here's the image, but it's small:

I am off to bed and I want to think about it, but for now your house is NOT ugly. It's cute and you'll be able to have lots of fun with it. Congratulations to you and your bf!

Okay, in what zone do you live? That'll help with the gardening ideas. Glad you're here!

Is this better?

Its adorable! It needs landscaping. You can keep the colors, it needs some 'curb appeal.'

There are some great people here, probably will give you help tomorrow. What zone are you in?

Jane

Definitely landscaping is needed, and I also think wider shutters on the window above the lawn seeder(?). Plus I personally wouldn't use red again.

Some landscaping, different color shutters and have the roof cleaned. Neat house

It is not ugly! It is cute. Yes, it needs landscaping. I don't think you need a different color on shutters and porch, but I saw a white house in a magazine once with bold royal blue accents and it looked really good. Have fun!

I always think black, white, and red are classic, so I'd paint the shutters black and the front door red (BM Cottage Red). Landscaping will make all the difference in the world.

Laurie

Congratulations! How about a charcoal gray color for the shutters and porch? You could leave the runner to the porch red and paint the door red...

I think it is a cute house that just needs some dress up - it has a good basic structure. Congrats on home ownership and welcome to the boards.

I like some of the ideas mentioned, but I'd like to know what your style is. There are many ways you could take this house. Do you like cottage, modern, traditional, transitional, beachy, asian etc.?

Also which gardening zone do you belong to. See the below map for the US or do a search if you're not in the US to see where you fit similarly to the US map.

That is a cute house crying out for a window box with a riot of colored blooms and a few well chosen foundation plants.

I agree with everyone else. Your home is cute. Very cute. Over the years there will be a lot you can do to it. It has good bones and is a classic. Landscaping will make a big difference. Funny...when I saw it, I immediately thought the same thing Laurie said...black, white and red would look really nice. Black shutters...black porch paint...and a bold lipstick red front door. I also think wider shutters at the window would look better. Until then...amazing things can be accomplished with paint using what you have. When you need a new roof don't get white...get charcoal gray shingles...in my opinion it's the most neutral color you could choose. Most any paint scheme will look good against a charcoal roof. I just got rid of my brown / orange roof shingles the previous owner put on this house. We had a severe hail storm this winter and it destroyed the roof. So, I lost my gardens but gained a roof. ha. Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. Charcoal gray gives me TONS of choices for paint. It also look so much better. It doesnt't jump out at you like white or brown or some other really strong color.

Not much to add, except I think extending the porch floor line using paint would help ground the house better -- especially if it takes some time to add plants.

(Image below is not for color - the red is just to show the changes.) If you do take the suggestions of black, white, gray and red, some plant choices might be black/white striped birch tree clump, or shiny green holly with red berries, or winterberry, etc.

Here's another approach, keeping the colors soft with no stark contrasts and painting the storm door the same color as the entry door.

Would you consider painting the black railing white to tie in with the porch posts?

Maybe this is too cutesy (and probably out of budget), but a canvas porch valance could look nice on your home:

{{!gwi}}

gwbr54, extending the porch line looks great. In real life, though, I think it would look off just by using paint. Could you get the same effect with plantings? That would help with the flatness of the facade.

Hmm, maybe use both paint & foundation plantings to ground the house? The paint would have the right effect, and the plants would mask the artificiality of the paint line.

We had a similar colored roof, which seems to be very popular here. We painted the gutters under the roof a dark color and it made the roof look much better. It makes the roof look more substantial instead of wimpy. I would paint your gutters dark gray, or dark red if you end up losing the red in other places. I would paint the porch a medium gray, paint the shutters black and the door dark red. There is really nothing wrong with your house, it just needs some attention and then it will be cuter!
Diane

Its a blank canvas, not ugly. there are a lot of ideas here.
And there is nothing wrong with planting good old reliable yews for foundation plants- they are inexpensive. And then you can do window boxes and add other plantings when the $$ are there.

And that porch valance can be made with painters canvas and some paint and grommets. That is if you like it.
Enjoy your new house!

Here are powermuffin's suggestions. That grey gutter idea is good.

Sheesh, I really should be shoveling, LOL!

