How would you decorate this exterior?

[landwhale]

What would you do to this house to make it look half decent?

It's currently on the market, Dh and I are quite keen on it, but the exterior as it stands is a massive no no for us. Dh We would want to keep the garage. Beyond a lighter coloured garage door and perhaps a trellis and climber we're a bit stuck. It's a bit ugly :-/ Any ideas?

Yes to a lovely pale coloured garage door with trellis in a matching colour to soften the brick (eg F&B Parma Grey? or a soft age green? ) Climbers. Also could you put wooden trellis / picket type fencing down the low wall between you and the neighbour in same colour. I think all this would soften it and make it look a bit more cottagey / mews-like.
The drive looks a bit brutalist , could you pave or gravel. Also if room could you have pots on the drive or a bed on the rh side ? What have others in the road done - any of them look appreciably better ?
I also think those vertical blinds look a bit institutional , depending on what that room is maybe a nice roman blind.
Not sure if that helps
AG

Personally I would put in traditional timber garage doors and a gravel drive. Climbers also a good idea. Maybe also cream colured render on the ground floor?

Thanks for your replies, the only other house similar is the one adjoining and it looks the same minus the garage.

Lovely idea about same colour door, trellis and fence.

Would it look odd with a cream render if next door is as it stands now? Some semis stick out like this, but others pull it off. Unfortunately I don't think we'd know until we'd done it!

Where's the front door? Maybe I'm not seeing the full picture because I'm viewing on my phone.

Sorry I'm stuck in cottage-hunting mode. A climber and trellis goes a long way to softening anything (something flowery like wisteria) and if you can make that garage door recede a bit it would really help. Cream render would be easier to get away with if house is different shape to next door. Have you thought about photoshopping photos?

I would not buy a house with a side entrance personally (security), but if it doesn't bother you....

Front door is to the side. It is on our current house too, never thought much of it tbh.

Yes- didn't think of photoshop. Ooo I'm gonna have fun tonight!

The other issue is that it's next door to a shop. Obviously there's nothing we can do about that, but it's what is making the house affordable tbh. We live next to a shop at the mo and have pesky teenagers loitering. we've driven past a lot though and havnt seen any loiterers...

Perhaps the shop has a Mosquito? Take a teenager past to see.

Ooo maybe- saw that on the catch a thief programme. Maybe I'll invest in one for my current house and bring it with me!

Its not obvios judging by the picture that there even is any side access. I think I'd address that by changing the planting. A house looks more welcome if its obvious how to access it. Otherwise the signal it gives is 'go away'. It needs something (planting, a path etc) that leads you visually to the door. At the moment the front of the house and the paving are laid out for cars not people.

Hi, I agree with the above re paints and climbers (need to get rid of the very visible waste pipes!) how about a nice outside light? lovely ones at www.jim-lawrence.co.uk/ProductNode/4861/outdoor-lights and I have recently bought some house letters from them that are nice quality & they do numbers, also on their website - but you can order them in different colours too, just call them, mine were done really quick!
It is set back/by the hedge so hopefully the shop not too much of a problem - one thing I would say is concrete in/secure any plant pots, you don't want them easily taken.
good luck :)