How would you improve the exterior of this house?

[mumtobe245]

We are on the hunt for our family home (me, DH and 3 young kids). We found this property that ticks many boxes in terms of location and size, but I can't seem to get warm to how it looks from the outside. Link to house and also picture attached.

The fact that I don't like how it looks from the outside is actually stopping us from putting in an offer.

How would improve the exterior of this house? I'm trying to see if there are things we can do to make it more attractive looking.

I quite like the appearance of it. Maybe change the colour of the front door, build on the porch a little but not necessarily fully enclose it. Add some pots or planters to brighten it up a bit. Personally I don't like the window frames and would want to replace them but that's just my opinion.

I think the window frames and front door make it look a little dated. Change them and add a small porch like the previous posted suggested and I think it’ll have a completely different look to it.
It needs some greenery too, some nice plants, bay trees etc would definitely make it more homely.

What do you not like? The house itself, or the whole thing? The house is fairly normal looking imo, but you could change the window frames and replace the covered bit over the front door with something nicer looking.

I’d personally want to put the grass back in the front garden before I did anything to the house, I hate it when it’s all fully paved.

It looks perfectly fine! Can't see the problem. If there were some more plants, pots etc that would be nice but there's nothing wrong with it at all. I've seen countless much less attractive houses than that.

It’s not bad
perhaps the attached house next door being different/original is what makes it look off.

I’d want to screen the attached house with plants/trees/fence/trellis

And have tbe windows and door professionally spray painted

the shed/gym/utility is odd and blocks the garden view, that would concern me more

As PP, change windows and door, plant some trees, and it will be great.

What's the budget? What's your typical style?

I would change the door to a cottage style colourful one, change the windows to something like this in white and plant done kind of honeysuckle or evergreen maybe around the door?

But in all honesty I'd probably just live with it unless it was functionally broken if the rest of the house was perfect.

Different front door- nice colourful composite one maybe.
if it were me those dark window frames would have to go as well. Otherwise it’s fine!

A new front door. To change all the windows would be expensive. Pots and plants.

Thank you for all the great advice! I'm very glad I went on Mumsnet for your collective wisdom!

Some of your comments have been spot on. I think I don't like the look of the house because it seems old, dated and lacking greens. I'm also not a fan of the fully paved drive.

I think a change of windows, door color and some plants should make a big difference. Our budget is about 10k (for the exterior improvements) so let's see what we can do with that.

Pots and a new front door.

Perhaps a Virginia creeper or honeysuckle if you dont mind the insects feeding on the pollen?

I can't see anything wrong with it to be honest. Can you send an image of one you really like and we can find ways of achieving a similar vibe

I wouldn't say any of the properties we've purchased have looked great from the outside, however, they've been great homes in terms of what they offer inside and location.

Actually, I wouldn't say it looks that bad. Has a good frontage for parking especially if it's a long-term home with the potential of teenager(s) having cars and not direct onto road. I agree, changing the windows to another colour would make it look better, but really only do that if it's something you feels actually needs doing.

Easy options are some colourful plant pots for scrubs/bulbs. Could the doorstep be painted? If the fence as to face to the left would be yours, a colourful paint or at least a fresh preservative on there.

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Chat GPT:

Cool.

I think it looks fine.

There was one terrace on here a while back that I thought there was no hope for, but it didn't look truly awful after a slight makeover.

I read the first two posts and then went off to ask chatGPT (I've been getting great inspiration for our house this way recently!)... i now see that somebody else had the same idea!
It gave me an different sort of look to the last poster though and I think it's quite nice and modern looking; although a more neutral rather than greenish tone on the upper half would be better I think:

Chat gpt

Post a house exterior that you like OP

Chat gpt needs to stop suggesting those godawful dark grey front doors with a single long window, especially with a long steel coloured handle. They look dreadful, like an office door not a front door, every new build estate is covered with them, anyone thinking they look modern needs to realise they're already even more dated than what they replace, they aren't classic in any way. Shows you replaced your front door from about 2018 to 2023.

I couldn't agree more. They are so ugly and they're everywhere.

The dark window frames are ugly, as is the door. If you can't replace, could they be painted a brighter colour?
I agree that plenty of greenery would help, too.

Yep, I've got one. You got the date bang on.

One of our neighbours replaced the original door of his Edwardian house with one of those ugly grey doors with the long chrome handle.
Just awful.

I don’t think you can just “magic out” the white utility boxes that are showing and obviously connected to the house, despite what chat gpt and whatever else is suggesting in their pics.
I’d put something in front of them.

Yes, chat gpt is not to be taken as gospel in any way, but I have to admit that for me it's been great for visualising things like colour combos of doors, window frames and paint colours. We are about to do up the exterior of our house, and I asked it ti generate loads of specific combos until I found one I loved. I am just terrible at picturing that stuff in my head, so it really helped me!

It goes without saying, but another good source of inspiration is the local area, if you can take a drive around and see what the neighbours have done with their similar properties, what works and what doesn't.