How can I spruce up the exterior of my unlovely 30s house

[30shousecat]

Been living in our 30s detached house for a year and a half. I wouldn't say I have ever particularly loved 1930s houses and unfortunately the house has had much of the original character stripped from it - new pvc windows, a garage extension etc - but we could still see the potential to improve it and could see it would work for us long term. We are saving up to do a big project internally and while we do that we aren't really doing any of the 'nice to have' stuff. That said our porch (or maybe it's a vestibule?) is really looking quite grotty and also also the wood is almost bare where so much of the previous finish has worn away. I would really like to at least give the porch a lick of paint but I am struggling to visualise what colour would look good and whether to paint it all one colour. Ultimately we will hopefully replace it with something a bit less boxy and ugly but it will be with us for a good few years. Any suggestions welcome even if they are ones for the 'one day' pile. Was wondering about a climbing rose or something.

@TiddleTaddleTat. you might want to mention filling and sanding the crack

@Wauden haha!! I'm really into my prep, as you can tell

yeah you're kind of confirming what I was already thinking.

@30shousecat sorry to read that you might lose your job.

Boston ivy to climb, large half barrel planter to the left of your door with hydrangea or similar.

Roman blinds for all windows (blinds2go are reasonable if you can measure / fit yourself).

Porch I'd do dark grey with the top glass panel with that sticky film, can be bought at B&Q and easy to put on. They do a stained glass effect depending on what you like.

Change the door handle and letterbox to silver.

Just some ideas obviously might not be to everyone's taste!

Still haven't managed to start painting yet but I have filled and sanded the crack ready! I am cursing not bothering to get a tester as I am worried the paint is too pale - it's much more of an eau de nil than I was expecting. I have used the colour before but inside so I think the lower light maybe made it appear darker. Oh well, worst case I paint over it.

Woohoo! Painting has commenced. Vastly underestimated the time needed for taping but the undercoat is on!

Oh it's already way better!

As PP have said your inner door is strangely prominent and looks uninviting somehow if you don't mind me saying! Is the interior of the porch uncovered brick? If so, maybe consider painting that the same colour as the pebble dash? It looks like it doesn't know whether to be part of 'inside' or part of 'outside'!

While you're pressure-washing the drive (as already suggested), it might be worth also pressure washing the roof tiles above the porch too - I think it would make the whole building look a bit more loved. Have they gone mossy? (Difficult to tell from the pictures.)

Yes to lighting (needn't be elaborate or expensive), yes to a house number (ditto), yes to venetian blinds or similar.

We painted our pebble dash using a ladder, NP. However be warned, masonry paint is horrid stuff and just seems to get everywhere (and then takes days to get off your hands and arms), and you probably can't use paint rollers because they don't get into all the nooks and crannies between the pebbles. I ruined several sets of old clothes doing that job, though we had a much bigger area to get through (front, back and side of a house which is pretty much 100% pebble dash). It's worth it though, the house looks so much fresher for it.

Will check back on further progress! Bonne chance!

that is an amazing difference already. I would paint the front door, maybe a pillar box red or whatever you like , farrow and ball do some nice door paints- then choose the flowers for the pots, hanging baskets to contrast nicely

Get some very large pots and plant shrubs like hydrangea limelight - very 1930's plant so in keeping also but looks modern now.

and I would agree with roman blinds - the best blinds imo and you can keep them at half mast or whatever most of the time

Waaaaah. Just finished painting and I don't think it's the right shade . I was expecting it to be both greener toned and slightly darker. Don't know if I can be arsed with the expense/faff of repainting a now perfectly fine door. So annoyed with myself for assuming since I had used the shade previously I wouldn't need a tester.

I should say, above was after first coat of colour so it's since had another coat but it was too dark for pics.

It's a lot better than it was before though, OP! I agree the colour is possibly not quite as complementary as it could be, but it's probably only you that will notice!
FWIW switching to a darker, bolder shade wouldn't be so hard as you could paint straight on top, if the paints are of the same type.

Thanks for sharing your pebbledash painting experiences foot. Maybe I could send my apprentice up the ladder....ponders....

It's still a big improvement on before. I agree with pps about blinds, either Roman or Venetian, I don't think plantation shutters suit this style of house.

I have been wandering in the village having a good old nose at people's windows (looking at the windows themselves that is, not in them ) have found very few like ours so struggling to visualise what would look good.

I think it looks much better OP. Is that Frenchic paint btw? If so, it's supposed to need about 3/4 thin coats and the colour deepens.

It isn't RHRA, I did look at Frenchic but couldn't find a shade which was exactly what I wanted.

It looks a million times nicer now 😊 all your hard work is paying off for sure.
I think the paint is a little minty bright, but if you add a couple of plants pots with Some bright flowers it'll be perfectly fine and when it needs doing again (possibly after you've dropped paint all over it painting the lively pebble dash!) you can go a bit darker. It sounds like you've got a lot of other work going on, so I wouldn't waste time or money redoing what you've already done.

Yep- no point having kids if you can't send them up the ladder!

🤣might need to wait a few years if you want a semi decent job done though!

I'm sorry to hear about you being made redundant. I hope it doesn't take too long to find another one, but with the kids back at nursery/school at least you can crack on with the house.

Be careful with the curtains/you wouldn't want to go ruining those beauties!!

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. Somehow all managing to be more tactful than one of my friends who said 'i can see why you don't love it Here is an 'after' with the tape all gone and door furniture back in place. Next stop - painting the pebbledash. Or maybe plant pots - that sounds a bit more achievable! Like the look of the hydrangea mentioned above.

Go with the plants and pot first, it will give it such a lift!
Painting pebbledash won't be a fun job... fwiw I don't mind it as is . If budget was an issue I'd go for the instant impact of colourful planters and plants first, but maybe that's just me!
Wilko is good for large planters btw.

The doors do look good! I agree with previous posters who say that plantation shutters would look good from the outside as well as in. They would make the windows look better.
Now that you’ve painted the doors, I don’t mind the off-white render. It’s tempting to dump a load of shingle/gravel over the drive to smarten it up. Grey gravel would tone well with the soft green doors and off-white render.

The colour looks lovely with the brickwork. Good job!