IMO painting brick is the fastest way to devalue a home is that what you want? IMO this is a nice MCM type ranch house so play up that insted of of the kind of deor items on the exterior that oyu have now.Cahnge the pillars to a simple style that work with MCM a new garage door and front door that are also MCM then paint the siding you have and go to work on landscaping this is a great inspiration pic for MCM landscaping that will totally change the look of that house .

That brick color is the least appealing of all types, yes yes please paint it - do it well with tried and true paint type to get a lasting finish. The arched pillars and downspots need to be reworked, maybe rain chains instead of down spouts. Add on stone clad or at least use wood to thicken the posts. The garage door would look better with windows without the grill, those may be removable. Remove the shutters add wood trellis to the landscape in a modern (no diamonds) shape when you start on the landscaping. This one looks like an easy affordable and doable DIY.

No one is going to agree with me (the purist) but i like the brick so would keep it. its a good color and has visual contrast. for the windows i would replace in a similar style (with muntins) but in white and slim edges if you go vinyl). i dont see black in the brick so i would not include black and the same for not adding greys and charcoals. this home appears mid century modest, not mid century modern or farmhouse. those columns appear to to be a later addition so should go and be replaced with a simple 4x4 post painted the same color as the trim (and keep the trim on top, i love it and it adds a softness) a light cream or white found in the brick is what i would do. the garage needs to be toned down - kept white or cream but its too ornate. and the landscaping needs color and texture. and add color with louvered shutters just make sure they are the correct size. I would add a nice sage green for the shutters and door.

I would put the money to new windows before painting the brick. Those will help your energy costs. Then if there is anything left (windows are expensive), change the garage door and front door. The roof is so light I have reservations about painting the brick at all. Maybe a whitewash would be better. I always have reservations about covering brick because it can't be undone. That being said, this is not particularly attractive brick. Just be sure to use an appropriate product. You can't put just any exterior paint on it. People on this site recommend Romabio.

Leave the brick. I don't see the value in painting it, nor the upkeep. As for the color, it's not bad at all. The white paint is what needs to go.

Addressing the cement porch, walk way, driveway and landscaping will make a huge difference.

Your budget should work wonders to improve the appearance. Start by powerwashing the driveway, porch and walkway. Get more efficient windows and paint the trim. Maybe get simpler windows in the garage and front door. Done.

I agree, if your budget allows, first replace the windows, and the front door and garage door. Pay attention to the porch, clean it & try to put some kind of attractive raised bed edging (stone or brick) to hide the foundation and front face of the porch.

It seems to me that the trims on the house are a mishmosh of styles; that is where removing the round columns and replacing with square, and replacing the door and garage door (maybe you can just replace the top row of the garage windows) come in. No shutters.

My wish list would include replacing the federal (?) style trim over the door with something simpler, replacing the vertical siding with horizontal and the round air vent with square or horizontal rectangle. If you like the arches on the porch (I do), keep them but let them be the only non-rectangular or square elements, if not, replace with simple straight. Any of those would take more $$ perhaps than you have available.

Look closely at the brick - do you see any dark tones, like grays or browns? I think that painting all the trim with a gray-brown tone pulled from the brick will look good; at first I was thinking something like Urbane Bronze but since it will have to be a shade that works with the roof, too, that is probably too dark - so maybe more of a green-gray or paler bronze-ish tone. If you decide to go in that direction, I would then also choose a non-white window frame for your replacements, probably the bronze (depends on your window brand).

I think that white trim plays up the pinkishness of the brick, which it sounds like you want to avoid!

Edited to correct: I'd replace the trim over the garage door, not the front door (which isn't visible in the pics)

Working within your budget, I’d keep the doors/windows/trim white…replace the windows with double-paned ones and divided lites, the columns with square posts, the garage door/moulding with a taller one. Then add some foundation landscaping beds with low-growing native shrubs and perennials in front of the porch and the single window on the left side with some taller evergreen shrubs flanking it. Finally, power wash the sidewalk and driveway.

I really liked all the comments and can tell you put a lot of thought in them - thank you!

Recapping my thoughts after reading.

1. Raee-GW, very good details - agree with a lot, but the vertical trim on the siding is a 1x2 that covers each seam of the 1x 8 or 1x10's cedar boards. I suppose I could remove the trim, caulk and paint? The garage door trim doesn't fit at all - most of you don't like it either. I do know my garage door was only 4 yrs old and thinking a new one could run 1500- 2500. I will see about the trim modification.

