Yeah, we know we have to do something about sinking concrete stoop and the flower bed under the windows and the harsh path from the driveway to the front door. BUT..., those are for another day. Just trying to tackle the front door for now, since that is something I can do before the snow/cold hits Chicagoland. A new roof, stoop, path and landscaping are hopefully spring projects.

My spouse has been in insurance for over 13 years and knows the laws and regulations and is licensed in 45 states. But the exterior was up to code other than a panel along the bottom on the side of the driveway and it was that way when we moved in and so we did not change it. in 2017 the 10 month notice was to difficult to have all the work done as we lost my spouses income completely and the medical treatment bill was $500,000.00 and that was top priority to save my spouse's life. So yes the home got put second. Our state told we do not qualify for any assistance as they would take my spouse's prior income into account. I was able to find a family member that is willing to help with the siding, but said we will have to buy the materials and his crew can handle the installation for labor the cost is $5500.00 I am hoping that is not too steep. We will now just have to figure what supplies for the exterior we will want to upgrade the home as if we are going to put money in, we want to make it worth it.

I'm not a fan of painting brick as it turns a no maintenance product into a long term maintenance issue. The brick seems to have more browns than grays in it but the roof is gray. You need to find a color that marries the two. Something in the taupe family would work. Also, a couple of other things. If you plan on keeping shutters I would switch to a wider shutter that is correctly sized for you windows. The current ones are too narrow. Also, the area without a railing in front of the door needs to have one installed. Building codes require them if the change in elevation is more than 30", which yours definitely is. If you're interested in seeing some virtual makeovers of your house check out my website, Creative Visual Concepts.

New landscaping will do more for the house than you can imagine. I would remove the conical trees and the flat top hedges which look too formal for your home. The trees are crowding your entry and the hedges look unhealthy. I also don't care for the flowers planted in rows; go for a more relaxed look in all your beds. Soften the hard, square beds out front with some growth that will drape softly over the front edges. Consider fragrant herbs between the walkway stones. (stepables.com has some ideas.) I like your brick and certainly wouldn't paint it. Consider having it stained instead so the brick can breathe and you won't have the continual maintenance that painted brick can sometimes necessitate. Think about replacing the darkened cedar with some James Hardie siding product in a soft color, maybe sage green, that works with the color of the brick you have. I would say the overall goal is to soften all the rectangular and square shapes by adding softer color, and softer interest in front and underfoot with pretty plantings.