Do you plan to center the steps on the doors? Need a location to help with landscaping ideas

@jck910 I dont know but I think assuming the steps centered on the door would be fine.

cable railing everywhere sound great!

do you need that lower landing/deck?

how about ground level patio with stairs up to doors? Let light into those ground level windows.

metal roof and siding... something different than neighbors. extreme opposite, White/Light or Very dark

Lyn - Yes part of the reason I want to do small deck/landing is to let more light into those lower level windows (the lower level has two stand alone apartments).

On the other side of the house is another 50' deck so there is plenty of living space on that side.

It has a metal roof already which is great. I was thinking light siding as well. Thanks for the input!

Are you thinking horizontal or vertical cable railings? If you;re thinking of horizontal you might want to check code.

What’s your budget? Are these rentals? Short or long term? I would just do what needs to be done for the first year, since houses tend to surprise you with repairs and maintenance. If they are rentals, the cosmetic updates you do should result in more revenue being generated. HGTV had a show that focused on updating rentals to increase revenue; a good looking dark haired man was the host.

ShadyWillowFarm - Yes all 4 units are rentals. All longterm, but will shift one or two units to short term once the exteiror is done. The exterior renovations will be in phases over the next couple years, since the focus is on interior renovations right now.

However decks are on the agenda to get done now because they are in bad shape.

Yes thats Scott McGillvary... .Love him!

Yes!!😂 So the decks are an immediate project and the rest of the exterior is on a several year timeline. Is the front of the property quiet or friendly enough you would want to sit out there with a cup of coffee or glass of wine? If so, make the decks large enough for 2 chairs, set to the outside of the doors. Center the stairs on the doors.

And are tenants likely to grill out there, or do you feel that would be a fire hazard? Is there a better place to grill out back?

ShadyWillowFarm - Yes it is quiet, but no need for living space because there is ANOTHER 50' deck plus two more balanconies on the opposite side that overlooks a lake and we are keeping those. So that is why I am trying to minimize this "entrance" side. Its a lot of deck (and $).

Here is a photo of the other side for reference.

Would it be affordable to build a 2-sided staircase with a landing at each door? Meaning, you can walk up to the landing from either direction, because there is a set of stairs on each side? Very old colonial look.

Since you have a double set of doors, maybe it would also look fine if you created a box landing in front of each door, but for the dour on the left, the staircase would be on the left, and on the right, the stairs start to the right of the landing.

Could you also space out the stairs so the grade isn't so steep?

Is it feasible to do the deck removal and siding changes over the course of a few years? (I believe you stated that as a goal.) When the decks are removed, will they leave a footprint on the front of the house/siding where they were?

@kendrah The decks are dangerous so we have to do those first, and we will need to patch/paint the footprint until we are can do the siding. Two of the units are currently down to the studs so not much budget for exterior besides the decks unfortunately.

Looks like all the action happens in the back, so I would do the minimum in front. A staircase to the door, with a landing large enough for two people and a couple bags of groceries or a suitcase. With parking around back, the front probably gets little use.

@Olychick I love your idea/photo with the wide steps. I think that is what we will do... Just a set of wide steps with landing area leading up to each door.