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Ugly House Curb Appeal Advice

11 years ago

Thinking of buying a house in neighborhood where all the houses have this ugly barn/hut look. Would anything make them look better? They have ocean views and the insides are nicely renovated, but the architechture (?) if any leaves something to be desired.

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Comments (5)

jakabedy
11 years ago
It seems like it's screaming out for a dormer (or dormerS) of some kind, and I can't imagine why they wouldn't have put them in originally if only to give it more curb appeal and bring more light to the upstairs rooms (assuming there are upstairs rooms). Is there a building code of some kind that limits the glass surface, or puncturing the roof or something?
Dynamicdoors
11 years ago
New garage doors and entrance doors help with curb appeal

Here is a link that might be useful: Dynamic Door Services Phoenix
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I think that some fairly inexpensive things could make a dramatic difference. First I would replace the iron columns with some more substantial 6x6 supports (with some moldings perhaps) and add some railings. Also, I would not paint the porch, but stain it. I think taking out the concrete porch would be a very big project. I would also add railings and wider wooden steps to the front door. Paint or replace the front door for pop and in your individual taste. The shutters look out of place and out of scale for the picture window. Shutters should look as if they would actually work, these do not. Once this is done the right of your house would be heavy and you would need to balance this out with a nice curved bed on the left with a fairly large tree to add balance. Zone 5 maybe a nice magnolia. Fill in the large bed around the tree with some nice plantings. Towards the road cries out for a small fence with a gate or maybe some hedges with more beds. A flagstone path up to the front steps. A small tree (maybe a Japanese maple) on the right and curved beds along the walkway and driveway. I think this would take your home from plain to fantastic with the least cost and with things that you can probably do on your own. I am sure you can. I do like the idea of shutters, but think you should look at different sizes and styles. I don't like being critical, however I think that by asking for help you are probably looking for honest evaluation.
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Looks like you have accordion hurricane shutters on your windows already. It wouldn't look right to put those thin plastic shutters next to the hurricane shutters. Also, the triple window up front is too large for those small plastic HD/Lowes shutters. Here is a brief article written by an architect about shutters: Shutters vs Shudders In Florida, we need functional hurricane shutters on every window to get the insurance premium discount. Those shutters can be panels (ugly) or accordion or functional shutters. I agree with Dig Doug above that landscaping is the answer to add curb appeal to your home. He did a very nice job with the big beds out front and the wide walkway.
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Before doing any landscaping, examine if there are drainage issues, and be sure to fix those first. consider raising the grade to meet the stoop level so there is neither a step or the appearance of an unfinished grade. Bringing up the grade would make things looks better. If you can't expand the width of the walk to match the porch opening, at least widen it with an 8" brick or paver strip down each side. And create an expanded apron connecting it to the porch. I wouldn't confine the porch with plantings, but some strategically located to coordinate with the posts would be fine. Trees off of the corners would help the house seem integrated with the surroundings.
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If the windows with the view are a bedroom and bathroom, does that bathroom have another exterior wall in which you might add a window so any escaping sounds and smells from the bathroom do not open onto the deck? Have you considered sliding glass doors in the bedroom and/or (if the floor plan enables it) changing around the purposes of the rooms so the bedroom by the deck becomes a more used room .... such as could a dining room become a bedroom and the bedroom become a dining room? and/or build another bedroom and bath upstairs above the bedroom and bath on the main floor so the deck side bedroom might become a bonus room/den? Adding a downstairs entry facing the "front" (photographer) could be a good idea, depending upon the layout of the home. However, if the current main entry is beneath the deck, you might consider turning the garage into a sun room or screened porch that wraps around to become the entry unless you actually need/want another opening facing "front" (photographer). Do at least first consider what that would do to the interior of the room in which you're adding the entry. Does the room lend itself to that change? What side of the house is north/south/east/west -- will that impact your decision?
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hoganfour
11 years ago
I think your house has a ton of potential! I would seriously consider changing the location of the front door to a position of prominence. See the sketch I tried to do - sorry I'm not an artist or an architect. What I tried to show is a front door with a triangle roof over it and transom sidelights. To the left I put back a window - two double hungs together. Personally, I like the traditional look of munton bars and added these to the new window and the window at the far right. A stone path would look nice leading from the driveway up the new stately front door. I would also take back some of the oversized driveway that is encroaching on the front lawn and return it to grass. If you can get rid of the wood that is encasing the grass - also good - just let it slope down naturally. And finally, add some bushes, flowers etc. to the front of the house - left and right of the new front door. Just some ideas...!
DaveRehab101
10 years ago
How can I get some advice on ideas to create curb appeal for this ugliest house in the neighborhood?
jakabedy
10 years ago
Hi DaveRehab -

You may want to post this as a new post, you'll get more responses that way. Is this house meant for you to live in? Or is it meant to be sold, or rented?

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