What to do to the front of this house - ideas please :)

[CameronCook]

Not this house, but one nearby but it's not on right move.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-37785183.html

In my mind I want to make it look all country cottage instead of 70s grey box but have zero design flair or inspiration.

TIA

I think you need to embrace what it is- you'll never make something like that country cottage (especially on an estate). It would just look strange.

I don't think it's ever going to look like a convincing country cottage. That said, it could be prettied up lots - grow something flowery up the walls, hanging baskets along the overhang, some country cottage type planting in the front garden and break up that block lawn with beds. Maybe think about changing the tarmac drive for something a little less harsh - I'd prefer to see gravel than tarmac. Also paint the white render a softer colour. Likewise that stark white garage door.

That is what I fear Olivia

Thanks Agatha suggestions for render colour? Everything that I have touched with a paintbrush lately has been greige but I am not sure if that is a sensible colour for masonry that is usually painted every 10 years?

Not sure on colour - which was does the wall face? Maybe a pale sage colour, or a similar colour to cotswold stone? Perhaps the garage door then a shade or two darker. Are all the houses around painted white on the render?

I wonder if you posted over on gardening you might get some ideas ?
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/gardening

you'll need to mention what part of country and which way it's facing .

I'm sure planting could make a huge difference .Hope so anyway as I have a VERY ugly forecourt that I have plans for .

If it were mine, I'd build above the garage and straighten up the roof line, get rid of the garage and make the house double fronted. Replace the front door with a wider modern wooden door and remodel the front garden.

If you don't want to do that then, replace the front door, or paint it and the garage door sage green/blue-green. Grow Virginia creeper up the front and replace the tarmac with large size pebble. Put up picket fence across front and paint it, put in more attractive tree and some nice shrubs to break up the bleakness at the front.

oh ,excellent inthe world - you may have inspired me to take photos of front of my house and work out to how to post .
Sounds like you're the go to gal !

I agree with Oldest - you can make the outside of this house look twice as attractive by softening it with planting and paint and doing something with the drive.

We transformed the look of the outside of our house by painting the formerly white door/garage door a grey-green, growing a beautiful variegated creeper and jasmine around the front door, planting hardy, scented herbs and shrubs (a double row of lavenders along the path to the door, for instance) and some roses. And getting a much nicer house number, rather than the twee horror the previous owners had left.

If you're unlikely to 'need' the sloping lawn next to the garage as grass, you could make it a kind of informal rockery with good planting - heathers and small shrubs? - and link it back to the house by growing a creeper up the 'blank' side of the garage.

You can give yourself a head start with climbing plants by buying a bigger plant to start with - I think I paid about £80 for a creeper to train up the side (and eventually around the top of) our front door, but it was well worth it.

I know that's not exact house, but if I was buying one like that then I would go for a contemporary finish, not cottage. Replace the windows and front door with something simple but smart. I would revamp the garden, again something simple and contemporary. I like blue or dark grey front doors.

Oldest that sounds perfect, the first one is out of budget for now unfortunately!

Thanks everyone for your creativity. I'm off to peruse the gardening board.