If the driveway and sidewalks have yet to be installed and you have control over what materials and shape are installed, then you have a great opportunity to enhance curb appeal. Consider the shape of your driveway and how to make it interesting. It will be wide because of the 2-car garage so some type of brick edging or brick lines will break up the expanse. Also consider concrete or pavers to stay with a masonry theme.

You need to think of everything you have ever wanted in your yard, even if you can't afford to do it all right now. Also, how you usually use your yard. You did not say if you have or plan to have children. Then draw out a plan on paper of how it would look. Very simple but it must be to scale. It is easy to do on grid paper. You can use symbols to indicate trees and shrubs and such. You do not need to be a good artist. I do have a few thoughts about your front and back yards. For the back yard I would add two trees for privacy. I would want ever green, including broad leaf trees. You may not want privacy in the winter and might what deciduous trees. I would also want trees that do not get extremely tall. That is a personal preference because I do not like huge trees in urban areas, unless it is in a park. For the front yard I would keep it simple and plant a hedge on each side of the steps. I would place it equal to the beginning of the steps or perhaps a foot forward. I would use evergreen plants. I cannot recommend plants as I do not know your area. It does not need to be a sheared hedge. This what I mean by a non sheared hedge. Too tall for your use but an example of what I mean. I would grow nothing behind the hedge. I would heavily mulch, maybe with straw. I would also have a bed for either perennials or annuals in front of the hedge. It would be nice if you could have a small tree like plant on the right side of the yard. I don't know if it is feasible as I don't know where the lot line is and I can see overhead wires. It could be something like a lilac trimmed into tree shape. I did not try to draw it. Some people like plants at the corner of their house. I don't think it is needed and would be careful because of the driveway but I show one anyway. You could have one on both sides if you like. Lastly I see another area in need of privacy. Again for the purpose of blocking windows I would have a tall hedge in this area. If it is something that blooms in summer it would be nice for the scent near the deck. Your yard looks large and it would be quite expensive to buy enough plants if you fill it in this year. I don't expect you to do that but you need to plan what you want for the future.

As "they" say, "Good fences make good neighbors," if you have the money to spend that way. Looks like the north(?) end of your house needs a good pressure washing. Your roof looks pretty bad; any plans to replace it? You have room to do a portico if you have budget for that. Otherwise, paint will be your friend.

Thanks so much for your reply and mock-up. It looks beautiful. We actually like our house white so not interested in painting it-- only will be getting rid of the red trim eventually. May do some light blue accents around the windows but haven't gotten there yet! Hopefully the powerwash will clean it up so it won't need painting. Really love the flowering hyrdrangeas on the arch--funny enough there are three right to the left of that arch along the retaining wall from the neighbors. They are probably many years old (we've lived here about 4 years) but they haven't flowered once. Thinking about ripping them out so not sure if one would flower if i put it along the arch. I did see there is possible a wisteria (which we love) that may blossom in shade so may look into that for that area. Its hard to see from the pic but there is also a very basic evergreen shrub kind of hiding the path to the arch way so thinking of replacing that to open up that area bit more. Not sure what we'd put there. I like your placement of the tall/skinny cypress--sounds like an actually cypress is not what I need but I did just find a few different junipers that may work in that area. We were also thinking of doing it in a huge put to avoid any foundation issues but we can talk to the nursery people about that. I am still stuck on the plants to the right of the door, under the window. I believe what we have is a Pieris that never looks great and feels awkward with the placement and size. I was wondering if there was something else I can do to hide the backside of the wall (or at least make it stick out less) but haven't thought of anything that would work. Perhaps some red grasses behind the shrubs although those will die back in winter leaving the same issue.