Help! Our 1980s home needs a facelift

5 år sedan

senast redigerad:5 år sedan

Hi all, certainly would appreciate some constructive suggestions on creating a more modern looking facade for our 36 year old home on a reasonably tight $20,000 - $25,000 AUD budget, which will also include a simple low maintenance garden.

Our yellow brick home with dark chocolate roof tiles has been well maintained but is definitely in serious need of some kerb appeal. As shown in the photos, the garage is at the rear and attached to the home by a gate leading into the backyard. The interior of the home was renovated about 15 years ago, and is still very much in vogue with the finishes of today's new homes, except that we'll soon be replacing our dated vertical blinds with dual roller blinds.

Sadly the exterior of the home lacks design appeal, and since we are planning to sell in favour of downsizing, our mission is to hopefully add some character with a bit of WOW factor thrown in. Therefore, we are considering some of the following options:

Replacing the porch tiles, or perhaps over-laying them with timber decking.
Transforming those horrid 'roman' columns, and squaring off the arched support beam.
Removing the security screen to achieve front door appeal.
Removing the mission brown window sill tiles and replacing with a rendered finish to match the bricks.
Render part or all of front of home? How should this be undertaken if we decide to do only a partial render...or should we perhaps be introducing more warmth with timber??
New Porch and garden Lights.
Dark tinting the front windows for privacy and Summer heat reduction.
Replacing the driveway gates perhaps with twin electric gates.
A garden feature - the WOW factor...??

So, as you can see, we have some ideas on what we'd like to do to achieve a more desirable result, but absolutely no idea regarding colours that will work well with those bold yellow bricks!

Thanks in advance for reading, your ideas, both design and colour related, would be most gratefully appreciated, thanks. :)

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PRO

Dr Retro House Calls

5 år sedan

i am sorry to say but I know you are dreaming if you hope to pay for the materials and labour for all of those things for your $20k budget with regional NSW prices. If you are handy enough to do most of the work youself, such as hanging a new front door, laying the gravel, installing the letterbox, then you will save some money, providing you can do those jobs perfectly. However there are some jobs such as installing the lights, installing the driveway gates and new structural columns which are best left to the professsionals. With a house being prepared for real estate presentation then near enough is not good enough and any new work should look perfect.

If it was my house and my $20k then I would limit myself to paint and green landscaping as none of your suggestions do anything to soften the harshness of the front elevation.

Despite what your real estate agent relatives say I know that not all buyers in regional NSW appreciate contemporary design aesthetics, and a softer approach may be more inclusive to a broader market.

Best of luck,
Dr Retro
of Dr Retro House Calls

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Kommentarer (68)

PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
5 år sedan
When you redo columns , beef-up them.
sandireg thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
PRO
Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
5 år sedan
Some idea about colors
sandireg thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering images
rachelen
5 år sedan
Yes I would definitely paint the columns too if the trim was painted. Maybe the roof tile colour could be used as a starting point.
Your house has lovely proportions and I think you will only need minimal touches along with a garden facelift to give it kerb appeal.
sandireg thanked rachelen
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan

Just took a photo of one our roof tiles. Always believed them to be deep chocolate in colour, but in reality they are ridiculously close to bordering on black. A huge thank you to all for the helpful comments, especially to Kate Partenio for your comprehensive list of suggestions. I'm loving all the offers of colour ideas since that was the area where we needed the most guidance... totally agree with you Kate that the 'slate' palate is a good one to base our colour scheme on. We had never even considered using grey's, even though we have a zincalume fence boarding the property, but now we're feeling quite convinced that it's a colour that will work well!
siriuskey
5 år sedan
After seeing your interior columns I wouldn't replace the verandah posts and trim, just keep them white. Paint windows black to match the roof (Just the visible ones to start) White internal timber shutters on front rooms. Large concrete look tiles for verandah and path and driveway, you can get this done with the large plain square pattern done on site. And as JE C suggested above keep it simple with manicured lawn and large concrete stepping stone pathway to the house cheers
girlguides
5 år sedan
The red gravel mess in front of porch turns me off. Red tiles accentuate Black screen door should go when you put on market
sandireg thanked girlguides
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
girlguides, the mess out front is present because we have ripped out the garden which won't be re-done until we've made facade improvements and reached a final decision on new paint colours.

