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yvette06_gw

Ideas for improving the exterior of my old, ugly house?

yvette06
12 years ago

Hi, me and my boyfriend have just purchased our first home. Its a ugly older home that was built in 1965. If you look at the picture I attach you can see that the yard especially needs some TLC. I am in Texas if that makes a difference. We are very open to your opinions, thanks in advance

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Comments (15)

  • columbusguy1
    12 years ago

    Yvette, some serious landscaping will improve things a lot! Love the tree, but that is about it, sorry to say. I'd remove all the foundation plantings, and do beds of flowers extending out from the house--and while arborvitae are all the rage now--for god's sake stay away from evergreens--your house's low lines do not work with something which will grow tall or require yearly pruning. Some roses scattered about in a few beds further away would be nice, closer, if they could be trained on a horizontal pergola or arbor. Texas has a good climate for growing roses--a major company called Antique Rose Emporium is located there!

  • graywings123
    12 years ago

    Yvette06 - welcome to Gardenweb! In addition to the advice you will get on this forum, you may want to also post your question on the Home Decorating forum.

    And did you know there is a Texas gardening forum on the Garden forums?
    http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/txgard/

    Here is a link that might be useful: Home Decorating forum

  • worthy
    12 years ago

    Does an aerial view help?

    I, too, would like to know what you do with a large flat featureless lot. (Other than plant a forest and wait 20-30 years.)

  • chibimimi
    12 years ago

    Get rid of that straight-line sidewalk to nowhere. Add a nice curved walk -- not concrete -- toward your parking. You could also add another (a Y off the first) toward the street, if you want -- just don't make it as straight as a runway.

    If you really feel ambitious, a hipped-roof portico over the front entrance would break up the long line of the roof and make the front door stand out.

  • Debbie Downer
    12 years ago

    The landscape design forum I think will be more helpful:
    http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/design/

    I would LOVE all that space - I just have a four foot strip in front of my house and about 20 feet in back, adn that's it.

    There's a lot of different approaches - you can think in terms of outdoor "rooms" and creating different spaces for different uses... or just a few well placed trees and shrubs. Guess the first question would be do you love planting/ gardening and getting into the dirt? Or not so much?

    BTW, Mid Century Modern is very trendy these days - I usually prefer older early 1900s but lately some of the brick MCMs have been appealing to me. There is a solidness to them that I like.

  • karinl
    12 years ago

    Not ugly - good lines. Definitely a new sidewalk. Lots of potential. Agree with no foundation planting, but patios, walkways, structures such as pergolas.... could work. If you like that kind of thing. And if you're handy.

    I'm a big fan of renewing the tree canopy. I'd plant some new ones, a good distance from that monster, and then eventually consider removing it.

    The best outdoor solution depends more on who you are as a gardener and how you plan to use the property than on any "ideal" or "ideas." So sit down and think about your needs, in all seasons, to figure out where your time and money are best spent. Some information along those lines will help if you post on the LD forum.

    Karin L

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    12 years ago

    Congratulations on your new home!! What fun this can be, taking a nice solid house and making it express your personality!

    Yes, how much maintenance you want to do outdoors is a key question. But there is a lot you can do that really, once established, won't require a lot of time. I have large garden beds and with good mulching and good plant selection spend very little time in maintenance. Mowing is far more time consuming.

    I would start with an attractive storm door/front door in a color that complements both the brick and the gray roof(I personally hate orange brick, and I might be picking out a color to paint it, but a whole lot of people must have liked it back then! But with good trim color selection, though, it can look good even to me!) Use that color around the window, too if you can.

    The idea for a porch or portico is a good one. I think that I would build a nice large patio or deck with a shade structure (can't think what they are called) between the front door and the driveway. I would also create raised beds along the foundation to hide it, balance the patio, and tie the brick to the ground. Fill it with low maintenance plants and shrubs; talk to your local nurseryman for ideas. Avoid yew or other shrubs that tend to quickly become overgrown. You don't want it to become cluttered, but you want to soften and add some interest with groups of varying textures and heights. I think the tree is fine, it just needs some other tree(s) on the other side of the lot to balance it.

