With a small budget I’d start by removing the railing and covering the wrought iron columns. Then for now I’d clean the house really well, and then put my money towards adding some nice porch furniture and do some landscaping. Improving the lawn and shaping up some of the edges will go a long way towards curb appeal. Then when you have some additional funds, have house repainted and tackle some of those bigger things.

If you paint the house darkish gray, the wrought iron posts will recede visually. Black or Charcoal shutters and trim would further detract.

Then plant needlepoint ivy at the base of each pillar to grow and cover them. Some kind of a green vine that is hardy and easy to train to the narrow vertical height.

You have a cute house that needs some love.

Smallish budget can mean so many things to different people?

Let me ask is paint in this budget? Is a new front door in this budget, how about new columns?

If this were my house the asymmetrical windows above would bother me. I would probably add shutters and even a fake window proportionally placed next to the real tiny window on the second floor. Or I would have a portico or gable built to hide this area better. New shutters for the main floor too. I would remove the rod iron and also put in a new larger wood porch columns. And matching columns on the car port. I would have lighting installed to create a space that is lit up with can lights above and a new lantern of sorts by the front door. Maybe two of them.

I would decorate the space assuming the floor is worthy with furniture

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I would remove the plant pots in the yard and maybe put those after cleaned up and painted to the front door with bright yellow flowers.

I would paint the front door or replace it with something brighter.

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When funds would allow I would build a portico like this to hide the tiny window and enlarge the space in the interior.

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another idea would be to paint all the trim around your windows and no shutters. Like this.

Paint the columns white

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Agree with you on the wrought iron - remove or just box them in.

Too bad the second story windows are so small and their placement is not conducive to shutters. How about adding wide trim to ALL windows and ditching the shutters on the first floor? Paint the trim a different color than the siding but not a TOO contrasting color.

Some thoughts:

--Clean up the stuff on porch first thing.

--Remove shutters entirely.

--Remove the iron railings

--Paint front door blue and get a couple Adirondack chairs in same color. Don't have anything else on the porch with possible exception of well-maintained potted plants or hanging plants.

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When budget allows:

--clad the iron pillars in wood. Note the planting beds right in front of the open porch and hanging plants betweehn pillars.

--have a garden designer help you plan great landscaping to enjoy from an uncluttered front porch--maybe a planted island with a tree in the middle and shade plants below.

Thanks for some great ideas. I do have enough for paint and would love to hide the wrought-iron for sure. Front door is a must but those second floor windows just drive me nuts.

Also would like to center new columns with front door but worry about placement of new columns messing with the load bearing of the porch.

The iron posts aren't exactly an eyesore. We are proposing ways to hide or remove them to your wishes.

Paint the house and the rails and wrought iron all over white. With black shutters and black front door it would be quite charming.

The recessed porch would benefit from the b/w contrast....it needs some focus.

I can understand not liking the columns. But right now you can see the windows, see out them. If you box in the columns, they will be in the middle of all your windows. I don't know how to do the design mock ups, but maybe someone else here who does can give you a few white stripes over the wrought iron to give you an idea on how that would look.

Which of the columns are holding up the roof? Maybe you can remove some of them . Remove the railing for sure. It’s the carport that I’d dragging the house down, it’s an eyesore. Get the carport area cleaned up, see if you can remove the railing on the porch. It would be nice to box what posts you must keep, and do the same at the carport. Then get some landscaping going.

For now, do a major cleanup of everything on porch and carport. Paint the front door. Remove the railing. Add a couple of porch chairs that coordinate with front door. Hang some flowering plants.

Later on, deal with the ironwork pillars. @beesneeds makes a point most of us missed, that the open pillars allow you to see through to the outdoors. So if you get new pillars in the future, reposition them so they don't block the windows. As for the upper windows, fixing the porch and carport, and adding beautiful landscaping in front of the porch and maybe a tree on the lawn with camouflage the windows. Good luck!

First year or so you are wise to stick to simple fixes, nothing expensive or irreversible. Sometimes what seems like a big problem turns out to be a non-issue, and vice versa. THAT SAID.... Id consider eventually opening up those upper windows again - Im guessing some were blocked out when the siding added. Maybe even adding more for even better light/ventilation - you can take time with placement and figuring out where they might have been originally. I too would paint out the skinny dark trim around the windows - that will help de-emphasize them.

The house has been vacant for 3 years. Had to do a complete gut job inside and now trying the outside. I love the house just needed some ideas that you guys have really given me. Now just to start. Thanks 😊.

Made my annual summer trek to ginormous flea market last weeked and outdoor metal of all types, the rustier the better, was going for lots of $$$. So if/when you remove the railings be sure to either rehome - or maybe re purpose into some sort of garden art (there is or used to be a garden junk forum on here).

Then do yourself a favor and paint everything white with a red door as proposed by @elcieg. The white house is lovely. You can always clad the columns later. The wide appearance really does look nice in that inspo photo. White on white.

You might want to take a look at some pictures on houzz that match the style of your house better than some of these examples. Try searching for “mid century two story ranch exterior” and see what others have done with houses similar in style as yours. Colors, trim, texture etc. think about how you use the front door, walk and car port. When you have your own vision you will be able to make some decisions.