Is this for yourself, or for a flip? Because if it's for you, I'd just remove the awning, replace the windows and door (as needed), and maybe put a couple of planters on either side of the steps, Then focus on the inside and come back to this later after you've lived there a while.

If you're trying to impress potential buyers, then you might need to do a bit more with the landscaping, get a good door color to make the most of the stone and other finishes, consider dark windows and painting the pillars here dark too. Would need to see the neighborhood to suggest more than that.

I would remove the awning over the bay window, paint the door a interesting color and add that color to that awning over the steps. Paint the railing a dark gray. Add foundation planting. Try not to plant too close to the side of the house. Give them room to grow.

That stone will peel right off. Then you could make the front more unified and appealing.

Is stone real or faux? If real stain it white with Romabio product. Remove bay window. Replace with simple ones similar to others. These bay style pop outs are water leaks waiting to happen. If you are flipping, leave windows and put money into new awning over front door. Add simple low maintenance evergreens about 12” or so from foundation. Expand bed on front right for more interest and widen. Cut bed out to side property line. It will visually make the house look wider. Paint front door red. Power wash front steps/porch/sidewalk/driveway.

In addition to the other suggestions, I’d replace that mailbox with something less obtrusive, relocate it if possible.

I agree with Flo. Paint the stone and siding the same color and put the rest of the money into dressing it up.

Is this a flip, a rental, or your new home?

What's the motivation with time frame for the fix-up?

The awning and the mailbox need to go . I kind of think the brick is the best part so paint the siding a color from the brick then change the door o a MCM one and do some landscaping.

Pressure wash the drive, walk, steps, porch and foundation.

Hello, Wow, thanks for the imput, to clarify It was my uncle's home that I am going to sell, I tend to make renovations just as I would like them so I typically over do it. I plan to work on it until the Spring because I am paying as I go along

the bathroom is done, the three bedrooms and living room done, I have a kitchen to completly demolish, room attached to it, not sure what to do, and a good large basement with wet bar that also needs to be redone....

Regarding the stone front, I planned to take it down but a contractor told me "those are a b__tch to take down because they have wire mesh behind the stone. I would prefer to take it down, but if I can change the color, not sure. The awning above the door as well as the bay window are loose and cheap, all gotta go I think

Also the 30 year roof is 10 years old and is light grey so incorporating the orange /beige stone is not working. think I may have to go with a dark med blue or charcoal or white house color

Take this in proper sequence. I would replace roof with deep black gray shingle before winter. Remove and replace windows asap after that removing the awnings as well. Go white on body and pick a white from Romabio choices to go with white on house. Red front door. New black mailbox. Done. Try just “fixing up” kitchen and clean basement but don’t spend money there. Then a buyer can decide what to do to make it their own. Price accordingly and it will sell quick. Someone(s) might already be eying it. About a month before everything is ready put out sign “coming soon”. Going to be great little house.

Thanks for info. Sounds like the fixups are well underway. When recommending changes, it's useful to know what price range competitive houses sell for and if they are all fixed up to be move-in ready or mostly just cleaned, repairedl and painted. Do you already have an idea about those? An online MLS search can be quick.

As someone who regularly rehabs homes here is my advice for someone who is new at this...

First, start with a realtor. You can't make decisions on improvements until you know what the home will sell for when appropriately rehabbed. This is without a doubt the most important step, every decision you make in a house will be faulty if you misunderstand the market.

Next, think of everything you can possibly do to the home and list its cost in one column, an educated guess at how it will increase value in a second column (a good realtor will help you establish a few of those numbers but an educated guess may be the best you can do), and whether you can avoid it in a third column. In a rehab there are certain things that you can't avoid, flooring is often a good example. I can't flip a house with bad floors no matter what happens, so even if I lose money on the floors I have to redo them.

Now play with the numbers. The goal is to maximize profit by increasing the sales price while spending the least amount you can to do it. Try to rework any of the unavoidable items so that they are more profitable and only pick the other items that are profitable. This is about making smart decisions not about cutting corners. I urge you to ensure that the work that you do is done properly even if the materials themselves are not the highest quality.. For example, I may use cheap tile in a shower, but I won't skimp on the waterproofing... I actually provide pictures of anything I covered up before it gets covered, it honestly helps me.