As much as we enjoy the privacy it gives, the screen door will also be removed and kept for the new owners should they wish to re-hang it.

Red driveway stones will be replaced to blend with new surroundings. :)
PRO
Architecture Factory
5 år sedan
Hi Sandi, render can be a great way to modernise your facade. If you're going with a render, I'd suggest rendering the whole house and garage if possible, as this often looks neater than a partial render. Introducing some contrast is also great - I'd suggest a white/light grey render. You can also consider rendering the left-hand side slightly darker than the facade under the porch. I will definitely retile the entry with a grey or other natural stone colour. Also, consider a really dark coloured front door with a small vertical glass panel. This adds a really modern touch. Regarding garden lighting, it's only really necessary if you want to illuminate one particular feature such as a large tree or fountain. Consider a dark aluminium driveway gate with horizontal beams - this makes the driveway appear wider than it is. I don't think you need to replace the columns or arch, as this is more costly than you think. Repainting them a lighter grey colour will be better, depending on your render colour. With landscaping, hedges look great and are quite cheap. Resurfacing the driveway with painted concrete or dark bricks will also add a lot of value to your home. Hope this helps.
sandireg thanked Architecture Factory
sarah_eddy6
5 år sedan
I think you're best not to spend too much if you're going to sell. Your list and costs could very quickly grow and I'm just not sure you'd recoup this. And I wouldn't worry at all about small things like window tiles etc. I'd just focus on the major things that might be off-putting and then try to soften it overall. If you start doing major changes I suspect you'd need to do a lot to make the home look substantially different/ more appealing.

1) I'd introduce some softer warm tones like a sandstone colour (I normally hate cream!) but it will soften the orange brick but still be harmonious wiht it. But don't introduce more pattern or anything busier in colour as the brick is quite domineering as it is. Then soften that with soft matte greys through foliage etc.

2) the columns - they're pretty bad, however boxing it out in simple warm white matte painted timber would make a big difference! This is the one place I'd invest some time/money!

3) remove screen door, the odd garden lights, possibly the house wall lights (Bunnings Chateaux is smart but nondescript & will tie in with the roof colour), a nice large pot with lavender next to the front door.

4) a fresh new cream pebble mix for the driveway

5) plant a decent garden! This will take the pressure off the poor house! ; D It can still be low maintenance, invest in a quality soaker hose and tap timer and you don't have to lift a finger! Focus on softer textured and coloured plantings like westringia, sedum autumn joy, giant garlic, otherwise lavender is easy! The softer green-grey foliage colour and texture will actually look quite pretty against your brick. Just designate large planter beds, then plant in clusters (not rows) of a few plants, over large areas, there's not too much precision needed.

But nothing cottagey, traditional, too spikey (looking at you yucca!) or tropical, they'll make it look dated and harsh. Definitely not roses though, they'll look straggly, sparse and have no impact and make it look even more dated.

6) if you still have energy and a few handy friends, consider a central pathway (even easy gravel also), it would make for a nicer sense of arrival to the central front door, and allow a lovely sense of arrival walking through the garden for house inspections, rather than having to charge up the driveway and along those terrible porch tiles! Not too much cost, but big impact.

If you wanted to invest more, a bluestone or sandstone type paver tile on the porch, paint the windows a neutral sandy colour (get a paint colour consultant as there's a lot it needs to work with) will make the 70s bronze windows less noticeable, and then finally replace the windows, change the roof tile.... it's a slippery slope! So I'd definitely just do a few simple cosmetic things as listed above, the new buyers may want to put their own stamp on it anyway.
sandireg thanked sarah_eddy6
sarah_eddy6
5 år sedan
These are a little wild, but may give you a bit of inspo for the garden - soft colours and textrures.

Beach Style Landscape · Mer info

Berkeley Courtyard House · Mer info

Keep It Simple! · Mer info

Frontyard: Eclectic Mediterranean · Mer info

And this is a little extreme, but the tones in this in the warm brick work with the soft lavender works nicely and could give inspiration for your place...

