Oh interesting…I hadn’t even considered the idea that it didn’t NEED a railing. Thank you for that input!

I doubt code requires a railing, but sometimes a barrier is appropriate.

I would replace all with sq. heaftier posts and a sq. spindle.

regardless of the overall color you choose, a bale blue on the ceiling will add interest. and brighten the interior.

All of the rectangles around the high window area are very stange. I would get rid of them for sure or at least paint the entire wall and all the trim the same color so the details don't stand out. I think the rails and spindles are charming as they are. I don't know if you like the blue or not, but if you want a more contemporary look, you could certainly keep the victorian charm of the wood shapes and use a more contemporary color scheme. I love the idea of painting the walls, rails, spindles, and trim all the same color. It streamlines some of the gingerbread feel without getting rid of the history of the house.

This color is a bit odd but is a good example:

Victorian Exterior · More Info

On this one I would get rid of as much of the Victoriana as possible, and eliminate the railing.

Approximately how old is the house?

The bump out with the high window makes me think that possibly a bay window was removed at some time in the past.

Such a cute house!! Congratulations!!🎊🎉🍾.

ci_lantro makes a valid point, that the bump out with rectangles may have originally been a bay window, especially since there is a top window remaining. What is happening inside with that space - shelving or ...?

Also, would help to know the year the house was built. Fishscale and pinnacle piece on the gable are victorian. And is there dental mold over the garage door?

When repainting, do not leave the gable fishscaling and the garage door white; do not have those two spaces the same color as (whatever color of) the trim. Consider that you may not want the garage door to stand out as a *feature*; you may like the gable to be featured.

Do remove the rectangles. They make no sense whatsoever, especially how they are now painted.

As far as the railing, it may help to know how much larger the porch is on the left side (viewing from front). If you decide to keep the posts, I don't see the need to change the balusters.

You may better determine what else to do or not, once the rectangles are removed; that alone will make a dramatic change.

With the section of siding under the gable, I can't help but think it calls for special detailing, either with the paint sheme or a change of siding just between the larger trim/post pieces (area surrounding window). It's a standout section of the facade that could be made a stunning feature.

Is there any way you can get a credit on your house price rather than have the seller do the repairs? Seller repairs are great if you are sure what you want done, but in this case some investigation and consideration seem necessary. You may end up un-doing seller's repairs and that's just a waste (of your money and resources). And it will make the decision to go a different direction (if that's what you do) harder. Also those rectangles are weird. 8 )

Good luck!

Love the posts and railing, but the little squares on the walls look hokey. Keep traditional as much as possible - glad you are doing that. Cedar posts would class with the blue (unless you changed the entire exterior to warm browns) - why change something that looks good. . . .

That center part that sticks out needs to minimized (white painted over) to not have it jump out. The lightest colors are the ones that jump out at you. Best to make the left porch side jump out and somehow make that middle recede. Lots of nice tall plants (not bushes) in front like a cottage garden in that middle would be good - like a rose garden.

These are all such helpful responses - thank you to all of you for taking the time!! I think you've got me convinced to keep the posts and railing as they are for now, though at some point I'll need to address the spots where the spindles are a little too far apart (safety-wise).

As for your questions.. @lazidazi and @ci_lantro, the house was built in 1993, though it seems they really aimed to make it look like an older traditional style, at least in some ways. Here are pictures of the living room (listing pics, not my decor at all....), for instance, with the high ceilings and wide crown molding. (And to all who wondered...this is the other side of that oddly accented spot on the porch...a gas fireplace.) Probably the most perplexing accent in the place is the placement of spindles on the corners of walls...

To @Business_Name_Placeholder - Yep, that's what we are doing. There's $ going into escrow for me to do the updates after. No way I'd trust for them to be done well otherwise, and the people were ready to move out and on.

For the life of me, I don't know why those squares are painted on the front, but I do intend, no matter what, to downplay those spots with paint, if nothing else.

@lazidazi - thank you so much for so much thought on this - I want to make sure I'm clear on what you mean with the gables and garage....do you picture the garage being the same color as the main body of the house, but the area under the gable perhaps a 3rd color?

Also, here is a video of the entirety of the porch - it's from inspection, if you wonder why I was zooming in on certain spots. I was mainly taking the video to remember items we wanted to make note of for the offer. https://youtube.com/shorts/2hOKsZPt58A?si=ANwk_FbSKLfJeKpA

Thank you to everyone!! I was commenting to my daughter how it's so amazing and special that people truly do take the time to give valuable, thoughtful feedback to questions in this forum, more than I see elsewhere. To where when I mentioned wondering about another item (the odd wall corners), she said "well maybe you should ask on that Houzz place, since people are so responsive." Thank you, thank you!

Michelle,

As far as the trim pieces on your interior corners, those are classic to older homes. Had those exact pieces on a 1918 house in Savannah. Their function is obvious - to keep corners from damage, getting bumped/nicked and such.

Since your house is relatively new, whoever built it must have simply wanted some classic touches, to wit, wide crown, fishscales, balustrade and corner trim. I'd think about considering yourself lucky, if only for the wide crown molding; hardly anyone spends the extra money it costs.

You asked, ''...do you picture the garage being the same color as the main body of the house, but the area under the gable perhaps a 3rd color?"

I have no idea what paint scheme you have in mind, but if it includes white, do not paint the garage door white making it stand out. Garage doors (unless carraige or some other spectacular type) are not *features*. Right now, the garage is the main feature of the house. :(

With the current paint scheme, the gable would be better painted the house body color, not white. As for my original comment on the front section with double window, I am realializiing that it is not centered under the gable. Therefore, I would not call attention to that by way of my initial comment. It is however, a nicely trimed window. Maybe start there, in terms of figuring how to detail your new paint job. And it kinda looks like the garage has the same top trim; does it? If yes, matching just those pieces (with a 3rd or 4th accent color) may be a nice touch. You didn't answer if the garage trim has dental mold - ?

@lazidazi thank you! Yeah, the garage is nothing spectacular at all…

Oh! I didn’t, you’re right. I had to google what that is…but yes, yes it does.

Michelle, thanks for checking on the dental mold, common to older structures.

if you think about the concept of aligning the look of the double window trim with that same trim on the garage, it may spur your creative juices when determing the new paint scheme.

When I say, "concept", I simply mean that your paint scheme could accent/highlight that trim, rather than have it blend in, as it does now when painted white same as other trim.

What do you think about removing planting bed along porch and railings to expand the porch. A wider maybe one step down if needed would be a bit more welcoming. It seems awfully narrow? Landscape solves many of the other portions of your lovely home.

@crazyhearts - Ohhhh…that’s a really interesting idea! Thank you!

Curious, how old is the house? It almost looks like a "newer" home (as in '50's to '70's) that a former homeowner tried to make look older/more vintage. It's a cool house nonetheless.