Idea for curve above door

I don't think the shutters add much. I like the curve above the door. It's a unique, if slightly funky feature. I think unique features give houses character and should be kept ---cookie cutter houses are boring.

Putting your downspouts at the far corners of you house would look better, but I notice the gutters tilt towards the existing downspouts. If your gutters don't slope towards the downspouts, the rain will just overflow at the low point. If you paint the downspouts the same color as the house they will be less obvious.

I'm no great fan of butterfly bushes, they tend to look ratty when not in bloom and they're not native, so while they feed butterflies they don't host any caterpillars, which is necessary for butterflies. That said, you could cut it back significantly (after blooming is best) and then see if it's still not working for you.

I'm a big fan of railings. Better to put it in now than when you've sprained your ankle and need it. Your step looks a bit high. Would you be better off with another step?

Your inspiration photo for the front door will be $$$$; new steps, new framing....not worth it, IMO. I like the curved trim and think it should be a focal point.

No shutters; trim out the corners of the house (there are lots of choices, from Wallmart, Home Depot, etc); use a good white paint for all the trim. Consider painting the siding a darker color to show off all the trim. Paint the front door white. The storm is white, all it does is frame the door, making it look smaller.

This house has a lot of charming character. Your summer list sounds good.

Please show photos of the steps and adjacent walkway so we can see how railings would go on.

When the roof gets redone, make sure the roofers cover the foundation shrubs with plastic to collect debris. It would be a good idea to do any pruning and foundation plant clean-up before the roofers start because it is a lot easier to pick up debris on plain dirt rather than on mulch and perennials. In many areas, it is customary to leave a one-foot wide gap between house and foundation plantings to allow air circulation as well as access by workers.

if you don't like the curve above the door, just straighten it out when you re roof. Or add the gable as you have posted.

I personally like it but I don't like the gutters. One step at a time, roof first... Don't do anything with the plants until Fall.

Thank you for all the comments.

I will roof, fix gutters and probably remove the shutters. Good to know I should wait until fall for the plants.

I don't have a good picture of the steps and walk. They are concrete. Unfortunately someone painted them at one point and they are pretty scraped up especially on the walk. Does anyone know if the paint can removed?

I like the idea of railings.

I like the arch it adds intrest you could even get an arched glass awning to prtect guests. No shutters and I agree wait til fall to remove plants I love my butterfly bush at my old house . The great time to address the gutters is when the roof is being done.. Are you keeping the siding color? If so then a nice bright color you love for the front door and mimic that color with pots filled with flowers on either side of the steps and use those planters for even Christmas decor .

Excuse my lack of appropriate architectural terminology here:

In your door inspo pic, the door is flush with the front of the house. This is not the case in your home. Your door is on the surface of an outcropping. To add an additional outcropping to an outcropping is not going to be a pleasing look. Save your money and have your steps rebuilt. They look a really odd and potentially unsafe size, though perhaps it is just an odd camera angle? When you rebuild get a railing installed. This will improve the look of your home more than fiddling with the arch.

No shutters.

Wait a full season until you do any landscaping so you can see how the front of the house looks in every season. Depending on your climate, consider at least 70% evergreen foundation and then layer on other seasonal planting so it looks full year round.

I like the idea of the door color mimicking flowers. Flower pots on the steps would look nice.

The siding is pale gray now so any color door could go with the door. Someday I will paint the house. Maybe a yellow or green. Not sure yet.

The shutters don't add anything and aren't needed with your nice wide trim. I like the curve. It's interesting. My guess is that your step isn't to code. Riser height for outdoor stairs should be between 4 and 6 inches. Yours looks closer to 10 to 12. You may want to speak to someone about adding another step. I see some pink in your hydrangeas. Would you be brave enough to do a pink front door? It would be so pretty with the gray house. It would give a lovely cottage vibe to your Cape Cod.

Yellow is also pretty with gray.

It’s charming! Agree with no shutters and no butterfly bush. Keep the shrubs in front trimmed just below windows. Love the yellow door from kat.👍🏻

This would be my end goal

The curve above the door is cute but doesn't the rain run staight down over the door?

The last photo is amazing. In a perfect world, I'd have that. Unfortunately the cost would probably be very expensive. Maybe there is a less expensive way to add a small curve over the door that could add some coverage. I feel like without something over the door, the house is missing something. I keep looking for pictures but haven't found anything yet.

I like the idea of a blue or maybe even a purple door to match the pink hydrangeas. The last photo looks great with the plantings and walkway.

This awning is from Wayfair as an example

When changing the roof, use ridge vents instead of the multiple square vents for a cleaner appearance.

Thank you. That's on the list for the roofer.

Remove the shutters and ask for suggestions from a nursery when replanting. If it were me, I’d remove anything overgrown and add just some colourful flowers at this time. Why?

Doorstep/Walkway should be addressed, as the stoop needs to be made safer (width and especially stepping height). As well, path looks like it needs to be addressed.

If redoing, get a few ideas/quotes and when completed, only then consider more robust landscaping. Safer, proportioned stoop + being complementary to the path will do wonders.

"The last photo is amazing. In a perfect world, I'd have that. Unfortunately the cost would probably be very expensive."

I understand this, that is why I said END GOAL.

Every decision you make now should be made keeping in mind the end result you want to achieve. Rome wasn't built in a day , nor will the improvements on your home be.

Example your stoop. Plan it out and make it large enough and out of the materials your end goal will be so that when your next improvement happens you do not have to redo the stoop a second time to accommodate the portico. Also be smart about materials. You don't need a solid brick stoop to get the look of one. You can have a concrete pour done for the stoop then cover it with a thin brick. That too can be done in two phases , if needed.

Move forward intentionally. If you can only afford to do the roof and clean up the flower beds now then do that and stop there. Save and then move on to doing the next intentional improvement.

To me the top three things that need to be addressed now are

1. The roof ( I am assuming you are redoing it because it has met the end of its life span and is leaking or getting close?)

2. The Stoop

3 The landscaping.

Just doing those three things now will vastly change the homes appearance.

Add ons

door paint

shutter removal (only if you are painting the home because the paint behind those shutters is likely darker than the rest of the house due to oxidation of the paint)

gutter and down spout improvements

next maybe a new light

Think in phases.

I would not put hedges in front of your hydrangeas. They need constant pruning to look good and don't add much in the way of beauty. They look great in photos and photoshops. In real life, not so much.

If you add a new step to your stoop, which I suspect you need to do (measure and see if your current step is normal height or a bit high), then your path is going to be in the wrong place, so I'd be thinking about a new path.

While the downspouts flanking the door look okay, the other ones, with the angle would look much better painted to match the siding. Even if you don't get a perfect match, pretty close will help them disappear.

Thank you for the comments.

First steps - roof, gutters, steps and clean up the chipped up paint from the walkway. At some point, we will rebuild the pavers along the walk and make them level.

We will keep the hydrangeas for now and remove everything else. There won't be enough room for too much between the hydrangeas and the walkway.

I like the thought of adding a second front light and removing the shutters (after painting the siding).