Some additional photos showing the roof and current shutter color in full sun. Looks very brown.

For me, the dated look is the awning and the wrought iron. The sky is the limit in ways you can improve the curb appeal, but it all comes down to budget.

I would rather see a cream color for your siding. The brown roof isn't hideous, just probably not something you would have chosen.

You can replace the awning and iron work with something more substantial.

At some point a porch could be added which would really bump things up a notch.

Eld6161, I agree and would LOVE a porch. I also would love to replace the awning/railings with an updated pergola type front stoop.

Something similar to this:

However, budget will not allow that :( nor does budget allow for new siding. Would painting vinyl siding be expensive? And does it defeat the purpose of having “maintenance free“ vinyl siding?? LOL

so, given the tight budget. Would you paint the front door blue, the awning white, and call it a day until you could afford the more expensive projects (siding replacement, roof replacement, adding a deck, etc)...

or would you update the look with black shutters and red door...? And if you did those, what would you do with the awning/railing? Paint black? Leave as is?

Anyone have tips on painting a metal awning?? Should it even be attempted?

Metal can definitely be painted, using the right metal paint. I painted a rusty old swing set with Rustoleum paint. It was easy and it lasted very well. Your hardware store or paint store can advise you.

Some evergreen landscaping would add a lot to the look.

I like the yellow siding and wouldn't change the color.

Partim, what color would you paint the awning and railing? White or black?

I would go with your blue door option. I don't think the white railing dates the house. I would paint the shutter white, too. But take the two off the bay window. They don't fit there. Once you do this and add a variety of foundation plantings, the house will look super cute. (By the way, do plant close to the foundation. Find out how wide the plants will be a maturity and plant them another foot away from the foundation.

Houssaon, I wouldn’t have thought to remove shutters from the bay window! Thats something to consider. If we are painting the door blue and painting the shutter white, would you leave the awning as-is? The yellow awning with brown stripes is such an eye sore to me. My gut is telling me to paint white to make it looks fresh and clean. Perhaps paired with white shutters that would be a cohesive look. What do you think?

New idea: remove shutters entirely. Paint both the front and side door (likely a shade of blue) and paint awning white. Would that help bring the curb appeal of the house into this century? ;)

Yes it would! Then add some landscaping that fills in the lack of interest at the ground level. Fall is a great time to plant evergreens and shrubs, and they are on sale!

Will need to take an upclose photo tomorrow. The central AC unit is in front of the bay window. Will need to figure out how to work the landscaping around that!

Right, noticed that little bugger...made me think that some type of wood panel/fence will be needed to create a screen, and best when all tied in together with the landscaping...and in your case maybe some trellis under the bay window also of wood, which you could mirror in style on the side entry (instead of the lattice) and possibly replace the wrought iron and front steps with the same style. Don't hesitate to do something bold and unusual!

I would paint the awning white. Paint the front door your pop of color, but the side door white to differentiate. I would keep the side shutters and paint them white, before taking them off. See how you like them first. I think you need the white to balance the blue and yellow. Once you get this part done, and do some planting, it is going to really look good.

Irene, what is that overhang called in the first photo? Is it a gable? Also, would adding something like what’s shown in the second pic be an easy DIY? Is it something that can be bought at Home Depot, attached to existing roof, with some new shingles to match? when I google adding a front porch it seems that even the smallest porch runs thousands of dollars!! :(

I searched Houzz for "yellow siding" pictures and got some nice ones. https://www.houzz.com/photos/query/yellow-siding/nqrwns

Quite a few of them seem to use all-white for trims, including shutters and doors. It's a good look. The black shutters and door, is also nice in my opinion. Not sure that the blue door alone will give you the look you want, unless you repeat the blue color again somewhere.

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Given your tight budget, I'd set aside the idea of the portico for now. It will definitely be thousands of dollars. Paint and shrubs will make much more of an impact for fewer dollars. And shrubs, planted now, will just get larger and more valuable as time goes on, unlike other projects.

Going back to the question in your original post, I don't think that either the blue or the red would be a problem with the brown roof. Look at the examples above and you'll see a few brown roofs.

Thank you everyone for all of the suggestions!!!

Here is the front area with what the sellers left behind. Can anyone help me decide what type of evergreens? I’m thinking a spruce tree next to the steps and then a few evergreen shrubs. Have to extend the garden bed out quite a bit. I’m thinking white rocks instead of black mulch. Thoughts?

Then I was thinking of extending the garden bed along the side of the walkway... would that be too much? Would even lining the edge of the walkway with black mulch or rocks be nice landscaping? Would small shrubs along rockway be necessary?

I don't know what evergreens would be best, but definitely don't mulch with rocks. They sink into the soil, and are a huge job to ever remove. Also they don't look good - they get dirty looking very quickly.

Mulch is good, although black mulch is dyed and in my experience it fades quickly to gray. My preference is an un-dyed natural brown colored mulch. Never red mulch either.

Do not plant a tree, any tree, next to the steps. When it grows up it will eat your house if the roots haven't already destroyed your foundation and sewer line.

Partim, all my plants are mulched with rocks. And they don't get dirty looking because they started out that way.

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The more I try to envision the garden bed with rock, i don’t think it would work unless it was a much lighter color- almost a white shade. In which case I could see it looking dirty.

What type of shrubs are best, if trees are a no near stairs?

Lastly, would continuing the mulch bed along the side of the concrete pathway look nice? And if so what would you plant? I don’t want flowers..

Talk to a local horticulturist--a good garden center will have one--and tell him/her what habit you want your plants to have and where they will be planted. S/he will show you all the possibilities for your location and conditions.

groveraxle works like a magician.... you are so busy looking at the new pretty colors you don't even notice your awning is still there.

Groveraxle WOW! At a loss for words. You transformed the house!!! Love all these suggestions!!! Thank you thank you thank you

Groveraxle......beautiful! I love the White with the yellow, the blue door and no shutters. Totally updated. Some green bushes add the needed softness to the foundation. The walkway is where I would spend any money I had.

Like the concrete bird bath. Birds will like it more in the middle of your front yard. Like the windmill, too. Perhaps you could level up spots for each of them.

On the side of the house, you could extend the existing roof with the same slope enough to cover the side stoop and create a smaller side facing gable over the side door.

Add to your front porch (treated 1"x6" rounded edged deck board floor), extending it from the current stoop all the way to the right end of the house plus the additional width of your side deck. Use a shed roof with a small forward facing gable over the front door.

By connecting the two porches, you end up with a wrap around porch.

Add a treated wood railing, leaving an opening directly across from the front door; also, leave an opening in the railing of the side part of the porch facing the back yard. You've now defined which is your front door and which is your back door.

Front porch should be at least 6' deep to allow chairs to be set against the exterior wall of the home and still have room to walk by the rail in front of the chairs.

Now do your landscaping to direct visitors from the driveway to your front entrance.

By creating a sidewalk that begins with a short straight walk toward the road at the front of the house before curving it toward the driveway, you'll create a planting area between your porch and the walk. If you're in pn planting Zone 7, I'd suggest aucuba bushes -- they keep their leaves and are attractive all year.

There are plastic elbows you can attach to the end of your downspout and flexible pipe you can connect to that and bury in the ground -- or at least lay a length of it on the ground beneath your newporch to have the water run out beyond your porch to get the rainwater farther away from your house,