How to make the exterior of my house more beautiful?

[Maternityleavelady]

What can I do to make the front of our house more welcoming and beautiful? It’s very dark and bricky and the front door is wooden so I feel it lacks colour (besides browny orange all over) and style. I am clueless about gardening and kill everything but I am wondering about some hanging baskets either side of the front door or fake plants in pots either side of the front door - something hardy or fake so I can’t forget to water it and kill it! I have added a photo. Non-plant based suggestions also welcome! Thanks!

Paint your front door and get some beautiful ironmongery for it.

Change the light fittings

both will give it a boost.
Other things would then be a couple of bays in planters.

No to hanging baskets, high maintenance and seasonal too.

Get a beautiful front door.
Hide the bin?
Personally I'd be tempted to pull out the hedge under the window and replace with nice, bright planters but that requires more effort.

It's a lovely house. Just a bit brown.

I would paint the wood around the front porch cream to match the pointing in the bricks but it looks like treated wood so might need special paint. Also would paint/stain/tile the floor of the porch not necessarily bright but something to match the brick. And a large pot on the corner between left window and wall and a tree in it.
I have a limey green conifer in a tub which is very tough needs little water - a couple of those under the windows would look smart -same 2 each side, cut back dark green bush. My conifer is now about a metre including pot, grows very slowly -have just taken a pic

I’d suggest painting the windows and doors (including the garage door) and also changing the lighting. You could also render the borrom half of the front wall, or panel it to break up the bricks. Both might have maintenance consequences but things are much better these days than in the ost and I think they would definitely improve the look.

Paint the front door, add a climber around the porch and pots either side and more greenery at the front.

I like the half rendered and painted idea from a pp.

A wisteria or other climber would look wonderful, but requires a bit of work and patience till it gets going.

Ooh these look lovely!

Don't render it!

It might look lovely but it can cause damp issues. Better to leave the brickwork as it is.

Paint the front door, hang planters etc - but don't add render to a brick house unless absolutely necessary.

It’s lovely and simple. That porch is asking to be dressed and made the focal point.

Clean and refresh the timber finish of the porch and the front door.
Splurge on some fabulous ironmongery.
All-weather big doormat.
Couple of tall statement planters either side with bold planting. Maybe white hydrangeas if it’s semi-shady.
Lighting so it looks warm and inviting in the evening.

And hide the bins!

I’d second painting (or rendering) the brickwork. A neighbour did the same on their house recently as they were trying to sell and it looked so much better and the house did sell fairly quickly afterwards! They just painted the front, not the sides or back. Definitely gave it kerb appeal. Go white or a very soft cream. Paint the porch as well as it is a lovely feature

You can get breathable render eg lime or modern breathable renders.

agree cement or concrete rendering can cause problems but those aren’t the only options

This is the option with a bit of panelling.

I would take out the hedge on the LH side and put some hydrangeas in - buy the biggest you can get and water them in well, they love water.
On the other side - remove the bin and if there's a bed there do the same with hydrangeas. If there isn't get a nice big planter.
Paint the front door in a muted classy colour: grey/green, or dark blue.
Sand and oil the wooden supports of the porch.
Your house is lovely, just needs a little bit of glamming up.

Sorry- panelling below!

That’s gorgeous; it’s a beautiful house no matter what you do.

Yes I think rendering and panelling are a lot better these days, but obviously the OP would need to look into it. A lot of swanky houses near me are using rendering and a sort of composite panelling, e.g giving an 1970s bungalow a face lift, and it looks really nice at the moment.

I would get items for the porch like a boot scraper and mail box.

I love the front of your house, it looks dignified. We’re soon buying a 60s house and are going to alter the front to make it similar to yours.
Get rid of the shrub in front of the window and go onto the RHS site for easy to maintain plants. It will depend on which direction the house faces, what you choose.

I'd definitely paint the windows. We sprayed ours a dark grey and they look so much better than the white that was before. Also bought a new dark grey front door. Some planters would look good on either side of the door, something like bay trees that need next to no maintenance and get rid of the bush and place two planters under the windows. It does look lovely already though.

The porch looks narrow and mean. It would be expensive but I might take off the bricks at the front of the porch leaving only the sides. Then have a new large paved area that extends a bit forward from the porch with two large planters. It will all look more generous and spacious.

also paint the gas meter box black or brick coloured so it blends in a bit.

Most houses around me have harling. Didn't realise it was an issue. I also have it on my property.

The windows look beautiful.maybe a new front door

I think it's crying out for climbers! It would look beautiful covered in Boston Ivy.

Loving all these ideas, thank you! I really dislike the front door but DP loves it as it’s the original one from when it was built - so painting it rather than replacing it might be a good compromise!

You need wisteria going along horizontally between the upper and lower floor windows. That’s where it feels
like too much brick.