[Maine1]

So we are under contract to buy a house and should hopefully be closing in mid December. Just waiting on the appraisal to get done.

We really love the house for the location and the interior layout but to be honest, the outside is just plain ugly! Definately dated. The house is a 4 bed 2 bath (actually 1 and 3/4 bath) split level ranch with 2100sqft and an added 2 car attached garage (added about 10 years ago). It was built back in '63. Its in pretty good shape, the siding was redone back when the garage was added. I thought it was cedar but might actaully be redwood. They did all but the backside of the house.
I have alot of ideas and plans for the inside, just not sure what to do with the outside yet.

Here are a few pics I have in my phone, not the best, but you get the idea.

The wife says we have to do something with it come spring. I would love to just rip off all the siding, upgrade the insulation or wrap, and go vinyl siding. But I dont think it will be in the budget. She says we have to atleast add siding below the windows to match the wood and paint the whole house. I would like to replace the windows too, most are old aluminum double pane with bad seals. For some reason all the windows on the side of the house have been replaced with vinyl, but not the rest.

I just wanted to post what looks like will be my new past time for the foreseeable future. I am looking forward to starting many projects with our new house and I am sure I will be asking for alot of advice along the way!

 

[oh'mike]

Agree---needs some updating----the siding looks to be in good shape---I wonder what ideas people will come up with---

 

[joecaption]

She's right those panels make it look more like an apartment then a house.
That wood siding looks nice, I'd stick with that,
Add a bow window, and get rid of that whole roof over the front door and redo it with something that looks better.

 

[Fix'n it]

yeah, that place is ugly. i also thought it was an apartment building.

for around the windows (that is the ugly part), how about some kind of stone veneer ?

and replace the front roof. though idk what i would do with it.

 

[kwikfishron]

That panel look has to go, it all should be the same siding like you have on the gable end.

Those windows on the front look to small and out of proportion. Are all four of the front upper windows for separate rooms?

A belly-band would help too, breaking up the to floors and adding some detail.

I think closing the sides and part of the front of the porch, adding overhangs to the porch roof and a few windows there would help also.

 

[user1007]

I wouldn't be too quick to dump the redwood siding especially in favor of vinyl unless there is something going on under it that is problematical. I like the narrower siding better than the wider.

I would definitely redo the front entry.

I would use paint color to blend the windows and the panels under them into tall vertical panels. Right now, that beigy color makes it look tacky. I think you need to break up the look of the horizontal siding with some relief. The window sections is what you have at hand.

Think about a solid color stain product like Sherwin Williams Woodscapes Acrylic rather than paint.

 

[Maine1]

Thanks for all the input. Its funny, the first thing I said when I saw this house is that it looks like an apartment building! I guess I am not alone.

The set of windows on the top floor on the garage side are in the kitchen. (was thinking about a bay window there, would be in front of the sink area.) On the other end upstairs, the set of windows is for a bedroom, the downstairs windows below them are another bedroom. I was thinking about replacing those slider windows on the upper floor bedroom with taller double hung vinyl windows. I really dont like the slider windows in general.

I like the ideas about doing something with the tan painted areas below the windows/ I was originally thinking about trying to just match the siding and fill them in. Maybe breaking it up a bit with some vertical siding of some kind like suggested would be better.

Of course, the biggest improvement will be to change the entryway. Im still not sure about this one. I really want to keep a covered entry but it needs to be changed some how. I dont like the flat roof above it. How about a gable type entry roof that connects with the roof? That would make it look more inviting I think.

The wood siding is actually in good shape, and not really that old. I just dont know if I can match it close enough to bring it around the back of the house.

As far as the back goes, I see a second floor deck off of the back of the house with a set of french doors leading out.( thats the living room upstairs). Below it is the other living room/den.

 

[mae-ling]

The entry roof might look odd as a gable with the garage roof just down from it.
Really all it needs is overhang on the sides and front, then some nice columns (you can get covers for the posts).

 

[Maine1]

The entry roof might look odd as a gable with the garage roof just down from it.
Really all it needs is overhang on the sides and front, then some nice columns (you can get covers for the posts).

Do you mean like a hip roof over the entry instead?