Ideas to make this look nice!

[AndrewT]

Hi Everyone,

Well back in the market and we are currently searching around for properties in our area that present a good building base for renovating, good price and overall a decent looking place. Main reason isn't because of plans to sell but because it will be our PPOR for a number of years.

So have a look at the photo below and suggestions or photos would be great. This property has alot of things going for it - except the front, I can't seem to get my head around what needs to be done to fix it up! My initial thoughts were taking out the stairs to the side and make it a central feature leading up to the house instead! Not sure.

 

[DaveM]

Garden beds with plantinig to mask the brickwork under the verandah and stairs and hide aircon.

Paint that dowdy green color on fascias/gutters/poles/downpipes with sojmeting more modern

Pressure spray brickwork.

Hedging shrubs across front lawn on boundary.

 

[matto_]

Render the brick work?

 

[Jamie M]

New mailbox.

Agree with the render - would make it look great. Although you'd also need to do something with the carport.

It wouldn't be the cheapest property to render. Looks like quite a large area to cover.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[Ruff investment]

Personally I wouldn't render. It looks great initially, but a few years down the track and it can start looking tired again.

The first thing I would do is remove that tree in the photo that seems to be growing out of the brickwork. I agree with DaveMSydney- it needs a Dulux overhaul to make the colors more modern. Go for light and bright. Also, I'd look at changing the rail to modernize it. This could be just the wire system ect. I'm sure there are other options as well.
Street appeal- new letter box. A nice new retaining wall, remove the rocks at the front boundry. The carport needs paint. More screening, so people can't see into the backyard as easily (you can buy mesh that fixes onto the metal gates). Dulux overhaul on this too.

Personally I like the way the stairs are. I think the biggest bang for your buck would be paint, followed by making it more livable by either extending the carport and or, making another parking space with some clever tearing using retaining walls at different levels and some planting of garden beds. Only because single car spots are annoying for anyone who has more than one car.

But that is just my initial thoughts. I hope it all goes well Congrats.

 

[Ruff investment]

Oh, concrete paint on the verandah. Get away from those heritage colors and go with a more modern look.

 

[AndrewT]

Some great ideas!

I'm going to go have a closer look this week so I suppose that will be the make or break. Ruff Investment, I will definitely be stealing all those ideas!

 

[marg4000]

I would not shift the stairs. From the photo it looks as if there is a fair slope towards the front, if you did centre stairs they would be very long and maybe look odd.
Marg

 

[weg]

The house itself isn't that bad.

Just get rid of the old green paintwork and lattice, and do something with that tragedy of a front yard.

 

[Corey Batt]

Very easy property to spruce up. As mentioned, paint, high pressure clean the bricks. I agree with a screening plant to cover bricks under the verandah.

Possibly blueboard the carport to make it have clean lines.

 

[YPG]

I think the house looks pretty good as is. Personally, I wouldn't render. I think the brick looks good and as others have said crank out the high pressure house, again (personally) I don't really like old houses that have been rendered. I think it only looks good if you can renovate a house well enough so that at first look people can almost be fooled that it wasn't built that long ago.

I think that houses built in the 50's and 60s that have unique features and facades of that era just look odd when they are rendered because its obvious its old and different style to a new building and its trying too hard to try and make it look new but not fooling anyone, well not me at least (no doubt some here will have a different opinion ).

In some cases I think brick is starting to become more popular again and rendered is not necessarily the "thing" of flash new houses.

Overall I think the house looks good. I agree with people to get a new solid looking letterbox, get some nice plants across the front of the house and in line with the stairs, plants along the side to hide that door and AC, fresh paint to the gazebo thing over the gate, update the driveway.

Also a fan of someones suggestion to create a 'U' of hedging along the front - although this depends on how much you like gardening. I am just about to plant some hedges out the front of my house and get a hedge trimmer from bunnings!

Good luck - if you follow through with it upload a pic.

 

[Rixter]

Render brickwork. Paint gutters, facia's, down pipes, window, door frames with modern colours.

Get rid of the step hand rails and railings around verandah and replace with modern horizonal slatted wooden or stainless rails.

Modernise front door or security wire door to fit in with house colours

Match car port to colour scheme of house. Remove lattice and replace matching with slatted rails on house.

Landscape the front yard with a modern low maintenance design.

New rendered letter box match house color.

 

[CarolInPerth]

Terrace the front yard, slopes look less useable and appealing than terraces, put some hedges against brickwork. Replace ironwork with something more modern. Put a roller door on car port to increase visual size of house. Lose the wooden trellis and use a nice wood, also use same wood on gable and roller door. Possibly clad brick foundations with stone and use same stone on terrace walls.

Looks like house was built for a view so if you can afford it extend the verandah to incorporate a larger deck.

 

[devank]

I would (if I have to)
- add stencils work to the driveway
- plant some suitable plants to hide the walls
- add an outdoor light on that large wall
- replace the post box
- and some paint work on rails, steps, gutter and wooden items

 

[AndrewT]

Thanks again everyone! Didn't think I would get this many responses

Going to have a look at a few other houses in the same area today, fingers crossed we can get something under market value!

 

[Chic not shabby]

Love all the suggestions and agree with most of them though I wouldn't render the house as it is an extra cost, the new owners can choose whether they want to or not. Some people don't like the maintenance aspect of it and if you have mould and discolouration on the bricks now under the stairs imagine what an eyesore it would be if the mould grew back on the render in that spot ( likely as it is in the shade) At least with bricks you can always pressure clean them or put a product on it to remove the mould. If you tried that with render it may change the colour of the render or worse, take the render off. I would paint the small door at the side of the house a similar colour to the bricks so that it doesn't stand out. I agree some new railings would be a great way to modernize but if you were going to leave the existing I would paint them a dark colour so that you look through them. Something like Woodland Grey would be good to paint over all that dated green.
Hedging, hmm, I wouldnt go tall hedging as it will eventually block light to the house/lawn and a hedge means more maintenance for the new owners. The bush rock edging is ok, once plants are there you won't notice it, just plant a border garden at the front with a row of all the same plants but something low growing. Something like Dianella silver streak perhaps? Low maintenance, pest free and will grow just about anywhere.
A feature tree would be nice too, like a Magnolia little gem which has a reddy brown (which will tie in with the bricks) on the underside of dark green glossy leaves and its evergreen with gorgeous huge white flowers. If you do put in some plants, a pet hate of mine is red coloured bark chips in the garden, please dont do it!
Good luck!

 

[lizzie]

If you don't want to render/paint the whole house - I'd at least down under the floor level so that the front of the house don't look so overwhelmingly "brick".

Modern railings - perhaps stainless steel wires or something funky in timber.

Major front yard overhaul, including letterbox. I think you'll find that you don't use the front yard at all, so don't be scared to plant out the whole lot.

Agree with enclosing the carport somewhat.

So much potential ... drive around the neighbourhood and see what others have done.

 

[AndrewT]

Thanks again for the replies.

Went for a closer look today and the house isn't too bad! Quite like it, downside is that no one else in the street has renovated their exterior, and the next door neighbours house is exactly the same!!! I suppose once renovated though it should 'stand out' from the crowd?

 

[INVSTOR]

Once the neighbours see how good your house looks it will probably inpire them to spruce theirs up!

 

[AndrewT]

Another ugly duckling?