Tuscan House · Mer info
sandireg thanked sarah_eddy6
professorlilith
5 år sedan
I agree with the various comments on the columns and landscaping. The proportion and shape are just wrong for the rest of the house. I also think you have a mistaken idea about my suggestion for porch furniture and flowers. Every era of homes people want a nice, shady place to hang out and enjoy some nature. The decision is about what furniture and what bits of nature. Right now, with the porch empty and no landscaping, it will be hard for prospective buyers to imagine themselves enjoying the exterior of the home. I think a designer would really help a lot. Finally, I don't know where you are. I am in northeast Ohio. Here, 20,000 dollars would be a lot of money to spend on decorating the exterior of a house you are selling. And it would be plenty to build up the columns and light fixtures, repaint the trim, put in grass and a bit of landscaping, and buy some kind of suitable indoor/ outdoor furnishing.
sandireg thanked professorlilith
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Hi Andreas @ Architecture Factory, thanks for your helpful post
a few days ago. :) Some great ideas to work with, except sadly we won't be doing the total render, in fact we've totally stepped back from the idea of doing any rendering at all.
We had originally planned to go down that path, but ideas and costs were
beginning to mushroom out of control.

In the end we decided to run our ideas by our son and son-in-law... both in the know as real estate agents. It seems we needed reminding regarding the purpose of our update, which in essence is ‘to achieve a positive outcome regarding both functionality and presentation in order to add value to the property without over-capitalising.’

We are planning to sell and down-size within the next 18-36 months, so due to our location in regional NSW, we would never recoup the costs in the short-term. That said, we will definitely be focusing on the following;

· Replacing or revamping the Grecian porch columns, something we’ve been
mulling over for a long time. So it's not a decision of if they go, but more one of form. Round or square.... that is the question!

· New wall lights for the porch.Charcoal or Stainless Steel finish…?

· Remove arches from support beams.

· Replace front door. Really loving this Hume
door and stylish contemporary handle, both from Bunnings

· New Porch Tiles

PAR-KER Timber Parquet - Porcelain Tiles · Mer info

PAR-KER Timber Parquet - Porcelain Tiles · Mer info

· A Fresh Repaint... Colour tones and where to use them... Should I stick with the grey's...? Such a daunting process and since I've got those menacing bricks to contend with, it may just help to add an additional post for this.Totally agree though, the front door definitely needs a 'standout' colour, and I do love that blue-grey Mt Etna swatch below!

· A ‘POP’ of colour either beside the entrance door or as a feature in the garden.

· Fresh Driveway gravel.

· Modern new driveway gates or repaint existing.

... and of course new landscaping with a smart mail box to finish!

Please feel free to critique my ideas! :)
me me
5 år sedan
I would go for the plainest posts you can get, otherwise the new ones could look just as ugly as the old ones. Perhaps drive around new estates and see what is being used on new homes.
me me
5 år sedan
I wonder whether painting the existing grecian columns a darker colour would help them blend into the background.
siriuskey
5 år sedan
Good advice from Dr Retro, Fix the garden with turfs, tile the verandah to tie in with the concrete path, new lights, Paint front door and add a 3 piece French cafe setting to the verandah. Save yourself a lot of money and work for not much if any gain.
julie herbert
5 år sedan
Hi sandiest,
What a nice house you have, after seeing your photo of your roof tiles against your brick I would paint your trims and poles a dark grey (Duluth Raku) this would instantly change look, paint window frames also (have painted ours and they have come up a treat) a grey concrete look tile on veranda and sills ,new door as you suggested, the slatted garage gates as per your photo would add a modern feel, running a row of ornamental pears along fence line, a feature tree with a water feature, a viburnum hedge along front, path to front door , redress lawn, and new stones for driveway lovely pots on veranda could look fab keeping it understated could look great
julie herbert
5 år sedan
A feature tree “October glory’ just fabulous, water feature surrounded by stones, path cut into lawn with pavers and some great pots, all this is achievable and you could keep costs down greatly
siriuskey
5 år sedan
I agree it is a nice house already, very classic, that's why I wouldn't do what everyone else is doing and painting everything grey, by the time you are ready to sell it could well and truly be on the way out. keep it simple
siriuskey
5 år sedan
On another matter Julie. I have seriously been thinking that you should open an online store

