Adding the planned front porch and moving the entrance to the right some will make a huge difference. Selecting a more inviting paint color/trim color will do wonders for the home. I would do everything possible to dress up the garage door. It is really the only focal point on the front of your home. Yardvaark(9A) had a great visual about extending you pavers over to the entryway. You could include a small bench with potted florals, a pot for the garden hose ect. up against the right side of the garage.

OK, NOW you're getting into stuff that's WAY over my head! LOL I wanted quick and easy facelift, not major renovation! MAYBE if I were doing this WITH my husband we would go for removing the paneling, repairing the wall below it, removing the railing, etc. but this is something I want to get done in his absence when he's visiting family for a week. If we were to remove the railing, there would be major wall repairs to be done, AND, I'm not so confident that the bottom half is in as good shape as the top half.... previous owners let their dog do a LOT of damage in the house and for all I know there is scratched and chewed sheetrock under there, or worse! And, hey... nothing says that I won't go back in a year and decide I DO want to go further with this and THEN I can take on removing the paneling. This will be my FIRST project..... if I find I enjoy it, then maybe I'll want to take it to the next level. Baby steps. :) Sue

I would not tack on some kind of modern glass and metal nor cable rails. This house is from the 1970s. Lean into that and don't try to make it something its not. Unless you use the deck a lot, I would remove it altogether and put a nice picture window in instead of the doors. If you use it, make it into a balcony with some nice bistro seating. Remove the stairs, put in some simple french doors, replace the rails with a simple metal design that is period appropriate and will blend with the rest of the house. Get some simple planter boxes and fill them with some nice annuals. I am seeing some red or warm colors. I also like the idea of a breezeway, pergola or some kind of covered walkway. Check out some of the MCM mass built houses in Palm Springs for inspiration. There are a lot of covered entrances to keep the hot desert sun off your head on the way into the house. Agree that the yard needs some landscaping help. Agree with some sculpted evergreens, Houses will tell you what they want to be. This is a loud, proud split level. Don't make the mistake that so many do and try to make the house conform to some trend or modern ideal. Let the vernacular of the house speak and enhance it with appropriate updates or restorations. I actually kind of like the quirky nature of this house.

My friend painted the interior of her rental cabin that very same green and with the low ceilings it feels very oppressive to me. I've painted paneling that dark green, but ceilings were 10'. Paneling was wood, so prep was to clean with TSP (tri-sodium phosphate,) rinse, let dry, lightly sand, tack off sanding dust, prime with 2 coats of KILZ, Zinzer or other primer, and then paint with 2 coats of your color. As a vacation property manager for the past 16 years, I can tell you the majority of guests will presume that descendants of the original 70's cooties are living in that rug unless you can prove that it is a new installation. Guests might not hate the faux paneling, but cleanliness issues can kill your rental. The ceiling and floor are your biggest dilemmas. If you decide you want to promote the 70's feeling, you'll need to carry through in the furnishings, etc. Potential galore, but not an easy decision.