Front left

Front..view from right

As much as I hate to say it, paint. That special brick paint.

Are the odd stones on what you're calling the front right with a pink white and beige Stone, are those stones just put on the facade? Do you think the original? I'm just wondering if they could be removed and then you just have a brick house that looks very neat and tidy. I don't mind the shake.

I would start there. I think a bigger difference would be in redoing the entry somehow where the deck is and concentrate on Landscaping. It would be very easy to camouflage the stone with Landscaping although I do admit it has no resemblance to the rest of the house. I don't really see how painting The Brick would improve anything. Back it would probably add to maintenance and given the preponderance of the mortar I think it would be extremely difficult to stain that also.

This is a very common style where I live, and I like it. The brick color is nice and I don't think there's anything wrong with the grout color either.

The lower stones are a later "improvement". It's possible that they could be just popped off and the foundation re-parged. Or they could be stained a very neutral color, and so could the smaller section of original stones below the picture window.

The front porch proportion would be improved by a lower and less solid railing.

You could easily stain the reddish wood a more stylish color,maybe something gray-brown to tone in with the roof.

Landscaping with a deep bed of evergreen shrubs would be a big improvement.

Partim that was very nicely put. I am questioning the deck. Why? What was there before? Perhaps try and return it to more of a stoop or Landing with stairs that would look more appropriate with the house. Do you enter through the front door? The Landscaping really improved the look all on its own.

Much depends on your budget and intended length of stay at this home. Remove gravel and add some topsoil if needed for foundation plantings all around that will cover most of the lower part of your exterior. Also a large tall specimen in between the two windows will cover the shake on that side.I would add concrete steps and and entry slab for your entrance and new front light. If budget allows you can change the shake for siding or hardiboard. Best wishes!

I will have to check if they are an add on. Maybe they could just come off. At least maybe the bottom one.

I was thinking maybe the wood railing with the black pole.

I believe that the bottom stones are add-ons because the stone doesn't go all the way around the house. Most likely the parging coat was flaking off, and someone decided to do an unfortunate upgrade, instead of just replacing the parging coat. A budget-friendly solution would be just to paint or stain it. There are special paints made for this. And even if there is some wear on the paint over time, a few dabs of leftover paint will cover that.

I like your idea of wrought iron balusters with a wood handrail. For the staircase, I would replace your flat wide handrail with round handrail that is easy to grip, for safety. I don't mind the size of the front porch - it looks like it is useful to you with your young family. You could open it up by replacing the stairs with wider stairs that go all the way across the porch.

Thank you! Love those pictures, I think I will do the wood handle black iron railings. Is it an ap/program you are using for this??? If so can I get it please!! ? Haha I love the idea about a raised garden bed

I just use the Paint program on my computer.

Do you enter through the front door? for what do you use the porch? One issue I see with the thin railings is that they expose anything stored on it which it. Partim, since this is a common style where you live, do you have any inspirational pictures that mightguide the OP? The improved landscaping is really great in all these mock-ups.

We use the front door as an entry, it has a couple planets on it, I rant to decorate it a little bit more with a little bistro set maybe! I am looking for more budget friendly fixes currently since we are hoping for an addition on the back at some point and my husband does not want to put too much into the front, so if i can think of a good fix that's affordable then it's manageable! He is also amazing at diy and reno projects and my brother is a contractor so that helps!

Okay! I just knew some people don't use their front entry very much so that's why I was asking. I think these ideas are very good for keeping it functional for your needs but still improving the looks a bit. It's also nice that some things you can do to make it look pretty can be used elsewhere in the future if needed or wanted. I would focus on Landscaping is that will give the biggest bang for your buck as well as give you enjoyment with its beauty.

Thank you so much!

I don't see anything wrong with the brick.

Your brick is a lovely classic colour. Absolutely nothing wrong with it. My first thought was the porch hides too much of your door. I like Partim's idea of lowering the railing a bit. Landscaping ideas above are great.

You can learn few tips to improve curb appeal from here - https://maryclemons.blogspot.com/2019/03/10-ways-to-improve-your-homes-curb.html 

Was interested by your link, Alfred, but it says the page no longer exists.

The link worked when I cut and pasted it into my browser, but didn't work when I just clicked on it. It's pretty generic - e.g. green up your lawn.