" julie herberts collection", if you could get a couple of suppliers on side so that you don't have to hold stock you would nail it x
julie herbert
5 år sedan
How sweet you are siriuskey, I love all your posts and advice, you are so knowledgeable, I wish I had your talent on changing plans, you are a very talented young lady .
siriuskey
5 år sedan
haha thank you, loved the young lady bit. ( my husband with all respect calls me "the Tart",) I'am serious you have a great eye for all things beautiful
PRO
Architecture Factory
5 år sedan
Hi Sandireg, I think you’re on the right track for changing the most important cosmetic features without spending a fortune. Definitely change the columns to a squarer, plainer form. This looks modern and will attract more buyers. I would stick with neutral colours for tiles, driveway gates and columns –greys that are a little lighter than your roof tiles – as this will add a little bit of contrast to the bricks but not compete with them. I would also repaint your gutters and front window frames the same colour as well, to match. Between those two tile choices, I’d go for the top one. That blue for the front door can work nicely, as it has some grey tones in it. If you’re thinking of pots similar to those, I’d place one in front of each column so it remains symmetrical, but I’d be careful of red as it tends to compete with the bricks too much. My suggestion would be a blue again, which will complement the front door and contrast with the neutral tones. If you want to keep your current driveway gates to save some money, just paint them the same colour as columns and gutters. You’ll be amazed how much value and street appeal new paint adds to your house!
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Hi Alistair @ Dr Retro House Calls, thanks for your comments. I can totally appreciate where you're coming from regarding costs as we know from experience they can blow out very quickly.

As far as the new door, columns and electrical work are concerned, we have family members in the game, not to mention my husband has enough leave at work to sink a ship, so he will assist also. That said, we're under no illusion that somewhere along the line costs aren't going to blow out to some degree, we'd be silly to think they won't as it's quite simply a given when it comes to the renovating game, but it does help that we are hands on, and as a result have managed to keep costs down somewhat over the course of our reno's. My husband cringes when it comes to working along side me... refers to me as a meticulous pain the butt, just like my dad was, so yes, if something's going to be done, it'll be done properly. Painting, new gravel and garden will be our job, porch tiling will be done by those in the know.

Our real estate agent son/son in law are very professional, and wouldn't even consider letting us begin this project if they felt we weren't capable of achieving a positive outcome.

Our target market is aimed toward couples with a young growing family, and as a general rule, most younger couples around here prefer a more modern look. The area is quite cosmopolitan and I can assure you there are very few heritage look reno's being done around here these days... most are going by way of smart render's, feature walls etc... and yes, as with everything in life, it's a trend that will eventually pass to make room for something new. So, we do appreciate we're not going to achieve a contemporary result outside, but after 36 years, we strongly believe the porch deserves an update, so that, together with a fresh paint job, low maintenance garden, and clean and functional modern interior, should be our deal clincher.
dreamer
5 år sedan
Your columns are called Corinthian style, you would have to build them out quite a bit to change them, or it will take money to replace. I would not touch anything with the house. Concentrate, as others have said, on landscaping to soften the approach. Remove the lighting poles, and replace with something smaller.
The front facade of your house is so different to the inside. When prospective buyers come through your home, let them imagine and pay for the changes, that they want to do. Your job is to get them in the front door to start with, in a happy "not much to do in the front yard" frame of mind.
sandireg thanked dreamer
siriuskey
5 år sedan
Not that clever Julie, I always try to imagine things as being mine and what I would do and usually with very little money to spend that leaves few options,

Paint & garden, I say garden and not landscape as that entails a lot more input and cost, just a lovely manicured lawn with large concrete pavers for pathway,( from Bunnings)

Fencing I would always choose Black metal pool fencing (from Bunnings) which you can plant in front of or behind to create a hedge. Also for driveway and gates.