Here's a more cottage-like look:

A couple of substantial plants on the porch and a window box on the right side window (facing pic) would add some more visual weight to the house. I think you can add a lot of charm to your house for not "so much" money. :)

Cute house.

1 - The roof looks dirty or in poor condition. It might just be the light, but if it's not in good shape, put everything else on hold until it's fixed.

2 - The red of the porch doesn't match the red of the door and shutters. That's bothering you. I'd leave the porch red and paint shutters and door black. it's a classic combo.

3 - The skinny iron railing doesn't suit the house. A regular porch rail of painted white wood would look better. That is inexpensive and can be a DIY job. Even matching the uprights can be DIY.

4 - The house is "floating" off the ground. A bit of landscaping, planted when the season is right, will take care of that. Take your time on this, and don't head for the nursery without a plan and a plant list. Make sure you are getting things that are right for the climate and for the location.

Annuals, even garden vegetables, can be used as temporary landscaping.

Yes! potential galore...so cute. Am I the only one who sees the two white trellis things as a distraction, an after-thought tacked on?. The one on the right doesn't align quite right with the railing. When the time comes, first put your money into permanent landscaping: shrubs and trees. You can paint and re-shutter etc. etc....none of it will matter much without the 'bones' of the garden that frame the house.

Punky, what is your vision for the front of your home? Cottage, Classic, Contemporary? What colors are you thinking of or like?

Wow, thanks for all the great ideas everyone and for tankinf the time to edit the picture! I live in zone 7. I really like powermuffin's suggestion with the black shutters and gray porch. The only thing im not a huge fan of with that suggestion is the bushes, I definitely would like to plant more of a butterfly garden with flowers of some sort, but I get the idea of how that would fix the line of the house.

That's a cute house! Congratulations.

I like the red and white, but what matters is what YOU like for the shutters and door. (And heck, paint is cheap and you can do those things yourself.)

In zone 7 you have lots of wonderful choices. I'd put something deep green near the house (like boxwood) and some layers with color and texture in front of that. I love hosta because they are low maintenance and come in a variety of heights and colors.

How about some kind of blossoming vine climbing up the trellis? Something like a deep purple clematis would be very pretty. I'm in zone 5 so I'm not that familiar with what would work for you, but the Garden forums could help alot I bet.

If any of your neighbors have yards / plantings you admire, I bet they'd be happy to give you pointers too. It would be a nice way to get to know them, and lots of gardeners are happy to share plants when they split theirs.

Have fun and enjoy your CUTE house!

"The only thing im not a huge fan of with that suggestion is the bushes..."

Yes, sorry about that. I would have liked to put in a proper garden, but can't do a very good one, and the bushes were quick & easy to paste in. The line of bushes are merely there so you can see how plantings extend the porch line & ground the house, just as gwbr54 wisely suggested. Better bushes than bare :)

Lurker here! Don't do the hedge "mustache" it will make the landscaping look outdated and boring. Put in layers of evergreens that are COMPACT varieties towards the back but NOT touching the house. Stagger the pattern do not do straight rows. Taller plants in the back blended in by plants that are shorter. Mix in annuals and perennials for interest in groups of at least 3 and always in odd numbers. Annuals from seed are very inexpensive and many are easy to grow. To save money and gain knowledge, check out plants in neighbor's yards that look good. Find out what the plant is and how big it gets. A beautiful plant in the wrong area always looks bad. Don't waste time or money reinventing the wheel. What grows in your neighbor's yards will likely do well in yours as well. Make the flower bed at LEAST 5 ft wide or it will look awkward. The style of the home is casual so curve it around a bit instead of making a rectangle (too formal). I LOVE the idea of a window box. Window boxes are fabulous but make SURE it's able to tolerate a lot of weight. Wet soil is heavy.

I agree with all the paint choices! Wonderfully bright colors :). Remember it's paint. Paint isn't that expensive so you can always paint over it or change it when you get bored. That is a wonderful porch. Your current patio furniture blends in and vanishes! Brighter colors would really make a huge difference. Can't go wrong with container plants by the door. There are many shade loving plants for that area. The clutter on the left of the door detracts from your entirely too cute new home. Taking up that space with fun pieces can prevent clutter from taking hold. Good luck!

I agree with most of the suggestions you have received. A couple to add would be to pay close attention when you buy plants to their mature size, and measure out the spacing.

