How to make this house look better

[70sShmeventies]

Potentially outing but this is our new house: I love it but don’t love the exterior - specifically the white cladding. How would you make it look better - wood? More green? And if so, what wood etc? It definitely needs new windows as they are knackered.

The fad for grey windows and doors makes it look like they have just been given an undercoat and need top coating

@Twas what are your new windows made of?

Grey windows have been around for at least 15 years. They're not going anywhere any time soon.

The thing that dates windows is the design- faux leaded, for example. And windows divided into too many panes - top openers, side openers, fixed panes all in the same 'window'...

I'd go for some nice clean lines - each window divded into 3 panels (or 2 for smaller windows). And I'd go grey too, but if you're anti that, then white with a crisp finish would help.

Definitely lose the shutters, but I don't have an issue with the panelling (although I'd replace it with a finish to match the windows if it's ugly underneath).

If you go for coloured windows, then match the front door to them, and I'd have 2 narrow frosted windows either side of the door. If you go for white windows then a wood/coloured door. I'm not a fan of oak door/grey windows personally. One of my neighbours has just done it and the door looks out of place.

Finish it off with some greenery, and it will look lovely.

Grey windows have been around for at least 15 years. They're not going anywhere any time soon.

or they're on their way out after 15 years.

They're really not. Where I live there are 60s/70s houses everywhere, many of which are having their windows replaced... and there's at least one grey for every white. And window showrooms are full of them. They are here to stay.

They aren't here to stay. No "trend" ever is.

I agree grey windows are a fad, I think they already look quite dated. I live on a mid-20th century estate and the houses that have had the grey facelift do look out of place, they don't look better than the ones that have been modernised in white.

I would change the door but keep the windows next to it. As for the cladding, this is difficult because I adore white cladding (and 70s style houses architectural features in general) but if you don't like them I would recommend replacing them with wood instead of painting them darker as that tends to end up looking horrible that way. I would add greenery on the house and in the driveway.

Twice more than the bricks it is currently then!

Please, please, please, I beg you...

Don't have grey window frames. Otherwise it will end up looking like the entrance to an office block on an industrial estate.

Paint the front door and Some plants. Lovely! Congrats!

It looks absolutely amazing, you must be delighted.

Something along these lines OP.

Bastardising houses with render is an apalling modern trend if there is nothing wrong with the house to begin with. You will enter a world of additional maintenance and problems as well as a house that probably sticks out like a sore thumb.

Get rid of the old brick paving for some light pea shingle and add plenty of greenery. That will make it a million times better than default render.

Just remember that if ain’t broke …and you don’t see the outside of your house most of the time- just twice a day or so coming in and out. The front garden/drive, yep you see that from inside so get that looking nice

homestly, this is pretty nice compared with lots of others. Yep take down shutters (though with global warming you may need to put back in 20 years time 🤣🤣). Then wait till door or cladding needs replacing to do anything else structurally - spend your money more wisely on things you will benefit from. Any building work right now is expensive and a pain - I’m 15 months into trying to get building work completed on roof refits and it’s costing me a ridiculous amount of money and lots of delays due to lack of labour . If you don’t need to do it now- don’t, you don’t need that stress.

all these external house make overs with rendering and replacing perfectly good doors and window seems to be designed for kerb appeal - why? How many of us sit outside on the kerb looking at our house going “isn’t that render a lovely colour”? If you have a truely pretty or architecturally stunning house- thats fantastic and probably lifts the spirits when you come home each day . And you’ve probably paid a premium for that. But an ordinary bulk stand house will still be that even with a flash new render, roof alterations, new doors and windows etc- you can’t make a silk purse out of …

Yep, it’s the new versions of pebble dashing.
why on earth do you want to cover nice bricks with stuff that’ll need cleaning every few years and reapplying every 15? Bricks don’t need any maintenance other than pointing every 50-100 years

Thanks for the lovely comments. @70sShmeventies the windows are just composite. The door however is bespoke as we wanted something a bit different. Basically, our builder friend’s advice was to try and work with what we had rather than trying to change it beyond all recognition and I was pleasantly surprised with how it is working out. Good luck!

You deff need some plant work.somr bright pinks reds and yellows.a daffodils and tulip wall/border.a few big wildflower planters .try to get some flower that will replace eacother and bloom all your.hamging baskets.judt flowers,get some flowers in those spaces.

@70sShmeventies congratulations on your new house. I think the issue is the faux leaded windows next to the front door. There are no leaded windows anywhere else on the front. I’d remove the shutters and get a good window designer to show you options that make the front look more cohesive. I’d also see what’s under the cladding. I’d match the garage door, front door and cladding in colour. Grey might turn out to be the dark mahogany of our time, but if you are staying for less than 5 years, might add value short term.

This probably isn't an idea you're looking for, but I think it's a shame there's so much driveway. Cut the driveway back to either just in front of the garage with a nice path to the front door, or keep it extended to the front door, the put some nice planting in, a few trees!

I would want cream window frames as cream complements red brick whereas white especially blue white upvc, clashes with it. But then you have maintenance costs.

There are 3 different properties.

I’m not going to go for a radical overhaul, I want to keep to the original character (and costs) down. Plan of action:

• new windows - not grey, likely white but maybe sage green?
• new wooden door and frosted glass either side
• get rid of faux shutters
• get real shutters and rid of the vertical blinds currently in situ
• dig up section of drive and extend lawn
• add plants and trees

Maybe costs won’t be so low after all 😂

Are composite windows cheaper than wood?

That sounds like a great plan. You don't have to do it all at once either so there is no big pressure.

www.pinterest.co.uk/clairely1979/1980s-renovation/

wood and white or cream rendering on the outside - also at that stage make sure you get any needed insulation for the extra walls

Oh it's beautiful! Driveway could do with digging up and something fresher