Paint colour, with that roof and brick I would go with satin Black, windows, posts and gutters, you could then add white timber shutters in the front rooms.

Planters. 2 large rectangle plain concrete to match new verandah pavers and concrete path, One side on to the front door and the other beside the end window and driveway, these would be highlighted at night by new lights.

And as already mentioned a small table with 2 chairs ( French Cafe) cheers
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Hi Dreamer

Thank you for your insight and enlightening me regarding the style of our columns. They are most definitely Corinthian... I had forgotten about that! :D Still dislike them though!

We once had what was a lovely well balanced garden, but spent the entire month of October last year removing it as it was dying due to lack of upkeep. My husband definitely isn't the green-findgered gardener type, and no matter how often I asked, he never bothered to remove any dead wood, so sadly the plants became entangled with it. Up until a few months ago I never had the time to put into it either... sadly everyone has become quite time poor these days!

The garden also consisted of nine Murraya trees, but the strongly perfumed flowers made my life a living hell. (Something our nursery man, who also designed the garden at the time failed to mention). Lesson learned… always research your plants!

If I’m going to say anything positive, it would be that the previous garden was well balanced and offered excellent privacy. Outside of that, it did nothing to make a positive impact on the look of the home, which still appeared boring and dated.

It’s been our pet gripe for years now, so in order to achieve some self satisfaction, we'll definitely implement some fresh updates, which will also incorporate a simple low maintenance garden.

As they say, if nothing changes, nothing changes. Perhaps we’ll consider just repainting the driveway gates instead of replacing them. That alone should assist in saving us a pretty penny... especially considering our original idea was to install electric ones. The $$$ involved knocked that idea on the head pretty fast! :D
siriuskey
5 år sedan
What I'am trying to say is that your Corinthian posts will still be Corinthian Posts no matter what colour they are
sandireg thanked siriuskey
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Precisely siriuskey, exactly why we're in the market for a new look... will either box out or replace altogether :)
siriuskey
5 år sedan
Reading back over you mention privacy from the street and heat protection so I was thinking the biggest change you could make is to replace the posts and screen the front verandah, that would add impact from the street and would cover a whole lot of that brick cheers

Concrete pavers
julie herbert
5 år sedan
Hi sandireg,
Some great ideas from everyone and you have posted some great ideas also, , it’s exciting making positive and uplifting changes to your much loved house with all these beautiful ideas I am sure you will have it looking gorgeous , re your garden choose a couple of species of plants and mass plant for a stylish look and ease of maintenance, a lovely feature and you will add a modern look to your home.
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Wow, just loving the these posts! So grateful for all the awesome and inspiring ideas.... I'm really starting to get a clearer picture on the whole look. Thanks everyone, and apologies to those who posted last week that I haven't had the chance to respond to! :)

Kate Partenio, thanks for your creative ideas. I have printed and highlighted quite a few, but unfortunately my husband has said a definite 'no' to the concrete painting... too much work and it's going to become a nightmare. :/

Also, as much as I can visualise the impact it will make, not so sure we're in for painting the window frames either. Our frames are anodised so just wondering if yourself or anyone else who's posted this suggestion has had any experience with painting window frames. I've just done a quick google search and read that the anodised aluminium frames are the easiest to paint as they don't require any prep or priming. Trying to keep an open mind on this one... sounds like a lot of work so would really appreciate some feedback on the subject.

siriuskey, you also made mention about painting window frames. I like the idea of the large tiles for porch and pathway, although not for the driveway as unfortunately it's quite long and would be a huge job. We've researched several options, with the most cost effective being to just simply replace the stones.

Would love to dress our windows with white timber shutters. They look amazing, but in a regional town, lack of competition makes them a very expensive option.

Definitely a big thumbs up on the idea of a french cafe setting for the porch though. I'll certainly be filing that one!

sarah_eddy6, totally agree with you in trying to keep expenses down. Spend less and hopefully gain more at sale! If done tastefully, one would like to expect that to be the outcome.

