Well. Beefed up posts, paint , landscape and yes to all. Just don't paint it gray , please.

IMO the best part of that house is the brick and i also think the fastest way to devalue a house is to paint the brick. I think the worst part is the gable , this is a ranch no huge awkward gable needed . Nice MCM front door and a tone of landscping. I am not a lover of trying to make the exterior of a home something it is not. I love this landscaping for inspiration with a MCM house and it would be perfect with your lot. I would remove the gable and have a nice flat roof entry or at least flatten that gable .

Unfortunately, that gable is the problem. Definitely beef up the posts with square ones.

That gable! When funds allow, remove it entirely or reduce it to an almost flat roof. Until then painting to eliminate all "the white" will be of help. The guttering and gable face to match the roof color and the downspouts to blend with the brick. Enlarge the posts, encase with wood or paint same as downspouts. Select a color for the front door and trim. Leave the brick as is, it suits the windows and roof color. Nice house, just needs some tweaking.

I personally wouldn’t paint the brick. But if you do, I’d go with off-white or beige, not bright white. One example:

https://www.beneathmyheart.net/2015/05/lowes-home-exterior-makeover-reveal/

Using cedar shakes:

Opening the gable:

Dark blue:

https://ccandmike.com/cc-and-mike-modern-navy-and-cedar-ranch-style-remodel/

Various ideas:

https://www.bhg.com/home-improvement/exteriors/curb-appeal/ranch-style-home-ideas/

New siding and columns:

There are lots of directions you could go. What looks and styles do you like?

I'm in agreement with other posters - the gable is a major offender. It really overpowers the rest of the house. Unless it provide you with attic space for storage or any mechanical equipment you could consider removing it but that would be an expense. So, it really depends on how much you want to spend. There are numerous examples on the internet of turning a ho-hum ranch into a modern showpiece. If you were to keep the gable and you need extra square footage you could consider walling it in and creating a generous foyer. Good luck!

Thank you all for your input! Such great advice. I was ‘on the fence’ about painting the brick but now we will NOT paint it! I know what you mean about gray Jan and bright white Jinx. I’m relieved not to be spending 2 weeks painting :-). I agree about the problem gable and will start saving our pennies to dramatically change the front but in the meantime I will work on some of chiflipper’s suggestions! I like the landscaping inspiration photo Patricia—thanks! I plan to add lots of plants to the front but hadn’t thought about a wall like that, interesting option. Thanks for all the inspiration photos and ideas Jinx—depending on cost maybe cedar shakes could be a solution. Norwood, we don’t need the space in the gable. We enjoy our front porch and we want a greenhouse one day so maybe enclosing the front could create a plant space / generous foyer! Thanks again