    Might consider window boxes, or some other decorative structure, to give the high short windows an illusion of more depth but with a raised bed foundation planting the plants might serve to balance the windows in the overall structure.

  • concretenprimroses
    12 years ago

    Congrats on your new home!

    I don't think it is ugly at all. I personally would paint the trim a softer color instead of white: cream or soft green. Get some paint chips and see what looks nice with your brick but still contrasts enough to stand out. Just not too contrasty - dark green would be as harsh as the white for instance. Something about brick makes me think softer trim on a home is nicer. I love the idea of a nice screen door to match - or maybe a shade brighter.

    Digging up a concrete walk is a lot of work, maybe you could make a patio by the door (complete with bench to sit on) with brick or stone added to the walk then edge it with same and have a destination similar shape at the end (and maybe in the middle too). Just repeat the materials and general shape that you decide on. Circles, amoebas, hexagons - its your house do what you like, so exciting. You could even use more concrete. I'd look for a material that I could scrounge - left over from another project or a house being torn down. Hmm. This would be a lot of work too! Welcome to home ownership!

    The last house in the linked article about front landscaping is a brick ranch. It recommends low maintenance plants too but I don't knowif they are for Texas. Note the concrete front walk is edged with brick.

    Good luck and let us know what you do.

    Kathy

    Here is a link that might be useful: Fine Gardening - front yard landscaping

  • renovator8
    12 years ago

    The first thing I would do is hire someone to look at the trees and lawn to be sure they are viable - you can't afford to lose what you already have. The house seems lost in the large lot so I would create some outdoor spaces next to the house (deck, patio, garden), provide easy access to them, and screen them from the street with planting, fences or both.

    The only thing the house needs is proper maintenance. It is what it is. If you wanted to increase the resale value you could add a second floor but you might not get all of your money back.

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    12 years ago

    It can't look as forlorn in RL as in the dark grainy photo.
    The sidewalk must come from somewhere and lead somewhere. It must be relieved with landscaping so that it's more than an isolated ribbon of paving.
    I think with some colorful plantings, and some decorative/border-reinforcing hardscape (fence/wall, shrub borders) it would make it more than what it is, which I would call a literal blip on the landscape.
    A second tree oriented to the left corner of the house will give a much-needed balance to the composition. A shapely blooming tree (pink dogwood, or such) jumps to mind.

    Casey

  • mrsnomohren
    12 years ago

    Yvette! I also live in a 1965 built MCM ranch! I'm actually just in the process of a full inside remodel but I'm working on the plan for the outside. Although many will disagree with me because I'm abandoning the original "look" of the house, I have decided to whitewash the brick (although mine is a little more pink/red than yours), repaint the trim a beige, paint the front door red, and add shutters to the strangely small windows (I'm painting mine a bold blue, but its not for everyone). I also am thinking of putting in a cedar pergola off the front as well.

    I think there is a lot you can do to really improve your house. It has a nice sturdy structure :) but again, I'm biased.

  • karinl
    12 years ago

    Another drive-by posting, I guess, and a waste of responders' time except for the mental exercise we get and whatever dialogue ensues. So to Mrsnomohren, good on you for a novel vision!

    Karin L

  • rlpguy
    12 years ago

    When looking at the house, your eyes need to be attracted to the entrance and front door. As stated above, paint your front door a nice color to compliment the brick. Never use a storm door! That will distract from the house. True you will save ener

  • PRO
    Mouldex Exterior & Interior Mouldings
    12 years ago

    You can always add exterior crown moulding, window trim and sills, shameless plug from my company I know but it will go a long way in adding much deserved curb appeal without breaking the bank considering there are few windows and one door (that we can see anyway)

    Exterior mouldings on brick look stunning.

    Here is a link that might be useful: My Company

  • fuzzywuzzer
    12 years ago

    For trees, I love the mesquite trees and live oaks in Texas.