Not quite sure about the sandstone colours though Sarah, simply because our current paintwork is a dark cream on the trims complemented by a paler shade of the same on the columns. It's the chocolate porch tiles that stand out and make a statement, the rest just safely blends with the bricks, so I feel we would be travelling a similar path yet again. Our aim is to try and draw the eye away from the brickwork. I know it's the current trend, but still feeling that painting in grey tones along with some added features may create more of an impact.

Those columns... yes, definitely a priority!

We'll also remove the screen door and replace front door with one in a more modern design from Bunnings. (see photo's from my previous post). By the time we're done (inc hardware and paint), it'll probably be a $400-$500 spend, but it'll be well worth the impact it makes. Front doors seem to be making a huge statement of late... at least around here they are. Most I've seen look really tasteful, and they certainly do draw attention to the point where I've barely even noticed the rest of the house! :D

Blue-stone paving with a border of of pebbles that compliment the driveway could work well in the garden.

Just love the inspirational garden photo's you added, especially Berkeley Courtyard House · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/berkeley-courtyard-house-contemporary-garden-san-francisco-phvw-vp~681706) and Eclectic Mediterranean · [More Info[(https://www.houzz.com.au/photos/frontyard-eclectic-mediterranean-eclectic-garden-san-francisco-phvw-vp~12404109). Will need to be really careful with grasses due to my allergies though!

Hi me me, you are totally correct about the columns and keeping them plain. My guess is that painting them darker, (but not too dark), will make them recede into the background a little, so that's definitely still a consideration.

We spent an entire Sunday morning driving around new housing estates. Learnt lots, including the fact the majority of today's new homes roofs are three dimensional whereas ours is only two. So basically, unless we're prepared re-structure and render, not a great deal is going to change. Anything can be altered if one has a bottomless bank account! :D

Wow julie herbert, thank you!! No clue with regards to your background, but if you're not a designer, then I think you've missed you're calling. Your insight is amazing, so much so that yours is the first post where I've actually been able to paint a picture in my minds eye whilst reading through your ideas!

I was unable to open the paint swatch you attached, therefore decided to google the colour. I love it and feel it would carry on well from the colours inside our home.

Love the garden inspiration too Julie... sounds heavenly. Would really like to plant a row of trees along the fence line, but just had a read regarding Ornamental Pears, and was surprised to learn how tall both they and the October Glory grow. That would be a big 'definitely not' where my husband's concerned. He manages to keep the Photinia's along the driveway, and backyard conifers trimmed, but that's where he draws the line. I'll need to look toward something smaller for the front yard. Do love that water feature though! :)

PRO

Hi again Andreas @ Architecture Factory, thanks a mil for the great tips and colour inspiration! Have had some awesome advice today... can finally see the pieces of this puzzle beginning to fall into place! :)
dreamer
5 år sedan
Hi Sandireg, thank you for the history of your front garden. I can only comment on your posted photos. I agree the front would be wonderful with a low maintenance garden and a few cosmetic building tweaks. But, your home is unique by the way your describing your neighbor hood. Please don't take away that uniqueness , just enhance it. Wish you the best for your exciting projects.
sandireg thanked dreamer
julie herbert
5 år sedan
Hi sandireg,
Love your last post, our window frames are aluminium and no prep needed, just painted them with an exterior paint, we have ornamental pears, planted bare rooted and has taken 10 yrs to get to full maturity, same with ‘October glory ‘ viburnum is such a tough and fabulous plant so forgiving and always looks lush, hubby won’t need to worry about too much maintenance, sitting back and relaxing on a gorgeous setting on your verandah will be lovely
sandireg thanked julie herbert
siriuskey
5 år sedan
Hi there, Just wanted to say that I never intended for you to use large pavers on your driveway that would really blow your budget, gravel is perfect for your situation as long as it's contained and doesn't escape into the lawn, hubbie and mower wouldn't enjoy that, good luck with everything. cheers
sandireg thanked siriuskey
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Thanks julie herbert, I think the trick may be to sell up before the trees become too established! :)
julie herbert
5 år sedan
Hehe!!! Sounds like a plan
sarah_eddy6
5 år sedan
Sandireg, it sounds like you actually already know precisely what you want, I hope everyone's time in giving their suggestions at least may have helped cement your ideas.

