shutters completely and thing about painting the trim around the window and the fascia a dark color) new numbers and some plants.

Look at this one. almost the same. even has the second door. this landscaping is really pretty. So is the garage door and front door

very similar porch to yours See the wood posts? much better.

What I'd really like on yours is to remove that siding and replace it w/board and batten. and if you like, limewash the brick.

landscaping w/the path. notice the new doors, windows

I like these large cement pavers. you could do it along side the driveway to edge it. notice the board and batten siding above the stone.

Compare your driveway and walkway,,,

with this one.

You could easily make these changes to your front yard

The cement pavers lined w/mulch and plants, and the driveway edged w/the pavers, a new garage door and lights, all make a big difference.

jazz up the portch.

If you’re on a busy highway (55 mph), adding evergreens to block the road view from the house would probably be a great investment. Look up tree farms in Michigan! I just ordered from one up in Free Soil and the prices were awesome — I’ll let you know what arrives later this week. I like the blue on your two doors — you might want to paint the white siding a darker tan to coordinate with the brick, paint the garage door that same color and then add cedar around the square pillars to make them more substantial. Black light fixtures would make sense with the roof — but you might want something larger. Add some steps up to the porch from the garage passage door so it’s more accessible. Maybe large lilacs in front of the chain link fence on either side?

Before you landscape, redo the walkway from the driveway to the front door. Then you know which areas you have to plant. Definitely change the not-the-front-door to match whatever color the house is so it’s not visible. You’ve gotten a lot of great ideas. Start looking at garden catalogs and see how they offer up complete garden packages - not much thinking involved.
Your house can be very adorable. If you’re willing to do some of the work, most of these ideas won’t be expensive.