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Home Decorating

Need help with home exterior - much needed character!

8 years ago

Need help with exterior. Purchased this home to renovate and rent out as an income property. Hoping to give this baby some much needed curb appeal. Open to pretty much anything including changing exterior materials, painting, moving windows, adding porch.. ideas (and character!) needed.

Featured Answer

joaniepoanie

8 years ago

As a rental, I would not go overboard if things are in good condition. Fix the area from the sidewalk to the steps where the gravel is and put in a walkway using brick, pavers, flagstone, etc.(whatever material that coordinates with the steps). Also fix the steps if needed and remove the runner. Paint it all one color, as well as the part under the railing and the foundation. Add shutters to the top windows and paint shutters, trim and railing a coordinating trim color. Paint the front door a third color to make it the focal point. Look on the Internet to find color combinations you like. Remove all the planters and plant easy to care for plants/shrubs next to the foundation, making the beds a little larger and curvy so it's not all straight lines. Re-seed grass where needed. It's a cute little house.

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Comments (7)

Victoria Lynn
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks for your feedback! Do you have any suggestions on doing the shutters on the upper windows? I've though about doing that but the outer shutter would touch the roof since the corner of the windows is already close to the roof. I thought it might be tricky to do.
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she is having the exposed foundation covereed in stone Probably already knows not to do anything with paint color until the stone is done. After the stone is up, she might have a dozen new color directions to chase. :D Exterior isn't like interior. Interior you do not have to have every last stitch in place to fit a room with color. As long as the basics, permanent elements are in place you can work color. Exterior isn't near as malleable because Mr. Sunshine is so darn intense and direct outside. Get the foundation covered in stone and then take another look. I'm thinking, with the stone in place, she should consider going light and neutral on the body or commit big and go with a dark, punchy color scheme with some drama. Safe midtones could add up to just a mediore color outcome for that house. A really cute house, btw.
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Your drawing is on the right track. Mullions in the windows, longer windows, and changes of color and material will make a huge difference. But you are also on a tight budget. Work on getting the one or two upgrades that will give you the most bang for the buck now, and leave the rest as projects that you can do after you move in. Landscaping, shutters, premium fixtures, etc. can be bought later with cash, so they are not part of the mortgage, and that's cheaper in the long run. Also you are not under quite as much pressure-- fewer decisions up front. Just tell yourself it's "good enough for now." One thing that has not been mentioned is architectural roof shingles. These are thicker, with a much heavier texture, than the basic grades. They read as quality, and you have a lot of roof there, so cheap will not look good.
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I like the hip roof because it makes my house look more finished/'calm'... LOL..... I am okay with a nice gable over a front porch with hip roofs on the side. Others like gables because it creates more attic space for storage, esp. if you want to finish out the attic with a floor....other's have a theory the attic space is not as hot in the summer with gables and vents on the eaves...I have seen homes that are 20/25 feet wide on the north and 30 feet wide on the south, with hips on the sides and 3 or 4 gables on the front of various widths at the base over each room that has 3 outside walls??.... and they just make a very chunky looking house with every offset, another gabled roof of a different dimension. The less offsets on your foundation, makes for more efficient carpenter work and material use.. the same on your roofline..which the theory used to be...put more money available to spend inside the house, or less money to borrow to finish the home? I also, don't care for large windows in a garage or in the garage door. I just don't care for my car to be visible, inside my garage. And I like having that water heater closet in the garage with a circulation pump that I can turn off or on, to get water faster to the bath or kitchen areas as needed. The gas water heater, keeps my garage above freezing in winter, as my garage door is insulated. And the concrete is 2 feet high before the interior walls begins so water will not damage the wood paneling if the water heater leaks..as someone earlier here stated..
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PRO
BeverlyFLADeziner
8 years ago
Fix the front steps, walk and curbing. Paint and add shutters. Sorry I couldn't match the house color exactly, but you get the idea. The exterior siding should all be the same color. Trim around the door and shutters should all be either black or dark charcoal grey along with the foundation on the home.
lascatx
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Repair those steps and walkway not only for apearances but for safety. Clean up the area to the left and plant something low maintenance (low growth bush, perennials) under the railing.

If you are going to paint the house, go more brown or pick any color other than bandaid. White would be better. Painting it all one color does help -- and the shutters look better above if you have room for them. Looks tight.

If you are near FSU and this is likely to be sudent housing, what about painting the door garnet red (white surround)? Make any flowers gold?
joaniepoanie
8 years ago
It's hard to tell from the picture how much room you have for shutters up top but I think even skinny shutters would look better than nothing. Lowes/HD have plastic shutters in different sizes and colors and you can probably order smaller sizes if necessary. You can probably even find the sizes you need on the Internet.
lascatx
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Here's a place that has 6-7/8" shutters in a board and batten style (2 boards wide) or louvered in 7". When we sold our last home, our realtor suggested adding shutters -- we ordered inexpensive vinyl. Can't remember if we got them through HD, Lowe's or online, but for purely decorative shutters and no need to paint -- they work great. Should be a good option for a rental property.
melle_sacto
8 years ago
LOL on the bandaid color! I think the house is really cute & has so much potential. I like the trim all around the door. Maybe it's not in your budget since this is a rental, but what about some type of cover for the entry, just to protect someone from the elements while locking/unlocking the door?

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