How can the front of this ugly house be made nicer on the cheap please?

[UglyHoose]

Having seen so many great ideas on here over the years, can anyone think of a way of making this house look nicer?

OH thinks it is because it hasn't got a downstairs window on the left hand side. I can see what he means but that part of the house is the under stairs cupboard so without remodelling the house I can't see a way of changing it.

House is close to top of our budget as we need to put a garden office type thing in the back, so we can't do anything too extravagant to it.

Link added for any aspiring architects who want to comment on the rest of the house.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86347123#/

[autumneve]

My first thought was plants and climbers on the blank wall but maybe a pergola like this first pic? You could position it to be like an extension of your door frame/cover (I've tried to illustrate in pic 2 but I'm no good at this stuff.

[autumneve]

... and then put climbing plants on the pergola to soften the look

[Catlover77]

That is one ugly house

[ginghamtablecloths]

Could the porch be extended towards the LH side with a pitched roof to soften it so it looks a bit like a conservatory?

The great thing is that you have plenty of space so you should be able to improve matters.

[planningaheadtoday]

Our neighbour has recently updated a similar front to this. Same age and build of house.
I was surprised how good it looks considering the starting point.

They have used UPVC grey paint and painted the window frames. They removed the front porch overhang and have made a chunky large step up to the door.

They put in a big swing oak front door with side light window and laid a big grey gravel drive so they could park three cars off road.

They have built up big flower borders at clever angles and planted tall for privacy.

They only thing they have differently to your front is an extra window next to the front door on ground level.

I'd go with the shutter idea to mimic a window to balance the front of the house.

[Viviennemary]

It's horrible from the outside. Unless you got it for a knockdown price I'd give it a miss. But larger porch might improve things. But it's that awful brick wall as if somebody forgot to put a window in.

[ODFOx]

To one side the garages are at the same level and to the right that house is a little further forward. Thus, have you considered a single room extension to the front, pitched roof, 4x3mish?
You'd need planning permissions as it's across the front line but it should be allowed. Access through the larder (full height) under the stairs. You could choose a roofline to compliment the front and it would be more energy efficient than a garden room.

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

That's harsh!

It may not be a looker, but that's a comfortable family home. I can also see it has been lived in by one family/couple of clean and meticulous people who looked after their property and fixed what needed fixing.

When you look at the years of bodging that lie behind many a tasteful Victorian facade, I think houses like this have a lot going for them.

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

It's horrible from the outside

Sorry, this was what was harsh

[peakotter]

I agree with pp that a front extension with a window would solve it in the long term. Which direction does it face?

In the short term, a trellis up the wall and an evergreen tree about 3m in front to hide it. Make sure you go evergreen with the climbers and tree otherwise you’ll have 6 months where you can see that wall.

[Viviennemary]

It was harsh. I wouldnt have said it if it was the OP's house. But it's what viewers will be thinking. But agree a front extension would solve the problem.

[Stonecrop]

best thing you can do is buy a large garden mirror that looks like a window. there are some fab ones out there. then grow lovely climbers over the house to disguise the fact that its not a real window and blend it in with the rest of the house. look at virginia creeper and the David Austin catalogue for rambling/climbing roses (bare root roses discount code at the moment with code 'Susan'.).

[7Days]

Could the cupboards be knocked together as one to make a small laundry/utility space. You could put a window in then.

[BlahBlub]

Agree that some planting/trellis would be a good solution if you want to do something right away that doesn’t cost the earth.

Opening up the understairs cupboard and adding a window would be a great long term solution, especially as you’d get a dual aspect kitchen and it could make the kitchen really light and spacious.

You could also add a long porch that extends further to the left of the door across the blank wall. It could be storage if separate from the house, or even an extension to the kitchen if budget allows in the future.

[Mycircusmymonkey]

Personally I’d sort the driveway out and go to town on plants, shrubs and a small tree to make the front garden lovely.

[hgaj]

I agree with others, long term an extension would sort it. On Google it looks like the whole row of houses were originally like this but have now all had front extensions (and in some cases side or two storey extensions). Often moving the garage from the rear to get more space there.

Short term I'd get a new rain porch, some evergreen climbers, a flower bed by the house and a new path. I wouldn't bother with fake shutters I think they will look a bit naff.

[Didyousaysomethingdarling]

Attach some vertical cladding and plant with fast growing climbers, improve the front step to upgrade the entrance, shape the lawn and gravel the driveway. Like this?

[SlightlyJaded]

some ideas here

www.pinterest.co.uk/julieblackman18/70s-house-exterior-update-uk/

[Oopsiedaisyy]

Knock out the cupboards and add a small utility room with a window

[CatherinedeBourgh]

Could you do an american style porch running along the whole front?

A living wall would also be lovely.

But if you can stretch to it I would knock out the cupboards, make the kitchen go under the stairs and put in a window.

[ODFOx]

Look at no's 5 and 7. They were both originally of this design.
I was advocating a small extension but actually taking it all the way across the front would be great. Both of those have extended at the side too but you wouldn't need to go that far in the first instance. It would eat your garden room budget but is in keeping with the neighbours and an energy efficient office space as well as making the frontage more interesting.

[Namechange2020lalala]

I love it. Especially the carpets. Neutral furnishings would really make those carpets pop.

[Namechange2020lalala]

Agree with PP about green wall/trellis, hide bins and clean or renew the path.

[mollscroll]

What didyousay has done is excellent and cheap.

[UglyHoose]

Wow Didyousaysomethingdarling that is incredible photoshopping, that improves it a hundred fold.