If you want to go more modern, the very first thing I would do is remove those bushes that interfere with your porch. Work with a proper landscaping company to come up with a master plan for new modern landscaping that works with your modern preference. A good landscape design will also take into account all the hardscape too such as the walkway to your front door which is not working for you now. Don't get advice from a lawn maintenance person, find someone either here on houzz or locally that can work with you to come up with a comprehensive plan. A local nursery is a good place to begin - not a big box store with plants.

As to the house, what exactly do you mean by modern? Modern as a style or up to date?

If you are going to go modern, then removing the shutters should be a priority. If you are bringing the house up to date, then replacing the shutters with properly sized shutters would be the next step IMO. https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

If you can give some guidance as to what you mean by modern, you will get more pertinent advice to help you.

Thank you all for your input, I really appreciate it. This could be a more costly project if I did a entire modern redo as the picture above. The cedar alone $$$$. I guess to be more clear on my idea or options, I am looking to acquire a look between updated and modern. Perhaps changes that would make the house look updated with modern touches and finishes. I just need to make the right choices to bring a cohesive look to the project. I know the windows are not modern but I wasn't looking to change them out just yet depending on cost. I was looking to maybe have the siding painted a dark color or replaced depending on cost. The long panel window next to the door was orginally a double door. I would like to replace the door together with the panel to make a double door. I'm not found of the windows at all. If I could do something cost effective to the siding then I could do the windows and other changes that would bring the project together. Please continue to weigh in. Thank you so much.

I will post some pictures of some of my ideas or likes.

I love how these two houses look updated. In my mind I think the garage door and the windows on pic 1 give it a modern touch. Although on pic 1 I would choose a strictly modern door.

This homes I know are not modern but more of a updated look IMO. Im no expert here😂😂.

The porch roof/ awning I don't like how low it is and would want to replace it with a taller covering and extend the porch out a bit like this picture

Keeping in mind what the roof color is. I want to go darker and I am challenged with how to incorporate dark with that bland neutral color roofing. HELP!!😂😂

What is your budget range for this phase of changes?

I’d remove the shutters and boxy shrubs first, creating a bit more of a clean slate. Siding choice should relate to the color of the roof. The garage door in your first pic would be inconsistent with the style of the house ( and very expensive.)

Good luck with your project.

Thank you flopsycat1

My budget start ranges. Best for my buck is the goal.

If, I had the windows replaced, replaced the door, painted the siding a dark color and had cedar or some other modern choice put across the ground floor only, would that work? If that would work, what color paint for the siding would seem modern to compliment the roof?

Have you bought the house already?

People are asking your budget because the things you mention could cost upwards of $60K. In fact, a neighbor redid their front yard a couple years ago (much smaller than yours), re-habbing a walkway, low stone wall, and new plants and landscape lights and spent $60,000 on that alone. Much smaller yard than yours, but HCOLA.

You are speaking of doing construction with altering the roofline, adding stonework to your house, etc. If your house cost $500,000(or is worth that) and you are doing these improvements, does that make sense in your market? That's why people are asking about budget.

If what you want is just for your home to look nicer and more updated, my advice is to paint first. Then landscape. A new walkway to the door, new shrubs and plants around the walkway would go a long way, and you'd need to do that anyway, after changing out the garage doors, shutters and front door. Paint and landscape.

That looks exactly like the first house my parents purchased in the late 1970s. It was a popular style. This was in NJ and lots of these houses were updated starting in 2000. You might want to look at RE listing photos in metro NJ to get ideas from similar houses that have been updated.

There are a lot of that style houses in my neighborhood here, maybe 80%. The wrap around porch style will give you a modem farmhouse feeling, I think it’s lovely and charming. Hopefully you have enough room on one side.

Also ask yourself if the neighborhood will support the added value that you want when finished. If you are going to spend $60,000 on this home, are there other homes in the neighborhood that are worth what this homes' current value is plus $60,000. If not, it is not a wise investment to do.

