How would you improve the kerb appeal?

[littlem133]

I'm on a budget. Don't want to render over the brick. What colour shall we replace the red with on the guttering and gates etc? I like grey windows but they don't seem to go with brick houses so I think we'll stick with white upvc. Hopefully I can upload a picture now!!!

Wow. Thanks mumsnetters! We're actually buying it but the advice is still relevant. We know someone who'll do all the gardening for us but couldn't decide what colour to paint the bits on the house. It seems like a unanimous black. And Defo replace the front door!

Black gate and gutters get rid of the pampas grass and a new front door..

I agree with everyone else. Black for the paintwork and get rid of the pampas. Pressure wash the brick pillars and the driveway, or, just seen the advice above to remove the efflorescence.

I'd replace the front gates with matching wooden, would make such a difference. The front door looks awful, sorry, I too thought it was boarded up, so that needs some thinking about and if the budget allows I think a front porch would make a big big difference to the general aesthetics.

When do you move?

I think it could be a lovely house - definitely get rid of the red. New front door and consider new windows as they can really make a difference to the house.

So, it's only me that didn't know about pampas grass

There is a house near us with pampas grass in their front garden, but it is a mother and grown up son who live there. I'm not sure where swinging would come into it.

s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c5/8f/54/c58f54d377589015db2e2e653744bfa2.jpg grey windows look great with brick

Never mind, Bun, you can look knowingly at her next time you see her in the street now.

I think I'd go for F&B Hague blue, with the red brick.
Nice house! Get rid of the pampas and plant ceanothus, and lavender.

Yes to a slopey porch. oof, I miss England! I think you could have a much more exciting front door colour, whatever it is, please make it shiny! shiny doors are the best.

Ultimately you want to rebuild that front wall, but it can wait.

Lovely house, OP

What is so special about F & B paint. Is this an MN thing?

I have never used it and don't feel that I have missed out.

We're about to paint our red brick house woodwork and I'm going for something very close to the render between the bricks for the window frames (something like F&B Purbeck Stone) and a very dark blue for the eaves and door (something like F&B Railings). I think black and white looks too stark.

The quote to do all of our exterior woodwork was about £1800 plus £700 to replace the very elderly guttering (south east). But our paintwork needs to be burned off first as the previous owners left it too long and it has all lifted. If you were on a budget I think you could get away with just doing the red woodwork, replace the front door and leave the rest. There are lots of secondhand front doors on eBay if you can find one in the right size, it's an affordable way to get a solid wood one in a style appropriate to the house.

In the garden we found that tree contractors are cheaper than gardeners to remove big shrubs (eg to get rid of the pampas) as they grind out and chip with their existing equipment rather than needing to hire in a digger.

Bun it's not the paint it's the colours. Farrow and Ball (and other companies like Little Greene) have a small palette (of mostly lovely colours) so less choice issues! Plus the colour names are distinctive so it's easy to google loads of images of what it looks like in situ rather than taking a punt. Any decorator can get them colour matched eg at Johnstones so it's not the paint itself per se that I like.

I have never seen F & B in the shops and with something like paint I would not be keen to order online without seeing it first. I tend to buy match pots of whatever shades I am considering and try them out first. I must admit that I haven't struggled to find what I want from the Dulux/Crown ranges.

I have, in the past, used own brand paint, but the quality is rubbish and the savings are eaten up by having to use several coats of paint.

I asked if it was an MN thing because I don't know anyone in RL who buys F & B paint.

Homebase and Brewers both stock it,

All the Homebase stores round here have closed and we don't have a Brewers.

I've painted using crown and f&b, the f&b is so much easier to use and goes further.

My arms aching after doing the utility room in crown

Nice house.

That link noddy put up looks really nice with the grey.

I would go with that or black for the guttering and metal, and I would put in loads and loads of climbers. Nothing looks nicer on brick than a lovely boston ivy or well trained wisteria.

"My arms aching after doing the utility room in crown"

I found the same difference between B & Q own brand and Crown. I'm not planning on doing any decorating in the near future, but will have a look and see where I can buy F & B locally next time I fancy a new colour scheme.

Wow. Great advice-thanks. We're on a tight budget initially so will be installing new white windows and painting guttering, gates etc. Pampas grass will go, garden and driveway tidied. 2nd phase might involve a pitched roof on the porch. Interesting to hear the good reviews of F&B paint -I hear lots of women talk about it on the playground etc and too wondered if it was just a status symbol thing!!

Have a look at Marston & Langinger, it's posher than f&b. Just less well known.

They'll send you shade charts for free. I'm going to use that or fired earth in the kitchen. It doesn't get much light so I need something to make use of what it does get.

I'll use dulux white as an undercoat for cheapness.

My neighbours replaced their guttering with black one - actually I would never of thought to go with black if the windows etc are white but it looks fine.