“Paint or stain the porch?” Like what, exactly? The railings? The support posts? The house wall? The floor?

Landscaping is what you need, in my opinion.

Yes I meant the posts and railings. I do agree we need landscaping! If you have advice on that I will take it too!

I think this is wrong time of year to paint but what style are you going for since this is a simple ranch you can go in a few directions .

Before making a decision, think about the overall feel you want. Consider how to add punch/contrast and in addition to landscaping, house itself should be drawing the eye. At present, roof, siding and garage feel a bit bland.

Suggest white for contrast. If you don't really need the railings, consider which look you prefer.

If staining, suggest a darker shade (with no railings if possible) ) I would paint the garage the same color as shutters, no matter what is done to the porch.

In regards to landscaping, I’d head to a nursery with a picture of your home and a budget. Many will recommend for free, if you don’t need something actually designed. Budget wise, can even add in stages.

Thank you so much Maureen! Your response was so helpful. I love the idea of no railing as well as painting the garage door. I will look into these options. Thanks again!!

It’s sort of a pastime when I walk the dog to look at homes and envision a different color scheme, or even just the front door and small improvements lol. Glad I could help.

It looks like you are on a busy road, with a stop sign. If that is the case, and you like to sit on the porch a lot, then I might want to keep the railings, just for a bit more privacy feeling. The porch is very low, so railings, are not really necessary, but, they do add something.