Adkbml, maybe I can help by breaking it down as how an artist would work because the process is really very similar. (And architects please correct me where I'm wrong!) 1. First I will come up with a concept. As I'm a still life artist, let's say I decide I want to create a drawing using peonies in a blue and white bowl. That's the concept. ( I would equate this to the homeowner saying I want a two story house with 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, with a game room, an office and my lot is a hilly 3 acres.) 2. Once I have my concept, I set up a still life that recreates the idea in my head. (Here is where the homeowner and the architect/designer get together and the homeowner shows the architect his/her houzz and pinterest images, their want list, their need list, their wish we could have list, and their budget. It's where the architect and homeowner walk the property and where the architect takes notes.) 3. My next step is to roughly block in the image on paper. I'm not concerned at this point with the details or the exact placement, but only the overall placement of the larger shapes. So I'll sketch where the peonies are and where the blue and white bowl is. I might have water drops, but I'm not concerned about them until step 5. The flowers on the blue vase will be defined in step 5 too. (This is where someone like ARG would sit down with the builder and the homeowner and have a design session where he sits and sketches out how the house might look and where things might go. The builder would give input as to whether it's feasible in terms of price, etc and this is where they play.) 4. Once I'm confident my larger shapes are where I want them, I start to slowly define them by blocking in my darks and lights. I am still not concerned with details but only refining them to get shadow and light. So I'll make sure my darks are where I want them, and my lights. (Now it's up to the architect to go back to his/her office and put together a first plan showing the exterior as well as the interior. At this point it may not even be a computer model but just hand drawn or it may be done on the computer. Lots is still up in the air. Changes are made based on the homeowner's feedback) 5. Next is when I start to really define everything. Here is where I refine everything so it really starts to look like a blue and white vase with peonies in it. Here's where I'll define individual petals on the peonies, or make sure the leaves have the right edges. It's here that I'll finally make sure to include those water drops. (Once the homeowner is happy with the overall look, the architect will create the drawings and plans showing all the details in the house. Window placement, kitchen appliance placement. A set of drawings will also show electrical, etc.) 6. Last is where I put in all the small details and highlights that make my drawings glow. This is where I put in some tiny white highlights to bring out the "shine" on the vase, or the translucence of the water drop. It's also where I might put in some sharp lines to define the lines in the blue vase. (These are the drawings that go to the planning board and are used by the builder to actually build the house.)

Iesp, to truly work out all the issues in front of you .... you must have a base plan. We've been dealing with aspects of the problem not knowing EXACTLY where the parking, driveway and obstructions along the way, are, if any. We don't know the exact elevation difference (to the inch) from the front porch deck to a fixed, relevant point near the parking destination. One could make estimated guesses about what could be done, but they could be wrong because, at this point, the base information is vague. I feel quite certain, though, that the solution to a pleasant walk from the parking area to house is going to involve regrading with some specific goals in mind. Presently, the steps are concentrated at two areas: the porch and at the bank. The steps at the porch seem reasonably acceptable. But the steps at the bank are too many to create a pleasant experience. Ideally, you'd want to have banks of few steps (usually 2-4) separated by runs of a few feet. The runs, instead of being perfectly level, would be "slopes" so that they're also instrumental in lowering the elevation as the walk travels on toward the lower destination. It is the combination of steps and sloped walk that allows one to have the overall best walk experience ... not too far ... not too steep ... no wasted energy. (I put "slopes" in quote marks because they cannot be perceived as slopes. They must be subtle enough that they pose no danger or difficulty. Yet they must be doing some grade change work.) We haven't seen the porch yet. For the sake of argument I'm going to guess there are 4 steps there. At the bank there are six legitimate steps. With a total of ten steps and a total drop of 11' (averaging the estimate) .... it's a hugely unpleasant walk!! I would consider seeing if the parking area can be raised a bit. Every amount that the overall 11' elevation difference can be shrunk helps a lot. It's a lot easier to step on a gas pedal and get the car to do the work, than it is to get out and hoof up a bigger hill. It wouldn't make sense to lower the elevation near the house/porch/steps. But it would make sense to begin reducing it earlier than it presently begins (at the bank). I don't think there is a reason you must keep all of the plateau that the house rests on. If you walked a few feet from the porch and then stepped down 18" and kept repeating this scenario, the overall walk would be much friendlier. You could pull this off with an elevation drop of, for example, 2.5' for 10' or so of run. Since the overall run looks to be easily greater than 40', it should be no problem to get from the porch to the parking in a very pleasant way. BTW, an 8" step riser is HUGE. You'd want it to be more like 6". Bouncing back to a covering-over-the-porch issue, without a MAJOR architectural remodel I don't see a permanent porch roof as a possibility. But it might be possible to have an independent awning, not attached to the roof in any way, that covered the porch as an independent "roof." Two forms I could see exploring are the pyramid and shed roof shape. It would be something one would have custom made by an awning manufacturer. Since they may have already dealt with your exact problem, I would contact a local outfit and inquire if they have solutions already in mind that would work for you. It won't be seen from the back side so the fact that it wouldn't be architecturally kosher from that view wouldn't matter.

Decorative fence with an open gate -will direct visitors to the side entrance. This video shows three model homes. Two of the three (1 & 3) have side entrances. When I toured these homes, the first home had a long water feature fountain - the noise of water enticed you to the door. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J87jNI9AAsI

Do you have a photo from farther away showing the whole front of the house? The first step is trimming back the shrub. It's customary to leave a foot of space between the branch tips and the walkway, stairs, or window ledge. Then pick up all the pots and flamingos to sort into "keep and replant" or "move somewhere else". You get a more dramatic effect from large pots of colorful flowers that don't block the steps. If you love the flamingos, make sure they are in tip top shape (clean and shiny) and not showing any sun fading. You can always move them to the back yard where you can see them from the kitchen window if you prefer a more formal look for your front yard this summer. A new door mat will look good. Screen doors are wonderful in many climates. I suggest getting an estimate for a new screen door. It may be a standard size and easy to replace.