More pictures for reference

Please add a photo that shows the whole front of the house.

What is your budget for this round of exterior changes? Please explain what "update" means to you. New paint scheme? New landscaping? Or a bigger job- Remove roof and rebuild the front facade including the porch?

What materials are used in the stoop? Are only the stoop and lower balustrades concrete or the whole thing?

If the wood is sound I would just repaint. To my eye it is well-proportioned to the house and really very charming.

Landscaping could be improved, both with plantings and re-shaping the beds. For winter interest I'd add evergreen shrubs and ground cover, and something like red-twig dogwood for colour.

The walkway could be made more welcoming, and better proportioned to the steps, by adding brick or stone along the sides of the existing walkway.

I'd spray paint the eye-catching bright blue item in brown.

The porch looks like it is original, so I wouldn't change it much. Definitely replace the steps for safety, and I don't think the black pinstriping on the porch ceiling corbels is original. The sidelights and half moon over the door don't look right. I think it's because someone replaced them with vinyl windows that have wider edges than the originals. The orginals were probably single pane divided lights. I don't know if you can change that without losing the insulation quality of a newer vinyl window as compared to what used to be there. I'm happy to hear you tried not to change the inside too much!

13. Colonial Revival

Dates: 1880 to 1955

Features: Large entryway and surround, columns or pilasters, symmetrical facade, 6-over-6 windows (often paired), side gable or gambrel roof.

The American Centennial celebrations of 1876 brought about a nostalgia for the country's past, including its early house styles. But rather than copy those houses directly, architects like McKim, Mead, and White mixed and matched details from several early styles, including Dutch Colonial, Georgian, and Federal. This is one of the country's most enduring styles, as millions of examples survive, and a renewal of interest in it led to a Neo-Colonial Revival on the "McMansions" of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Agree, the sidelights and demilune over the door do not look right and are probably newer changes .The door looks Victorian and doesn’t suit the era of the house. Improving the landscaping would be positive. I wouldn’t try to “update” your home, but rather restore and refresh its original charm.

I would revive the sidelights and transom window, and brick the steps.

and in landscape land I would go back to shrubs to let the windows shine.

Do you think this could be a kit house, or is it part of a development? Sometimes the proportions of the details of houses like this were a bit odd, even originally, because they were applied to an underlying plan that may have had more than one facade--like this may have been available without the pent roof, or without the eyebrow dormers. The bottom part of the stoop is pure early 20th c. that could easily have been on the front of a bungalow, with different balusters or a solid coping.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment. By “updating” I mean refreshing and boosting curb appeal. Add columns or keep the corbels? Keep the wood balusters or replace with vinyl ? I couldn’t find any homes from this era with the color scheme we have so I’m torn on whether to keep it and refresh. The stairs are poured concrete as well as the side cheek walls which I love that they are curved and not straight like most. Unfortunately, they need repair as well as the steps which are all cracked on the treads. So the steps are a must. Brick is an option, red brick? Or neutral colors? Or bluestone? The sidelights are definitely not new, they are single pane glass and not energy efficient so updating them is a great idea and landscaping is also on the list!

Our budget is around 10k. I’d love to add a porch but I have basement windows facing the front of the house that would be covered up if we added a porch. Also, apologies for the eye catching blue item- that’s my daughters sled. We had snow last week!

@Mil Gargiles LOL I couldn't figure out what the blue item was!

I would connect the portico

With columns, either take off the upper shutters or make them wider, do brick in the steps and walkway, and I think I would get rid of the dual railings. The curved cement ones and the chunky spindles might be original, but I would eliminate those and go with wrought iron for all ot it.

For 10K, I would probably rebuild the lower part of the porch if it needs repair, but pretty much in the same style that it is, and get a new plain handrail. The houses I lived in with the low sides to the stoops (1840s) all had very plain handrails (added in the last 50 years or so) that are no more than a round bar, very plain. That would eat up the entire 10K here. I would not do anything with vinyl at all. In my location I don't think you could rebuild the lower portion of the porch in brick as shown for less than $20K.

Thanks for info on update and budget. I suggest you start by obtaining estimates for the necessary repairs. After the porch is repaired, it will have to be painted. I don't usually suggest painting only one side of a house, but in the case of repairs that will make the shiny new paint stand out compared to the older paint, it'd probably be a good idea to paint at least the front trim and shutters to match. You can decide if the whole front needs painting or mostly just cleaning. In my area, painting a good sized house like this would cost well over $10K. It's a very attractive house.

I don't know what your budget will allow but here a pic of a similar home with nice detailing. I like the windows in black and the change to a metal roofing for the overhang. I'd reconsider redoing the landscaping, so it doesn't cover your windows. And then it's just a matter of adding some details like the planters, new lighting and guttering.

I also think your home would look great with a grey paint scheme. Just go for a warm brownish grey to match the roofing color. Both of these pics are from Brick and Battan.

The more I think about it, the more I think that 10K is going to get you a repair similar to what you have, maybe a new light fixture and screen door. I am replacing the front door on my house with a very plain but weather resistant slab, not pre-hung, no labor and it's $3000 just for the door delivered.

@apple_pie_order Estimate we got for a total tear down and rebuild of stairs in brick as well as brick on side walls and replace wood posts with brick was $9500. The bare tree in front of the windows blooms a beautiful bright pink in the late spring but it does cover up the window so thanks for that suggestion @Emily. Budget aside, I want to update but keep the charm of the house. We are considering residing as well which is why I don’t want to go overboard on the portico. Estimates for siding have been 30K-50k

@palimpset the 10k was just my budget for the stairs and railing. I imagine any other major changes will be another 10k. I’m really interested in all these comments to see if it’s worth the further investment!