2. Do most of you see this as a MCM or MC "modest" style over the Magnolia /modern farmhouse modifications?

3. Definitely will agree on needed landscaping and possibly a raised bed (horizontal boards) to hide the front porch slab.

4. Trim color?

4a. Brick - I lean towards a whitewash. Leaving some color to the brick.

I will add a close-up pic of the brick to show the colors in it. I will say from a real estate background for 35+ yrs, a painted brick does not diminish the value of a home in our market. In most cases, we see a positive buyer sentiment. I really don't plan to sell this house, but try to make good economic choices, nonetheless.

5. Window replacement. I can replace these with a helper for $4k which is pretty good value. I ve done a few houses and just not sure if I can find in colors besides white (shopping at big box). I really want to do the windows right after the paint/whitewash the brick. I appreciate the suggestion on the special masonry paint -Romabio.

6. Seems everyone likes idea of square columns. 4x4 seem very small though, to me.

My biggest question remains (#2): updating to a

Magnolia - modern farmhouse style or Mid-Cent- Modern / Modest?

With your budget, I’d leave the brick. if you are painting trim and garage maybe go with an off white. Black shutters and white multipaned windows (clear, not tinted.) See about removing scallops betwen posts. Landscape front walkway with flower border.

I like the pic of the house - except for the red door. With this house - not too many windows in front. I have a lot of siding on this house - so really I think I need two colors: siding, trim (and finally third - an accent door color perhaps).

I really love cedar - and was thinking initially of trimming it out with cedar and a white-wash or paint. I live next door to the home i am buying - i want it to pop!

I plan to do a short term to medium term rental - and then my kids can stay here at Christmas. I am read that STR's need to pop (more on the interior though). Considering furnishing with MCM or clean transitional look.

Mick, the scallops confuse me. Someone else liked them. not sure here.

I'm really not sure about cedar with either the brick (if you don't whitewash) or the style of the house. Do you see similar houses with natural cedar trim nearby?

Here is one I own.

I'm sorry to say, that doesn't appeal to me, but YMMV and yours is what counts!

Because your home, next door, has cedar trim….I would NOT put it on the house that you are renovating. I would keep to a classic white trim, black shutters theme. And then do something like a turquoise front door. Clean, crisp. CLASSIC. (And take out the inserts in your garage windows. Again…simple.).

You know the real estate in San Antonio — look around at what sells well. While Patricia says painting reduces the value (in her region?) that is not necessarily the case nationwide. Romabio makes a great limewash for brick that may appeal to you. If cedar is a selling point, then, by all means clad your posts in cedar. Check the single shuttered window — those shutters could go away.

Just had a thought regarding the garage…if height allows, is it possible to replace/add track segments with a taller set and just add another section to the garage door and replace the window section with another solid section?

First easy/cheap thing to do is to pop out those arched inserts in the garage door and remove the shutters on that one window. Second easy thing to do is to pressure wash walk, porch and drive. Third thing is not cheap nor easy; replace the windows and front door. Fourth thing; modify the arched trim on the porch and replace columns with square ones, but not cedar as in your other house. Fifth thing; paint al the trim, here's a possibility to work with the brick and bring some soothing interest.

Poppleton Park, Birmingham, MI Exterior Makeover · More Info

I have managed STRs for 19 years; show us the inside for more insight into making it attract guests.

I will share what it looks like, and also share one that I have currently.

There won't be any granite in the new one - probably a quartz.

Any opinion on replacing the windows with black frame or white?

Just keep it white…especially if you’re keeping the garage doors/trim white.

The frnt door will be replaced. The garage trim changed. The columns changed.

I really like the white bricks idea. I would do a black & white scheme with a black front door and windows, white garage door so it doesn't take over the front of the house. For an updated look, I would remove the arches. Nice landscaping including a walkway either to the street or that leads to the driveway will do wonders!

Yes, but that supposes a complete exterior facelift…new windows all around…that will require a much bigger budget.

I do the windows myself with a helper - not that bad - 375 to 400 per window on avg - probably 15 windows (includes my labor cost). I feel windows are a need not a want - i can push the budget.

I was thinking about removing the scallops and using this block for my columns (not necessarily this color).

Here are some "breeze blocks" i am learning about.