Cute house! Will leave your questions to the pros, but consider removing the shutters. The only window suitable for them is the smaller one.

Thanks and yes i hate shutters !!! but they have been on for a long long time so we are not able to remove them until we remodel (siding is a different shade under them due to the sun)

Got it! Remember to paint any downspouts to match the siding.

adding a roof pitch should have been done when you replaced the shingles.

I'd change out the bow window, of course remove the shutters, they don't fit your window size. Paint the front door and the side lites all the same color.

if you remove the shutters and power wash the siding, the color will fade to match.

You can't add a portico on that tiny stoop and with those railings and any peak would only make sense over the door.

A gabled roof over the entry is really not possible with a roof pitch that low.

I would not have the bow window in a ranch house.

I'd concentrate on the landscaping.

Great advice all. I particularly like the landscaping ideas and am going to remove everything and start fresh in the spring. thank you!

In my area, bow windows are very common in ranches and have the advantage of giving inside depth to the living room. Upgraded bow windows were certainly available as options on many new ranches, not MCM, so to say they don't belong is not factual. Edited to add, bow windows were available in the 1950's on new ranches, just not MCM which you don't have anyway!

I have to smile at the picture on Beverly's post of "How to recognize a colonial ranch style house", which includes shutters.

The purists are quite correct that shutters on a true colonial house look best if they actually close over the windows, and if that's not in budget they should be the appropriate width that they could do so.

But here we have a recognition that sometimes shutters are just for decoration, and they look good. They add a little interest and ooph. I compare them to eyeliner. Nobody in real life has a dark line above their eyelashes, but some people look good with it and should wear it if they want. Like Twiggy, or Jack Sparrow.

Waht style do you like ? For me that bay window is all wong. But if a cottage lookis the plan it can work. I need info . Is the plan to make this more sellable then stop now and sell you will never get ROI in the short haul. BTW no shutters on that bay window ever.

Removing all your landscaping is a bad idea because shrubs are expensive and everything takes a while to grow. You should ID and evaluate. The picture you posted is on a dreary day and in shadow, so of course, your landscaping doesn't look great.

Further, you could probably transplant some shrubs. @partim's advice looks nice, but I strongly suspect the scale is off and you can't achieve that look. You can't put a taller shrub at the left corner of the house without moving the gate to your fence.

I'd probably put a lovely flowering tree in your front yard to visually break up the straight roof, if that's something you don't like.

I like the bay window, and I think the shutters look fine too. Its a nice looking house, and it has a nice roofline. It doesnt need a peak over it. I also agree that the landscaping needs a lot of work. If you want or need a garage, then I would try to build one that is at least a car and a half. One car garage isnt big enough for both a car and a small work area, or storage.

The tall shrub at the corner of the house should be planted well in front of the house so the gate works. I tried to show that in my illustration, perhaps it is not clear. Yes, shrubs take awhile to grow. Plant them where they will look good at their mature size and never too close to the house just because they're smaller when you plant them.

A tree in the middle of the front yard will do nothing to enhance the shape of the house. If you want a tree, put it to the side.