Opinions needed please on a facelift for my VeryUglyHouse

[veryuglyhouse]

See pic on profile. I want to paint the whole front in one colour, either cream or pale/medium grey.

3 issues:

1. The orange concrete tiles on the left hand side; I've always assumed that we'd have to have them removed and replaced with brick then rendered over but I've seen another house which has had its tiles painted with masonry paint and it looks good. So I'm wondering whether anyone has any experience of painting this type of surface and how it looked.

1. I know the windows particularly on the left hand side are horrible but don't really have the £6k it would cost to replace just those four, so do you reckon it would look ok if I just had the frames painted?

1. What colours should I go for? I'm thinking either cream for the whole front exept the side by the door where there's a mature climber which I dont want to have to kill, with either slate grey window frames, porch upright and front door,

or

pale/medium grey (sort of bluey-grey) front with white windowframes and a delphinium blue door.

All ideas welcome :-)

I love the back to front exteriors work (have thought about it for houses we have been thinking about buying). They have done some cladding of houses near us which look really good - transforming 70s houses into New England style homes.

Not the one I was thinking of then. I've always liked the house, but though it needed " brightening up "
Ope you get it looking how you want it soon.

I think it could be lovely.

I would remove and render or paint the slates.

I would go for an antique aged off white paint rather then a cream colour which can end up very yellow. Dulux will mix various exterior paint colours.

All the woodwork, I'd do in a lovely colour similar to fired earths larder blue. Google it to see the colour. You could get something you like mixed up with Dulux.

I think you need to trim back the vine area, paint it and then regrow the vine.

'faid I agree that the climbers need to go. Some pots in and around the porch would be great.

To my mind the tiles really aren't offensive in and of themselves. Just not a style that's appreciated too much ATM, styles come and go. But yeah, if you really want to paint it'd have to be the whole house rather than just the tiles I think.

I'f it were mine I'd paint the windows, door, guttering, drain pipes and garage doors / woodwork, remove the raggle-taggle of shrubs along the drive and replace with a (beech?) hedge.

Thanks Formica,

DH has agreed to get rid of all of the climbing plants which will make everything a lot easier! We went for a walk this afternoon and saw a very pretty house which had an off-white (I'd call it cream but it wasn't yellowy) with what I think is F&B Lichen. I also like the Larder Blue you've pointed out.

I'm excited now; painters coming round on Tues to quote for the work.

I will have a look at Larder Blue as well.

xpost with Lettuce

For anyone interested, the house has now been painted, and pics are on my profile.

I'm happy. Took your advice about not painting the tiled front.

I'm waiting on the driveway which will be a couple of weeks but once that's in, and there are some nice pots by the door etc it will be pretty much done.

The pics are taken with the sun behind the house; it looks quite pretty in the morning with the sun on the front of it.

thanks to everyone who advised.

It looks lovely

tbh I would get rid of the climbers and do the garden. That should make it look a bit less witchy

very, thats much nicer

Wow, what a huge improvement.

I think you need a new MN username now.

Thank you. I only wish we'd done it years ago now!

Wow what a difference. Glad you didn't paint the tiles, I was just about say don't when I got to end of the thread and found you'd done the work already.

I can't believe the difference a couple of tins of paint have made- it's looks like a different house..it's LOVELY

happydance!

And I was only charged £1300 - one of the guys who came to quote (arrived in a sports car) quoted nearly £6k

It looks absolutely great now (and enormous ).

And at the difference in quotes for the work!!

What a difference! I LOVE paint!

Very amazing transformation.