How Would You Improve the Outside of this House?

Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes

@Bill Labrecqueand I are closing on a SFR flip towards the end of June and are in the process now of fine tuning our rehab budget for the project.

The outside of the house itself and the landscaping is actually very well cared for. The roof is 3 years old and the siding is in very good shape. It just needs some improving to make it look at little more modern.

So, what would you do to improve the outside of this house?

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Steve B.

Engineer · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

11y

it looks good but it desperately needs some offsetting color trim on the windows, paint on the door (cabaret red ) , and I would i would also paint the rain skirt just make that is a more conservative color. skimcoat and paint the porches.

Add some vibrant flowers to the side of the house.

That's actually a very well build house

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Steve B.
Engineer · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
it looks good but it desperately needs some offsetting color trim on the windows, paint on the door (cabaret red ) , and I would i would also paint the rain skirt just make that is a more conservative color. skimcoat and paint the porches.
Add some vibrant flowers to the side of the house.
That's actually a very well build house
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Steve B.
Engineer · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
also I wouldn't attempt to make it more modern. Sell it on it's vintage angle
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Graham Max
Real Estate Investor · North Judson, IN · Member since 2014 · 13 posts · 7 votes
11y
I would remove the bushes closest to the street to make the front yard look bigger. It will also kind of remove that barrier between the street and the house for people driving by. The evergreen bushes like that were really big in the 80's but not so much anymore. I like to use smaller bushes, shrubs, or flowers in the front so that potential buyers can see more of my finished product on the first pass by.
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Richard C.
Bedford, NH · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
What is the expected sale price? A front porch, or wrap-around if the budget could extend to it, would transform that house. Often a very good way to go for these old New Englanders. I did one for about $8,000.
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Michael Noto
OP
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
@Richard C. The expected sales price will likely be between 185k and 195k. Thanks for asking that, I should have mentioned that in the original post.
Thanks for the suggestions @Graham Max and @Steve B.!
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Anthony H.
New Orleans, LA · Member since 2015 · 14 posts · 9 votes
11y
I'll preface this by saying I've yet to flip a property so this is purely my opinion and not based on experience. But going on gut alone...
I'd take out the bushes by the street as well as the ones in front of the house. They add nothing and look dated. The ones near the house are almost blocking part of the window. I'd replace them with some lower to the ground perennial color.
Consider replacing the door to something with some color/character.
That cement path that wraps around the prop and the walk way toward the door... if you have enough, perhaps brick those. Could look real classy and give the house more character.
Color on the trim of the house would help a lot.
Get rid of the metal awning on the back door.
A gorgeous, fairly mature crape myrtle (not sure its the right zone for it) placed in the center of the front yard would be gorgeous and add a needed pop of color when in bloom. Give it that "cute" factor.
And maybe some nice planters under the bottom windows.
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Melissa Ewbank
Real Estate Agent · Oakland, CA · Member since 2015 · 28 posts · 7 votes
11y
my suggestions would be to add a small porch and then as someone else suggested paint with contrasting trim, possibly dark red colored door. Also remove the front bushes and replace with picket fence.
Good luck!
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Michael Noto
OP
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
Thanks @Melissa Ewbank
The consensus seems so far to get rid of those front bushes. I like the fence idea as well.
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John Merendino
York Haven, PA · Member since 2015 · 2 posts · 0 votes
11y
I would get rid of what is up against the back of the house that looks like it has a blue tarp on it.
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Karen Bickford
Investor · Bolton, MA · Member since 2012 · 133 posts · 72 votes
11y
Like the other posters have said add some color in trim, doors and maybe some shutters. Def replace all bushes. Add colorful perennials and perhaps flowering ornamental tree in front yard.
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Laura Williams
Kansas City MO · Member since 2014 · 357 posts · 349 votes
11y
Agree with everyone else about painting a trim color and also a colorful door ..I like either red or blue for front doors. Some colorful flowers around the front would be really nice. Agree with Steve B in that I wouldn't try to make it more modern but accent it's vintage charm. But otherwise it looks good...like a solid house. If it was a rental it wouldn't need anything.
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Wayne V.
Investor · New York City, NY · Member since 2015 · 122 posts · 67 votes
11y
I'm in on the wrap around porch to enhance the period of the house. It will broaden the first story of the house making it seem larger and it will break up the tall facade. Once furnished it adds a charming and pleasant outdoor room for the summer months. Envision friends over for a Mint Julip or a Pimm's while relaxing in comfortable chairs on a warm evening. I'd also suggest staging it a bit and you're good to go on at least recovering the cost and most likely increasing profit.
Ditto on an interesting paint scheme and improved landscaping. It looks like a nice house.
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Cody Kauzlarich
Des Moines, IA · Member since 2015 · 45 posts · 28 votes
11y
Just in case you need to one more vote, I'm in for removing all of the bushes. We removed the bushes in front of our own house, built a small wall with a flower bed behind it along our porch. Transformed the look of the house. I also love strict white houses with red shutters and door. Blue would look nice but isn't has period or as catching as the red.
If there is room in the budget for a porch I think its an excellent idea but even a small, nice perched awning would add a really nice accent and make the front much more 3D(see attached image below)
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Steve Buchanan
Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2013 · 119 posts · 51 votes
11y
Add shutters to the front of the house although the bottom left window looks tight.
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Michael Noto
OP
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
Thanks for all of the feedback!
@Steve Buchanan We are definitely going to put shutters on like you suggested but are trying to figure what to do with that window on the bottom left. Like you said it is a bit tight there.
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Richard C.
Bedford, NH · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
One nice unifying thing that would cost very little is to use a dark gray concrete stain on both the foundation and the curving walkway. I don't disagree with the poster who said that walk would look nice in brick pavers, but it is well laid-out and looks solid as-is.
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Michael Noto
OP
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
Thanks @Richard C. I like those suggestions.
Just like it looks, it is well laid out and solid.
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Mark Elliott
Investor · west seneca, NY · Member since 2014 · 376 posts · 211 votes
11y
i would get some color on the place. paint the trim, put some shutters on the front, landscape around the trees. it needs curb appeal. it looks like the plain white car on a lot full of colored cars.
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Richard C.
Bedford, NH · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
Possibly somewhat more controversially (as there are people who say never remove a mature tree) I'm not sure that what that spruce tree is adding to the appearance of the house justifies the space it is taking up. I would consider removing it. And I'd use an edger to scribe a rough circle around that deciduous tree and mulch it.
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Cindy D.
Dunedin, FL · Member since 2015 · 16 posts · 5 votes
11y
Everyone has great suggestions, my first thought was shutters on upper windows and window boxes on lower windows because of the tight squeeze on lower left. Please post after photos when you decide. Looks like a great house!
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Michael Noto
OP
Real Estate Agent · Southington, CT · Member since 2008 · 5k+ posts · 3k+ votes
11y
Thanks @Cindy D.
I like the window box idea for the lower windows. We will most likely document this flip here on BP like we do with our others.
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Steve Babiak
Real Estate Investor · Audubon, PA · Member since 2009 · 13k+ posts · 8k+ votes
11y
Fix the holes in the front concrete steps.
Paint front door a red color.
The bushes directly in front of house foundation near gas meter look like yew and rhododendron. If that is what they are (hard to tell from pics), get rid of yew. Rhododendrons will flower, so maybe keep that.
Plant red double knockout roses. They flower May through October and will give needed color.
What is going on to the left of the front door? Looks like it maybe has another entryway there.
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Rhondalette W.
Dallas, TX · Member since 2014 · 517 posts · 106 votes
11y
I probably would not try to make it modern but would go for charm and character. Remove thing on side of house with the blue tarp on it then Build an arbor with plants.
or how about red awnings!
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Richard C.
Bedford, NH · Member since 2012 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
11y
This house is in Connecticut, I believe? If so, awnings would make it look very dated.
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Kathia L.
Rental Property Investor · South FL · Member since 2014 · 92 posts · 16 votes
11y
Originally posted by @Michael Noto:

