A couple of thoughts........

• If your budget can handle it, a deep porch across the front would add character and some outdoor living space. But this would involve the attention of a designer/architect and could be a pricey addition.
• Ditch the shutters. They add nothing, are obviously nonfunctional and would be obscured by the porch anyway.
• Paint color is your choice. I tend away from the characterless gray or beige tones that seem to be frequently promoted and prefer something in the pale sage-green or a grayed blue.
• Landscaping will certainly help, since it is essentially lacking any now. Try to add something that will offer seasonal color as well as some evergreen presence if possible, What this might be will depend on location, which we do not know.
• Finally, address that bare muddy area in front. If this is a parking area, define it by a clean edge and a gravel or asphalt base. If not, replant the lawn or make this a walkway to the street.

I can see a larger porch on the level of the door. No step at the door threshold. Maybe 8' wide or more and 6' front to back. Say you use colored pavers for a walk from the street or parking pad or area. The wide steps and porch could be matching pavers.

We need to know the area and zone you're in for plant recommendations. And a picture of the right side of the property to see the whole frontage.

We’re located in Memphis TN, these are older photos of when we first purchased the home so that bush is no longer there. Does this help?

If not, I can get a better picture later on today.

Paint it all one color. Plant a tree in your yard to line up with the meter on the white part. Close enough to cover the meter, not so close you can't access it. Put in foundation plantings. I think the house probably will look better with shutters. Consider painting them a green. Paint the door, too. If the bare patch in the lawn is caused by people walking to the front door, extent a path to the road.

It's not a bad house. With a little landscaping, it will look quite nice.

New post picture

The patch actually is damage from the car parking there, we are trying to regrow grass currently

We have a driveway that loops to in front of the garage on the right and where I’m standing is part of that driveway too in front of house

The front lawn looked better in the picture of when you bought it. It looks like it could use some weed and feed right now. The white should be painted same as the rest of the house. You have a green roof, so I would stick with the same shade of yellow as you currently have. I totally agree a nice porch across the front, that is deep enough enjoying sitting out there. You definitely need landscaping, and a lot of it. Is there another location for the driveway, so it isnt coming right up in the middle of your yard by the doorway?

Yes this is our driveway in front of garage and it loops to where I’m standing when I took the last picture

Here are a few ideas:

Fall is a good time to aerate & over seed your lawn.

Just for context: we don’t have any neighbors nearby and our driveway is private so no road in front or near our house except our private driveway.

I want to address the elephant in the room.

What’s this white thing? A shed? Or actually attached to the house?

If it’s part of the house, it needs a lot of attention. The windows are a different shape and size and not on the same level as the other windows of the house. The roof is different too. There are visible utility lines (I assume) on the front, and it’s a different color than the house.

I recommend you make this white shed/addition look like it belongs there, not look like it’s been dropped there off the back of a truck.

It’s a shed attached to the side of house added later on by previous owners.

@Dig Doug, thank you for the images, but it seems that the second image didn’t load properly? It’s the original image.

The white thing is just a shed? Tearing it off will improve the looks of your home by 100%.

Ok I was so used to seeing it I didn’t realize it was such an eyesore. If we tried to blend it into the house what all do you think would need to be done to make it look nice? Do you think replacing windows to match rest of house would also be necessary?

I agree with removing shutters. Add wide trim around the windows and door. Consider a darker paint with contrast color for trim. Also eith removing thr pe shed. You may incur expense after seeing condition of siding after shed is removed. A privacy fence with attractive gate between garage and house replacing the chain linke fence. Paint garage and garage door to match the house and continue with enhanced trim. If adding a new front porch isn’t in the budget (after I just spent all of your money on the above suggestions 😉) build out a deeper front landing and steps to front door. A person should be able to comfortably stand on top landing as the door is opened and not feel they have to step down or risk falling. The same is true for the steps leading up to the door. A wider landing would be nice as well. New lighting near entry and garage opening. Add railings on each side of steps. OK now it is time to add some plantings. Send pictures of the re-do in comments so landscaping ideas can flow, and have fun with this.

Can you paint just the shed to match the house? I'm sure you don't want to lose the storage space a shed offers.

A few ideas from someone who lived in Memphis at one time:

Powerwash the house and make sure they get the gutters.

Get the black mold removed from the roof to brighten it up. Look for companies called things like Roof Refresh. I'm sure there are many in your area who do it.

What kind of grass are you trying to grow? Looks like you have enough sun for bermuda. It's too late to seed for bermuda but early summer of next year should be good. Whatever type of grass you are trying to plant, make sure it's the correct time of year to seed. Cool weather grasses like a fall seeding, warm weather grasses like a late spring/early summer seeding. Fescue and other cool weather grasses don't not do well in Memphis in my experience. Too darn hot.

If the roof is in good shape and you plan to keep it for a few years, consider painting your shutters green also.

Do the landscaping Dig Doug suggests. He always posts the "before pic" with the suggested pic. That's what the second pic is.

The use of the crepe myrtle on the left is a good way to break up the difference between the house and the shed.

Talk to a garden center, not a chain, and get advice on how to grow grass. They likely will suggest the use of a weed pre-emergent in the spring. You definitely have to control the weeds or you'll never have good grass.

Get plants that withstand the heat.

A porch would be great but at least from the pictures, it looks like you might need a new roof soon so that should take priority.

I took Doug's pic and gave you hunter green shutters to soften the look and red door for a dash of sass! I love a yellow and green house.

All the best to you.

Thanks for all the suggestions so far I really appreciate all the advice! Keep it coming!

As for something I haven’t mentioned yet, This house is actually a brick house, I was wondering would removing the vinyl siding cause damage and not be worth the trouble? I’ve always wondered that since we moved in but I’m scared that by removing the vinyl siding I might uncover damaged brick underneath and maybe might be worse off then just leaving the vinyl siding? Any one have ideas on that?

Since that white is just a shed, I would definitely remove it. It really is an eyesore. It needs a lot done to it to blend in. If you need storage, I would replace that with a yard barn type of storage, and not right up to the side of the house with it. Maybe it could be put behind the garage.

As to the brick under the vinyl siding, the only way, you will know, is to either do it yourself, or have someone that knows siding, remove the vinyl and look at it. The vinyl can be saved to replace if the brick is not good. Remove the vinyl little by little, so if you see bad brick, you dont have so much to put back on. If you know the previous owners, you may be able to ask them, or one of your neighbors, what the brick was like.

I often take the "fix what bothers me" route on home improvements. From the photos, that would be:

1. Seed the bare patches in the lawn (which you're already doing).

2. Hide the shed, if you don't want to remove it, and the utilities. Maybe a couple of fence panels in an L-shape, painted to match the house, would work inexpensively?

3. Remove the chain link fence. If you need a fence there to contain pets or kids, maybe use another fence panel to match the L-shape, perhaps set back a little farther (just in front of the chimney)?

4. Add shrubs and mulch near the house.

Longer term, I would hope to replace the garage with one more similar to the house. Could the metal one be disassembled and sold, perhaps, for $$ for a replacement? I would then think about how much space there should be between house and garage and how it should be used. I see a grill there; do you use that area as a patio for grilling and outdoor seating/dining? Should those activities happen in front, in the space between house and garage, or in the back? If in front, do you need a larger, more inviting patio? Where should it be located?

And finally, assuming the yellow stays, I would also want a warmer color gravel for the driveway (tan rather than gray).

Here's an illustration of some of these thoughts (a winter version):