I still maintain you should keep expense and work as minimal as possible, I'd be very worried of recouping your costs (and time and sweat!), let alone making an over and above profit on them. I'd rather take my $20k, spend $5k on the home (columns, paint, simple garden) and spend the rest on things for your new place, or a holiday, or savings, or....

If you're choosing columns from those options, I'd certainly go the Plain Square. And I think a more simple classic door and handle would be preferable, otherwise you're just introducing yet another style onto the already confused facade.

And finally re the sandstone colour suggestion, I don't think you're going to succeed in drawing the eye away from all that brick (!) as it's quite dominant, so rather than fight it, the idea is to embrace it and soften it to look more harmonious. Gently introducing a variety of similar tones is the most effective way to do this. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but introducing opposing (grey) tones will actually make the yellow brick look stronger by introducing such a strong contrast into the palette. Mixing it with similar tones of the same colour actually soften the original colour and make it blend more comfortably.

If you're worried about the porch tile, I would buy a tin of concrete paint (Berger or similar) for it in a neutral tone. It won't be a long term fix, but as a reno to sell it would make it look better and the new owners are likely to change this anyway.

And as for garden, you sound set on not adding that, however you asked for opinions and the majority have cited this as one of the most effective solutions. I'm sure if you go to a decent nursery and tell them about your parameters - low maintenance, allergy friendly, low fragrance etc they'll be able to give you many solutions. And low maintenance is precisely that, you may not even have to water!

Don't forget that new owners will likely want to make their own mark, and I know when I was house hunting, I was put off by recent reno work that wasn't to my taste as it didn't feel right pulling out perfectly good and new things (and knowing that you're paying the premium for it), whereas in original condition I felt completely comfortable knowing I was improving it exactly to my taste and not being wasteful.

Good luck!
siriuskey
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Totally agree sarah, save your money. thinking on gardens and allergies and climate, what about Japanese gravel gardens to replace the lawn, not much watering, just a bamboo rake. Some lovely large rocks would really add to it, you could also use Mondo Grass, you have time for it to grow and spread it out, this doesn't need mowing,

https://www.cowragarden.com.au/
sandireg thanked siriuskey
dreamer
5 år sedan
Well said Sarah eddy. I agree. I would prefer to purchase a home that I can see the original, than have to re do the changes to my own taste.
sandireg thanked dreamer
dreamer
5 år sedan
Sandireg, you seem like you a going to change things. So...if you change the columns, I would choose the square recessed. I would also change, in my opinion, the columns inside your house, to match. The current columns are "so 2003". This would give some flow to your entry statement. Choose a plain profile front door. Front yard planting and landscaping.
sandireg thanked dreamer
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Ändrades senast: 5 år sedan
Hi Sarah,

If you refer back to my initial 'Help' post, you will see the ideas were already there and our dilemma was actually more in relation to which paint colours might work with our bricks.

Also, I'm not sure where the idea of us not wanting to add a garden has come from as my post clearly states that the improvements 'will also include a simple low maintenance garden'. I can only assume that the confusion has come about due to so many expressing that we should just do the garden and not worry about anything else, but that would simply put us back to where we were before the previous garden was removed.

With all due respect, I can appreciate that many have posted in an effort to save us from what they consider to be unnecessary work and expense, and for that I am truly grateful, because it would be really lovely to simply not worry about doing anything, and as you said, go and enjoy a holiday instead! :)

That said, people also need to acknowledge that we are not all of the same opinion when it comes to buying or selling a home. Aside from focusing on our revamp, we've also been actively searching for our 'retirement' home. Suffice to say, the first thing we notice while driving around is kerb appeal, or should I say, a lack of when it comes to some properties, including ours at the moment! :( While the photo's may look good, in reality, the exterior is tired and dated, with the gravel driveway being close to bare earth. Compared to the interior of our home, costs outside have been relatively minimal, therefore I can honestly say that we are quite excited about this project, but, it's goes without saying that we don't want spend a bomb either. Might just be the only little revamp this exterior's ever going to get! :D