@Bill Labrecqueand I are closing on a SFR flip towards the end of June and are in the process now of fine tuning our rehab budget for the project.
The outside of the house itself and the landscaping is actually very well cared for. The roof is 3 years old and the siding is in very good shape. It just needs some improving to make it look at little more modern.
So, what would you do to improve the outside of this house?
I have yet to flip a house either but heres' my opinion.
What's on the side of the house next to the front door? is that a half porch? if it is you should extend it around to the other side and again match color with either trim or house color. if it's useless maybe consider taking it down if it won't damage anything.
ITA the hedges/bushes have got to go, they are to tall for the property and block the views to the house and from the windows they should either be cut lower or replaced with dwarf shrubbery that perennial low maintenance and wither some white stones or brown mulch around them. The Eagle? above the front door either take it down if it's not a true vintage piece or paint it to match trim. Front stairs and walk way need some TLC the steps are cracking at least power wash and fill cracks in if you don't want to replace with pavers or bricks.
Also the blue plastic and the cardboard structure underneath it is an eyesore, I don't know what it's for but if it's a camouflage like for the trash and recycling bins I would build a partial fence structure with a opening that you can close to hide those, and to match the fence around the the property. BTW one of that cheap looking chicken fence like the neighbor has get something that looks nice even if it's not expensive. I would use the classic white wooden fence.
The house looks nice but lacks some vintage character, maybe some pop-out frames in grayish blue or shutters framing the windows. You could then match the door color with the window frame color or shutters.
If you really want to up the WOW factor you could do some exterior paint in a happy baby blue (no grey tones) and then keep the window trims crisp white and if you can change the door to a nice "vintage look" door painted crisp white to match the trim.
The back door stairs need some power wash cleaning and then if they look good you can leave them like that or you can paint them to match either the house color or the trim. The awning needs to go and the stair-rail needs some paint just to freshen it up. The shuddery in back is to tall as well.
Let us know how it turns out and post some pictures.
Good luck.
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