Fill in with mulch, and add plants year by year.

To add height, conside a trellis or bird bath. Big plants are expensive

Ask friends neighbors and relatives to let you know if they are dividing any perennial plants that you would like some. And offer to come over and help them. This is a great way to get plants conditioned for your climate for free.

Just wanted to vote for painting, roof cleaning or washing the exterior walls before putting in landscaping. Right now you have the advantage of having no plants to trample on while you work on the house.

When our new roof, siding & windows were installed, our garden in front of the house was destroyed

You're in zone 7 --- do you get a lot of sun in the front of the house? Butterfly garden could be great... butterfly bushes, monardia, ornamental grasses...

It's a cute house!
A little paint, a little landscaping...sweet:)

I agree with perhaps having wider shutters and a flower box on the front window.

I don't have a green thumb, so can't really suggest shrubs/plants, however, we do have boxwood and I love it. Looks great and low maintenance!

I was thinking with your budget that flowers and a little bit of paint would most likely be the best way to go so here's what my thought is....
Buy samples of assorted exterior paint samples in various brick tones to using a natural sea sponge painting the lower area of house below and to the right of the porch to ground the house and give a nice backdrop for butterfly loving flowers that you can start from seed to help with the budget. Possibly get some that climb for the trellis like columns. I added another trellis at the right corner of the house for balance....

I agree that it's a cute house with potential to be a very cute house. Here is a similar styled house I took a picture of a couple of years ago in a California beach town:

It's a little hard to tell in the picture, but there are red geraniums in the hanging basket on the porch and other red flower in the landscape.

Punky - There is a wealth of info on the Garden Forums here. Here is the link for Butterfly Gardens.

Cute house with a lot of potential. Do take care of the roof first, tho :-)

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterfly Gardens

To me, the front of the yard is begging for a flowering ornamental tree. It will help anchor the house and balance out the porch. You don't have to spend a lot of money. It will look like a stick in your front yard for a year or two but it will be worth it.

If you live in the South, you can plant one right now. Don't get one that grows too big because it will eventually overwhelm your cute house.

Here is a link that might be useful: flowering trees

P.S. Don't plop the tree in the middle of the yard. I would put it on the right side, either by the corner of the house (not too close) or by the street. Leave room around it so you can add your butterfly garden underneath.

Very nice house with tons and tons of potential!!! Congrats!

I like the idea of painting the railing white, red door, black shutters; that's all I would do for now.

I LOVE to garden and your house has sooo much potential. My suggestions are to educate yourself first, so take the next few months to read, ask questions and learn what you can do in your zone with gardening. You want a mix of perennials and evergreens so you get year round color. Hang out on some of the gardening forums, ask questions post pics, write down what you learn. Take the time to draw out your space, what you want for garden beds and then research plants for those areas - see paragraph below...

Next fall, not this spring, go shopping with your ideas in hand. In the fall you will find savings of up to 70% which gives you a ton of bang for your buck. Hit local nurseries, not the big box stores because not only do you get savings and great plants, you get the expertise of what works and does not work for your area. Bring your drawings, get their recommendations. This past spring, we had a new area out back we wanted to deal with. One of our nurseries has a design center, we took pics and drawings, paid them, they gave us drawings and plant ideas with a gift certificate back with what we paid them to use on their plants. We used that GC in the fall and managed to get far more plants by being patient.

If you have an idea on what plants work for you, look good together, you can use places like Bluestone Perennials to order from. Your plants will be smaller, but if you are patient, again you get more bang for your buck especially during their sales. Plants are smaller to begin with, but they grow quickly.

If you opt for a flowering ornamental, be sure to get some sage advise on where to plant it. Something cute now can be threatening your home in a few years time.

Take time to plan and you will be rewarded for your patience. Congrats again on your new home!!!

I am with those who are seeing a small flowering deciduous tree to the right of your home to anchor it. Just don't plant it too close to the house. I am so far north of zone 7 that I can't advise on what tree to get; up here I love dogwood and canadian redbud.

Also, just got my Prairie Nursery catalogue yesterday. On page 4 are a listing of plants for 3 different butterfly gardens. The gardens use perennials, including some native grasses for a wider visual impact.

