You need the whole house in the listing photo. I would suggest something similar to the first one, but angled a tad more so you can see the front door.

Agreed - whole house photo is the way to go.

I like your first "fortress" one best :) Then, also an angled shot from the opposite corner of the house, back from the same distance. I think that one will show your front door area. You can't appreciate the size of the house/land with the close-up shots.

*Of course, you want no trucks, snow plows, etc... in the actual pics.

It is what it is. People will either like it enough (due to its other attributes, ie size, location, school district) or they will not. I agree - no truck, snow plows in the photo.

need some color, red, orange, yellow - something beside pale gray and white (mostly). Plants with blooms in lively colored pots.

Do you have full house photos taken from front center and right corner of house?

Minor thing but even-up those bushes to the same height and width. The one near the corner the top appears higher on one side than the other.

Yes, include a summer photo. We bought our house in January and there was a listing photo showing everything in bloom.

some colorful pillows on the porch furniture.

It does look like a fortress, sorry. It's the design and there's not much you can do about it (presumably that facade exists to accommodate some fabulous interior spaces). The nearly two story expanse of siding to the left of the porch overhang and the configuration and size of the windows on the overhang to the left of that are the biggest contributors to the problem. Little pots and throw pillows aren't going to help. If anything, they'll just reemphasize the mass to the left. Over time, you could help the balance problem by possibly extending the porch the full length of the house, or by landscaping to scale (not little shrubs up next to the house - bigger beds, shade trees etc.) but those things don't help in the short term. It is what it is. Keep it clean and uncluttered and focus on the attributes inside.

We're also still in maybe-frost time, but I bought a bunch of potted primroses (about 1.50 a pot) and put them, still in their pots, in planters on the porch. They keep blooming, are brightly colored, and if they die I can replace them inexpensively. It was a quick and easy way to add color for showings.

new-beginning has the right idea: add color with colorful pillows on your porch furniture and I would add an outdoor rug to the porch. If you do have the ability to add colorful pots with greenery that can withstand the April temps then that will help draw the eye toward your front porch and away from the 'fortress' look. A little bit of color goes a long way!

Trailside: Picturesque Porch · More Info

Take the photos from the other side of the yard. Show the porch part, not the fortress part, taking up the biggest area on the photo. Put your best foot forward. I hope you plan to hire a professional photographer.

Apple-pie i was just going to say the same thing. Take the pictures from the garage side of the house angled toward the side with the smaller windows. I am also in NY. You can get purple potted pansies now. You need some color and softness.

I assume that people buying in your locale understand weather patterns, but we all want to show our home in the best light. Love the idea of showing color on the porch.

Also love the idea of including pics of your home in "full bloom"- as long as they're real. Lol-I've seen some obviously photoshopped pics- the fake, it burns! We snap pics each season, when in bloom. An eventual sale means we'll be able to show these as a real interpretation of the colors/textures that come with the seasons. No way to do that without planning.

Agree that while house photo should be taken from other side- will give more interesting angle and help alleviate fortress look.