What a great home! It would be great to be able to see the shingle color. But, you definitely need landscaping - I'd also add wide, horizontal, stained planks to the right side of the home, paint the trim, and add new modern-style front door (ditch the storm door) and outdoor lighting. Depending on your shingles, colors like this would look great on your home:

It is a side split common to some suburbs here in the Northeast. The good part is, that there are probably other houses that look just like it in the neighborhood.

It would make a difference to put bigger windows in the bedrooms (safer too for egress), build out that overhanging chimney stack to the ground and at least paint the block on the basement side to match the brick or get brickface for it if you could, and then put in a larger fixture over the door.

There is Very Little that can be done to alter the shape of the house in any significant way short of a major demolition/remodel, and I am not sure tacking anything onto the front would be much help. But you can make it look like a better version of what it is.

Good start above.

Check the neighbourhood for original versions of the same model. Fifty years of re-muddling rarely helps. Witness the shudder-awning combination next door:

See here for other ideas.

I think painting it so either the siding and block are the same color as the brick, or at least paint it a darker color to complement the brick would be a big improvement. A charcoal gray or dark sage green might be nice. Pals larger windows help, too..

That's a cool house. I would definitely bring that chimney chase down like the picture above. Changing windows can be pricey so if you don't want to do that right away, I would get bigger moldings put around all the windows and door. Do some painting and get some great landscaping going.

Here is my attempt at a picture:

Good luck!

I love the shape of that house. I agree with painting to make the change in colour less harsh, and add some landscaping or outdoor structures (bench, trellis, etc) to our right of the door.

@worthy That's funny - looks like a mean old man with a moustache looking over the fence :)

When I saw your house, the makeover that came to mind was "Dude Dad" Taylor Calmus' house. Google him if you don't know who that is. I think something similar to what he did on the exterior of his house would look GREAT on this one!

Or what about something similar to this? It would look nice with your brick color.

Beautiful home ! Yes some landscaping and I would probably paint the brick white and shingles a darker color

Here's another color blocking that could probably be done with just paint

@terrhess This is my vision for it. You'll want to change the horizontal vinyl siding. A vertical board and batten in a charcoal color would look nice.

You can always change the look of house to suit your taste, but a good location can't be beat. Paint and landscaping could transform this house.

Mid Century Modern Paint Colors · More Info

Autumn Tan James Hardie Siding · More Info

Landscaping:

It's interesting, and I think can be made quite acceptable without going nuts. How's the inside?

I'd like to see more emphasis on the front door and filling in the "missing" siding. The brick is attractive and I agree with playing it up like Palimpsest's second colorblocking sketch. You'd have a lot of choices for colors that work with the brick but something of a similar saturation would look pretty good.

Not a pro, but my eyes scanned and saw neighbor's awnings - need those on the lower floor? but more so, it reminds me that increasing depth with an amount of landscaping extending out from the house can help. So on the right [with or without new paint, mentioned as more like the deeper brick's color], you could add interest somehow.

Maybe a fav - red-twigged dogwoods - adding more red? japanese maple?

Wow! Before posting this, I was questioning my taste. But all of you have such fabulous ideas it makes me get all excited at the possibilities and reassures me I’m not crazy!! Loving the idea of potentially adding wood accents, a cool door, definitely think the windows need to be bigger (if affordable) l, and LOVE the suggestions for landscaping. Thank you all SO much!

Location, location, location! Then: creativity, creativity, creativity!

Exactly what's posted above! If it is a great location, the right size and all the mechanicals are in good shape; the rest is aesthetics and can be changed over time.

Good luck!

Go for it before it is too late! House has good features.

With Melissa on colors:

Your "fairly awful" is my dream home. It just needs some love. I don't even think it needs new siding or window trim -- unless it's in bad shape. Just fresh paint and some new accessories (door, lighting, etc). Please keep the updates appropriate for a MCM style! This house is great, and trying to make it anything other than MCM will look wrong.

If you buy it and do fix the front, please post and let us see what you decided to do. It's a great house.

This house is fabulous—-not ugly at all—especially that sassy roofline! If it were mine, I would make all windows on this elevation as large as possible and screen the outdoor space with tall, narrow trees, then have fun with landscaping.

A little buying advice—if there is work you want to do, walk through with a contractor before purchase to get an idea of cost (I wish I’d substituted a contractor and architect for a building inspector when I bought my current house, even when I didn’t know exactly what I wanted; they have been way more forthright in their assessments than the inspector was).

Thank you, again, everyone! Fingers crossed.

@Melissa L

"sassy roofline" -- ha, that's perfect!

I would love to have a house with a roofline like this. so cool.

Love what Melissa G. put together