The updated investment would be supported by the neighborhood however, I don't want to spend $60K. I'm thinking the combined input from all of you leaves me to rethink my idea. Paint the house in a medium darker color, paint the shutters, replace the door, replace the garage doors, take down the awning and perhaps add a wrap around porch. Add a walkway leading to the door, replace cement driveway. I would still like to have some sort of covering for the porch in front of the house to start. The updated farmhouse look is favorable to me with a modern twist. I know I just don't want this older look as yhe house is now. I would love to add flower boxes at the top windows as well. Remove the grids if possible and if not replace windows. Thank you all so much. Let me know what you think of my last idea. Thanks!!!

Any suggestions on a updated color for the house to compliment the roof color.

Where I live, the changes you just suggested NOT including the wrap around porch, would run approximately $20,000 plus. I don't know about the wrap-around porch, but I do know anything that affects the roofline involves multiple trades, so unless skilled labor is in your immediate family, you need a GC... I don't even want to guess because my guess wouldn't be educated. Plus you need someone (an architect, imho) to do the design of the wrap-around porch. An architect near me was the lowest (but best!) bid for a small job involving extending the roof and that was $3,000, 10 years ago. And now you need to account for building the wrap around porch.

And you still haven't done the landscaping.

How much is it to re-do the concrete driveway where you live? I'm just curious.

Have not gotten a estimate yet but concrete is not cheap. For the driveway it could range @ 3- 6k Im thinking. The wrap around porch can be a later add on but that awning over the small porch has to go. The door has a screen door on it and they cut out a small portion in the awning to accomodate a screen door so it can open because the awning is low. Even with that adjustment the screen door does not open fully. It has to go.

In my area the driveway would be about 15-20K and I'm not in a high cost of living area. Not sure if you could look into resurfacing of the driveway instead. You would need to remove what is there first to replace it so that adds to the expense which I included in my area estimate.

The only thing that bothers me about the house is the low overhang of the porch. This is where I would choose to spend most of my money to see about changing that out to maybe a peaked roof over that area alone, but it may not work with the way the windows looks to be off center from the porch. So the next more expensive option is to remove the roof overhang as it is all the way to the garage and the side and tie it in so it is right under the windows and raise only that porch area. This would help with the squat looking part. However neither of those options are cheap and I'd expect to spend 20K on that with no fancy materials in my area. I also wouldn't do it without having it drawn out to scale along with construction drawings so you really know what it would look like. The garage and the single level roof on the left makes the design tricky to get right.

I would probably choose to spend my money on painting and landscaping. BTW if you want to keep shutters I would go for wider ones so they look like they could actually close and cover the window without leaving a gap.

The low overhang over the porch is what she's calling the awning, I think. That could be expensive since it changes the roofline.

That low overhang is integral to the current roof. You would need a roofer to determine if that extended overhang could be pulled back to the rest of the roofline, but I’m not sure that will improve the door situation.

The house itself is asymmetrical, both stories. I think you need a professional to design a new roofline for the porch, and this is where the bulk of your money will go. Your two inspiration pictures are of White House’s with black framed windows. Forget shutters, they need to go. Paint the house a nice, creamy shade of white. Whatever color you choose, paint the garage doors the same unless you are replacing them with more modern looking doors. I would go ahead and paint the window frames charcoal. You will need a charcoal roof when it’s time to reshingle. Cut down the shrubs. That front porch area is what is really defining the house, and once you redesign that area, the rest of the house will flow from there.

I dont see anything wrong with what you are calling an awning, but, is actually part of your roof. You start messing with that, and it will take a lot of money, and you would also have to reshingle the roof. Its a nice looking house as it is, put your money into landscaping and a new driveway, and maybe painting the siding, if you want it painted. Then put some colorful furniture on that front porch, along with some potted plants, and sit out there and enjoy it and be very happy, you have a roof overhang, to keep you in the shade on a very hot day.

Thanks cat_ky

Thanks everyone

Don’t get discouraged OP, it’s easy for us to spend money that we done have to account for! It’s a nice house.

Thanks Shady, I'm looking for inout so it's great. I weigh the ideas, minies and over all desired look Im aiming for. It's all very appreciated.

I decided not to go with this house. Thanks all.

Did you buy something else?