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Here are some things that work in my area... (1) Always repaint. (2) Baseboards and door casings are always cruddy and poorly painted, so replace them and paint them correctly (this is a DIY job for me and always has a great return). (3) Kitchens are a black hole so paint, refresh and leave it alone. In my area appliances rarely convey so put old working appliances in the garage and let them go with the home but keep them out of the kitchen in the sale. People will visualize nicer appliances than you are providing in those spaces but be happy to not have to buy them right away. (4) Windows are always a bad investment in my area. Everyone wants them and no one realizes how expensive they are. If I can get to max price without touching windows I will.

There are many more, but I don't want to bore you any more.

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Personally, if I was flipping that house. I would add a shed roof front porch from the stone to the corner of the home. Make it out of wood and do the classic white and porch gray porch... That will make the white siding seem more a part of the porch than the house. Paint the stone a gray color and paint the door black. Then again... That works for my market, it may not for yours.

I think that wood pergola, posts, doors would work good with stones.

or you go less contrast

I like the contrast, I think the pergola would not work in Buffalo, NY weather, but I like where this is going...many thanks

You can go with overhang or gable portico instead.

Bry911 has super advice. Totally agree and where I was headed too.

I really like the stone. Everyone is crazy about mid century these days and that horizontal stone is very mid century and the colors are good as is. @Celery. Visualization, Rendering images colors for the siding are terrific. When you remove the awning, it's likely aluminum. Take it to a scrap yard and make some money. I did that on a house we renovated and I was surprised at how much we got and kept it out of the landfill.

I started this in the crappy version of sketchUp (I didn't feel like converting it), but here is what I was talking about.

This would not break the bank in my area, but all pricing is local. This fixes the unsightly porch, covers the door so you get to remove the screen door, and lessens the visual impact of the different materials. However, and I can't stress this enough, this plays to things in my area that may not be true in your area... Here everyone "thinks" they want a porch. Really no one ever does anything on their porch but they are willing to pay more for a porch that they don't use.

thank you, What color house would go with the stone as is??

What color house would go with the stone as is??

My primary purpose for doing a porch would be to tie the disparate materials (and colors) together in such a way that adds value. I would first attempt to do it without painting the brick by using a color for the foundation and the porch that could tie the two together. I would probably go with Brainstorm Bronze as I have seen it work really well to do that.

If I had a situation where I am painting everything I would have to reconsider whether the porch was a smart move or not. The point of doing the porch is that it adds more value than the paint while reducing the impact of the material differences...

Ohhh I see, brilliant!

But IF painting was a possibility, what I wonder, would you suggest? I really want to make it look amazing.

Use Romabio paint whether the stone is real or not. If you are leaving the siding white, paint the stone white too. There is no benefit style-wise to removing the stone verus painting it. The beige colours don't look good with your gray roof, which is staying.

Looking closer at the stone, to me it looks like cultured stone. We used to call it angelstone, maybe that is a brand name. Popular in the 1950's. Nothing special. I'd paint it white and go for a cottage look. I think the house would look very cute in all-white, with a blue front door. Add another touch of blue when you put if up for sale, with some blue flowers, or white flowers in a pot painted the same blue. https://www.addicted2decorating.com/painted-stone-exteriors.html

I would not add a porch to this house. And no overhang since the front door is already recessed.

I would not paint the stone white in a house I am trying to market. Talk to your realtor and see what they say, but this is a starter home and young people like a bit more boldness in my experience.

My school stopped paying for my photoshop subscription so these are a bit rough...

ETA: I really don't like either one of these which is why I would add a porch rather than paint, but that is me.

Wow! Your uncle would be impressed! Post the real thing when you're done.

Nice proportions. You have a good eye for this.

I like your result! :-))

Thank you, when It is completed, I will post the actual photo, very excited to do this one, and learned a lot from this dilemma

Yes!!! Love this someone please mock my thread like this!!!

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