I too think your home is very cute. I could see a periwinkle front door, especially if you decide to bite the bullet and repaint the house a crisp white. That would give your home a more cottagy look which would go along with a more freestyle butterfly garden, as opposed to formal regimented plantings.

At least in the pictures, your house looks more of a light gray than a true white. Is that just my monitor? If the budget won't allow for a full-house repaint to a crisp white as Barb suggested, I wouldn't fight the grayish tone of the house. I'd paint the shutters and porch a blue-ish gray like Benjamin Moore's Steel Wool or Britannia Blue and then find an earthy red tone for the door. But I think earlier posters nailed it with the white/black/red combo. I'd make that my ultimate goal. A Charleston Green color(so green it's black) would work well too.

Also, check your local Craigslist or the classifieds to find a small inexpensive bench, chair or cute planter to put on the porch. And depending on how you paint the house, change out the sconce next to your door, either to a nickel or black finish. The current light recedes into the house.You can pick up inexpensive sconces at your local big box store or search online in the clearance section of websites like lighting universe.com or lampsplus.com.

Good luck! I think your house is as cute as can be, and what a great blank canvas to work with.

I agree with the posters above. Cute house - it just needs some personal touches and some hard work. I think a curved flower bed like I've mocked up would be fabulous. The picture I found had expensive concrete edging but large cobblestones around the edge of the mulch would have the same effect.

Maybe change the railing?

Evergreen shrubs and shrubs that look pretty in the winter would be great. To be honest, I have had great success purchasing basic shrubs cheaply at Walmart and Home Depot, they usually have the basics that grow well in your zone.

For now, leave the big stuff as is, if you have to replace the roof in the future, I mocked up a more dramatic entryway.

I'd drive around neighborhoods with houses similar to yours. Some of them will have some very clever improvements.

Here's what I would do:

Replace the trellis columns with solid columns.
Put larger shutters on the large window.
Paint the door and storm door a deep red
Install a lantern light.
Add a curved flagstone path from the steps to halfway down the driveway.
Plant a flowering tree, with a maximum height of 15-20 feet to the right of the house, and plant a butterfly garden around the base of the tree.
In the center, plant three flowering evergreen shrubs, like encore azaleas.
Plant a dense evergreen to grow no more than 5 feet high to the left of the stairs, between the flagstone path and driveway. Since the house has a lot of visual interest on the left, you just need a small, dense pant to balance the plantings on the right.

A butterfly garden will look great---for about six (nine if you are lucky) months of the year. Then it's gonna look sad. You need a mix of annuals, perennials, and evergreens.

I wouldn't plant butterfly bushes (buddleia) in the front yard. They need a LOT of grooming to keep them pretty on an up-close-and-personal basis. From a distance? Not a problem. But buddleia blooms from base to tip...and the olds blooms brown and don't drop neatly. Plus, they get HUGE. Only buddleia I would consider for that spot is "Lo and Behold". It stays compact and the blooms tend to look more presentable.

Do you have a local garden center that offers design advice? Not a big-box like Slowes or Home Despot...but an independent place. (Disclaimer...I work in a Southern States Garden Center during the high season.) Now is a great time to go in and ask about planting...things are slow. Take some measurements and some pictures and call and see if you can bring them in for the garden center staff to see.

ALSO--if you haven't been in this house for spring before...wait to start digging. You may have all sorts of bulbs and such that have gone to ground for the winter. And,depending on where you live, spring may NOT be the best time for planting shrubs and trees. Ask.

I'm with lazygardens...I'd do some "temporary" plantings to hold you through the summer rather than plunking something in...but, if you are in the right zone...I'd probably seriously consider planting a gardenia somewhere in that yard...maybe a gardenia jasminoides radicans near that front porch. Perhaps in a big pot...you can plant it in the ground in the fall once you have a plan. It will make you happy every time you get out of the car/sit on the front porch when it is in bloom.

I have quite a bit of plants that attract butterflies in my back yard, and it looks horrible for several months of the year, and I live in Zone 9! I would work in as many evergreens as you can find, and add in some perenials and annuals that attract butterflies (and hummingbirds).

FWIW, I really like look#2 from gmp3. I agree with everyone that white, black shutters and red door are classic. the landscape from gmp3 really allows for annuals while providing a base; and it is not your average builder landscape. just terrific!