Anyway Sarah, full credit to you for giving me my first aha moment, which came through reading the final paragraph of your post. You've made me realise, that up until now, some of the decor and colour preferences I've presented are those both myself, and my husband would like if we were the prospective buyers, as opposed to what might work in favour of a broader market. Therefore, after some discussions tonight, we have concluded that...
- Columns, will definitely be plain square, as round will appear too similar to the existing ones.
- Front Door and handle will be simple classic
- Porch tiles - both against the idea of painting, so will definitely replace
- Paint - haven't ruled out neutral creams. Colour is simply something we're going to have to experiment with
- Existing gates will stay and get a repaint
Our home is a spacious 3 bedroom/ 2 bathroom/ 2 car space with granny flat out the back, therefore we see it appealing more to couples with a young/growing family.

I can't thank everyone enough for their time and effort in providing an endless stream of invaluable advice and photos... it's been nothing short of enlightening and I only wish I could print the visual that's in my mind now, compared to the muddle that was present when I first reached out for help.

As with any revamp, the journey will be a mix of both highs and lows. That said, it's the end result we're working toward, and we expect to achieve nothing less than a positive outcome.

Cheers again to all,

Sandi :)
JE C
5 år sedan
Sounds good.. .hope you will post a photo when you are done ! Have fun with it.
sandireg thanked JE C
PRO
Timandra Design & Landscaping
5 år sedan
1. Remove the ball lights and trim around the columns
2. You need a proper timber edging for the driveway vs lawn area
3. Encourage the kikuyu - this may be the only garden you need if you are going to put it on the market
4. I would make the verandah colour charcoal grey - there's far too much orange
5. The white fascia and columns I would paint 1/4 strength charcoal of verandah
6. Remove the Dracaena in the front lawn. Put it in a big pot and take with you.
Consider grey gravel for the driveway, but you will need to remove quite a lot of soil before adding anything to get the levels right.
Alison
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Hi Alison, kind thanks for your suggestions. Just to clarify, when you say make the verandah charcoal grey, are you referring to the tiles... and with the gutters, should we paint them in light or dark charcoal?

Also, I checked out your landscaping page and posted a question in regards to 'Nicks Garden'. I was just curious as to what the trees in the front yard are as we'd like to plant a few in both the front and back yard that don't grow too big... thanks :)
PRO
Timandra Design & Landscaping
5 år sedan
Hi sandireg
The tiles can be painted charcoal grey. There are exterior paints for this. If you are going to sell, consider neutral colours at all times. Grey is THE best neutral colour as it softens as well.
The Dancer pear could easily be planted in your lawn (3 would be best and not evenly spaced) as the only garden because it is such a simple concept. People who buy your home can then add other garden plants to this simple approach.
Alison
sandireg
Författare
5 år sedan
Thank you Alison :)
juliemareem
5 år sedan
Hi. Rather than rendering, you may be able to paint the brick as we do sometimes in NZ. Quickest & most economical would be to spray paint. Can modernise the house. I would tend to go a light neutral colorings to lighten & tone in with roof & window joinery. making frontage a feature by landscaping & softening edges will enhance the look. yes get rid of the round lights. you'll be surprised how quickly money will disappear. personally I wouldnt bother with electric gates..will be an extravagant expense.
juliemareem
5 år sedan
have just added example of painted brick.. good luck. Hope you'll post the finished product.
Jennifer Bradley
5 år sedan
We were faced with similar issues last year, when we downsized. It had taken us three years to find something suitable and we wanted to make our existing home attractive, and with nothing that NEEDED to be done to move in. We'd also looked at virtually everything for sale and how attractive (or otherwise) it was. I'd keep your work minimal and remember, people like making a house their home, so don't do a lot that someone would need to. undo. From my aesthetic though, it's the colour of your pillars more than their shape - the cream against your brick and roof is both different and stark. I'd avoid grey, as neither your bricks nor roof are in those tonings. I don't have a specific colour suggestion instead, but wonder if going darker, say towards light ochre might work? I love that slate you pictured. Anyway good luck. I'm sure it will look great.