@houssaon agreed! I’d also be adding new railings for sure!

I like it! Looks like an interesting (in a good way) neighborhood and the house is cute enough and tidy enough that it can get away with being tall in front until you fix it up.

I might want a handrail.

Do you know if it would be possible (legally) to bring the back fence along the side of the house, possibly in a low picket form? I suspect there is a required setback and don't know if there would be room for a "sideyard" but that would hide a few issues. If you can't do that, why not a hedge along the retaining wall/sidewalk? It would look better than a fence, but I'm from CA and we like our fences! You could plant nice things on the inside of the hedge.

Ignore the utility pole. No shame in having power and cable and telephone service! It's part of being in an older part of town. All the cool places have them!

Short article on properly-sized shutters. https://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/residential-architecture-101-shutters/

Railings for sure.

Cute house, exterior looks in good shape already. Looks like there is enough front yard to expand the porch to maybe five or six feet out and along the full face of the house. Add light railings, and a cover over the door -- not a roof over the whole porch because that would cut the light you gain from the windows. You might get away for less than $20K if you keep it simple.

one more edit to add: I'm not wild about the idea of adding raised planting beds ... I think it would always look like a bandaid, not a fix. That's just my opinion.

For the side along the fence, decide if you want to simply mow grass, or do you want to plant some billowing shrubbery and eliminate the grass. For those landscaping decisions I'd wait until I had lived in the house for a year.

IMO the first thing you need is a porch all across the front then landscpaing in front of that . I think a fence would be the next thing but I am thinking there might be some issue with fences since I do not see even one across the street. I see one in your backyard so check out if a nice fence can be done in the front. Then you could have a nice arbour and a gate with nice landscaping along that walkway .I agree a nice awning over the door .

Invest your budget in professional landscaping design from a local garden center. There's a lot that can be done for this charming house that will give you privacy and beauty at the same time. Avoid tackling the landscaping in a piecemeal way.

Craftsman · More Info

Zero Lawn Xeriscape · More Info

following.

A new front door, possibly craftsman style, and a portico over it. A flower box under each front window.

Its much too close to the road for my taste and the electric lines are really messing with it. I would pass and keep looking. Its lacking the same character as the houses across the street, IMO.

You don't need a raised bed, just taller shrubs.

And a pergola across the front.

IMO, the unneeded "cream / white" trim details aren't doing it any good. The current body color is fine, paint everything (except the window trim and the rafter tails) to match the body color. Paint the window trim to match the rafter tails (dark). Paint the entry door and its trim whatever color you wish. Skip the planter boxes. Buy fairly mature, suitable foundation shrubs (and plant them well away from the foundation wall - taking into account their size at maturity). Wait three years, then expand the beds adding more plants if desired.

I think the high front and the side meters could all be addressed with a nice mix of plantings at current level -- a few shrubs and then lower plantings in front of them (keeping the shrubs loose enough by the meters to allow access). Wires don't bother me. Wouldn't do a front fence unless you really hate having neighbors. House seems cute to me! If the location and interior are good, I wouldn't let this hold me back.

You already know about the railings! I like the idea of an awning over the door to add some depth. I would also paint the front door black. I agree that the cream trim doesn't quite work. Find out from the city if the meters are read from the street. I would look to add a structure (short fencing) to hide the a.c. unit.

Is there a driveway and do you own a car?

Do you walk and take the bus/Marta -- is there a bus route that suits your schedule that serves that area?

If you "cannot get there from here" -- "there" being where you work and shop, etc. -- walk away.

I see no foundation vents in the front and no railing on potentially dangerous steps -- especially with a bit of freezing rain. BEFORE purchasing it, make sure you get the home inspected by an inspector (knowledgeable about current building codes) that is working for YOU -- not the lender. You will want to know all your costs for bringing plumbing and electrical, etc., into current code compliance -- and use that estimate to negotiate the price more in your favor.

Would you be permitted to build a front porch onto this house later or is this considered a "historic" building you cannot change? If the latter, walk away. If you become the owner of this house, then, if and when you can build a front porch, do -- at least on the left side of the house . You could do this in different ways. This may be the most economical and practical:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/384143043188054261/ 

If you buy the house, do not plant shrubs you would need to remove for a porch later.

Would definitely plant the beginning of a hedge of Aucuba bushes above the wall all along the side of the house by the road. You can space the bushes initially and expect the hedge to become thicker if you take the time to cover any side limbs already touching the ground with dirt because those limbs will root.

Aucuba bushes don't require a lot of care or even trimming. You could put them along your property line on three sides of the house for a green fence even where a metal or board fence might not be permitted.

Aucuba bushes can thrive planted in a hole with a bag of good woods dirt or top soil even if the rest of the yard is Georgia red clay. Source: Mine have -- I started with three and now have a dozen of them. They'll look good enough year round for your neighbors to not to complain about your green fence.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aucuba+bushes&client=firefox-b-1-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiOupvtmozpAhVqUt8KHQ9vCcEQ_AUoAnoECBMQBA&biw=1348&bih=648#imgrc=0qWO41MSKUonHM

Plant thrift or phlox on the front slope along the roadside. Until you have a front porch you like, leave the rest of the yard -- the more level part of the yard -- in grass.

Thanks for all the insightful comments!

A little more detail on the home:

• The lot goes back past the fence (all of that dense shrubbery/bamboo at the end of the picture is still on the property) including a driveway with parking pad for 3+ cars right behind the fence).
• Another major detail is that the interior has been 60% stripped to the studs already because the previous owners were in the process of converting it from an illegal duplex to a single-family home. They abandoned the project last year when they were relocated to Canada for work and it has sat on the market since. They replaced windows, fixed up the exterior, stabilized the foundation, and removed a few interior walls (adding beams to open up the floorplan). I've also spoken to two contractors who believe there is space to add ~750 square feet just from the tax maps and applicable zoning ordinances.
• Unfortunately, adding square footage would take away from the back yard (which is currently a good size but not as huge as some of the ones in the neighborhood). Either way, I plan on spending a lot of time/budget on the back yard to maximize the limited space! I'll have to talk to a Realtor to see if a nice but tiny backyard would deter too many homebuyers in the area.

Here is what I've gathered from your comments!

• Railings need to go up ASAP
• Shutters might work, but first I need to add a full-size porch or at least a nice awning over the door. I'll get quotes for both, but leaning towards a nice awning in order to have budget leftover for the rest of the yard.
• Raised plant beds might not look as good as I thought, mature foundation shrubbery might be a good alternative!
• Add a small fence or hedge to cover the AC units and meters. Consider a picket fence across the front yard (the three houses to the left all have these, so it should be allowed).
• My favorite idea: plant hedging or bushes alongside the retaining wall to create some privacy and division from the street. We went for a walk in the neighborhood yesterday and a lot of the corner lots have this!
• Last - I definitely need to hire a landscape architect to help me figure all of this out. I might have to come up with a phased approach depending on the internal renovation costs, but over the next 2-3 years I can see all of this happening!

I am not in the position where I can afford to drop $600K for a house that still needs updating or $800K for turn-key (what the neighborhood is going for), so I'm looking for homes that need a little more creativity and TLC that what a typical investor is willing to give!

Links to a couple of neighborhood houses on the market for reference:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/396-Garden-Ln-NW-Atlanta-GA-30309/35908670_zpid/

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/355-Lofton-Rd-NW-Atlanta-GA-30309/35908720_zpid/

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/393-Deering-Rd-NW-Atlanta-GA-30309/35908609_zpid/ (across the street on that main road - likely a tear down)