Help me dress up the front of this house.

[Adam Craig]

Getting ready to list one of my long time rentals. Please give some tips on freshening up the front without going crazy on the budget. Here is what I am thinking but thoughts appreciated...

1. Replace flower post near front door with a more modern wooden one.
2. Landscaping of course
3. Painting the front door - I have seen houses with this color and a funky medium orange door. Thoughts?
4. New address numbers and nicer light above front door.
5. Not sure about repainting the house body - we came up with this color 4 years ago which was difficult due to the brick and roof and I dont hate it?

[Brenna Elske]

@Adam Craig It’s hard to tell from the photo but it looks like the brick and any cement walkway could use a pressure washing to freshen it up. Possibly repaint just the trim as well if it’s chipped at all.

[Andrea Curtis]

@Adam Craig

Everyone on planet earth will have an opinion! Be careful who’s advice you take :) you have a great palette to work with there. Have fun and get er done

[Account Closed]

Add grass outside and  you can also get some plants and flowers near the house. 

[Diane S.]

Never paint brick you dont need to, clean up bushes or remove near path, less maintenance, rake yard, colors work as is , just make sure in paint in good shape, maybe newer lighting say motion sensor, a nice kick plate to door would brighten up, and reduce wear, throw in some real cedar chips near door for cedar smell, house colors are fine and wont bring in more rent or faster, just make clean & inviting, put mat near door so stays clean for showings, and worry more about inside

[Deanna O.]

Leave the brick, leave the white trim. Nix the bush by the garage unless it's something spectacular when it leafs out or blooms. I like the idea of the varigated Hosta, but they might take a year to get to a decent size. Maybe work with a curving border for the planter to break up the squareness of the whole thing.  Yes replace the pillar (white or natural wood?), largish pot with some decent size plants next to the pillar. I'd like to see a red door (lots of reds to choose from -- take a sample of current paint & go to HD or Lowes & see what colors they have similar to what you have, & what 3rd color they have with them (why re-invent a wheel). I could see a cranberry going well. Grab a brick to hold next to them if you are uncertain. 

Obviously at sale time a few dramatic, larger scale, healthy flowering plants - either in a pot on the porch or next to the pillar/door (begonias if they will work in your area, baskets of red/white & blue petunias, crackerjack marigolds or large Zinnias/Dalias). Nothing small or struggling. Mulch might be good. Door hardware that stands out a bit (nice keypad front door has the added advantage of allowing access for showing). An American flag if you feel like it. 

[Bivi V.]

@Erika Page

- Pay attention to comments by Erika Page.

Do not waste your money and time otherwise.

I can advise you to spend a million on it, but it is your money, I just try to make a grand suggestion and feel proud of making it. 

But all you need is very minimum that can get you what you need - IMMEDIATELY.

Thanks for starting the dress up discussion, seen the pressure to please, but just try to care only enough to ease into income.

[Matthew Johnson]

@Adam Craig I agree with those who are saying to paint the brick. I feel like by painting the brick it will give it a more up to date feel and better curb appeal!

[Michelle Bright]

We tend to paint all of our houses with the same color red door. It feels cheery and happy! Pick a fun gender neutral color. 

[Account Closed]

Originally posted by @Blake Smith:

Love the black door/shutters idea. I think with your additional ideas you that might be all you need. This pic was close to the same color brick as yours...

That brick color is not even remotely close. Black doors can work, but it is tricky to pull off and depends on the style of the house. Works great in the pic above. The house above is not an ordinary boring tri-level and is the sort that depends on the detail/design. Lets not also overlook the fact the doors above are mostly glass - a solid black door would look different. LOL. In my opinion of course.

[Fi Scope]

After landscaping, I'd paint the siding white, the shutters and trim black, use black numbers for the address, change the door out for a wood door to wood and encase the post in wood.  I would not paint the brick.

[JD Martin]

OK, I am going to be the odd man out here on a couple of things, but that's OK :) 

1. It is perfectly fine to paint brick. In fact, early brick was *meant* to be painted. Even the Romans plastered their brick, understanding that the plaster was what prevented the clay in the bricks from breaking down. In the US, there is a long history of painting brick. Now, newer bricks are generally *not* meant to be painted, but that doesn't mean they can't be painted. It is just going to require more work and preparation. Here's a good primer on the history of painting brick:

History of Painted Brick

2. Having said that, I would not paint that brick because there's no need to paint it; I would paint the upper part of the house instead. You chose a color that clashes with the roof and the brick. Your roof and brick have warm brown and red earth tones, and you chose a cool gray color. They don't work together on a color wheel. You have the additional problem of the two shades cutting the house in half and making it look squat. I would paint the upper part of this house a color very close to the shade of brick such that, visually, it appears more seamless. 

3. The white garage door, white shutters and white front door also do not go with this house, nor does the white band under the siding. It's like a fat guy wearing a horizontal striped shirt - not a good look. Shutters are completely unnecessary on this house and out of proportion, and the lower windows have no shutters. You want to elongate that area instead of making it feel squashed. I'd lose the shutters altogether. Front door and garage door could stay white since your gutters, fascia and soffitt are white but they'd be nicer in a warmer white that complemented the warm tones of the brick, instead of cool white like they are.

4. *If possible* I would lose the post altogether. It doesn't appear to me to be structural, as the roof looks like it just extends deep enough for soffitt. It cuts the house in half terribly. If it is structural a good alternative would be a beefy corbel to carry the weight back to the house without introducing the visual break of the post. My last choice would be a wood post to the cement. 

[Steve K.]

Originally posted by @JD Martin:

OK, I am going to be the odd man out here on a couple of things, but that's OK :) 

1. It is perfectly fine to paint brick. In fact, early brick was *meant* to be painted. Even the Romans plastered their brick, understanding that the plaster was what prevented the clay in the bricks from breaking down. In the US, there is a long history of painting brick. Now, newer bricks are generally *not* meant to be painted, but that doesn't mean they can't be painted. It is just going to require more work and preparation. Here's a good primer on the history of painting brick:

History of Painted Brick

2. Having said that, I would not paint that brick because there's no need to paint it; I would paint the upper part of the house instead. You chose a color that clashes with the roof and the brick. Your roof and brick have warm brown and red earth tones, and you chose a cool gray color. They don't work together on a color wheel. You have the additional problem of the two shades cutting the house in half and making it look squat. I would paint the upper part of this house a color very close to the shade of brick such that, visually, it appears more seamless. 

3. The white garage door, white shutters and white front door also do not go with this house, nor does the white band under the siding. It's like a fat guy wearing a horizontal striped shirt - not a good look. Shutters are completely unnecessary on this house and out of proportion, and the lower windows have no shutters. You want to elongate that area instead of making it feel squashed. I'd lose the shutters altogether. Front door and garage door could stay white since your gutters, fascia and soffitt are white but they'd be nicer in a warmer white that complemented the warm tones of the brick, instead of cool white like they are.

4. *If possible* I would lose the post altogether. It doesn't appear to me to be structural, as the roof looks like it just extends deep enough for soffitt. It cuts the house in half terribly. If it is structural a good alternative would be a beefy corbel to carry the weight back to the house without introducing the visual break of the post. My last choice would be a wood post to the cement. 

 JD just to clarify, the article you linked states that brick should NOT be painted, except for a small percentage of brick buildings built prior to 1870 out of hand-made bricks. The bricks the Romans used are quite different from what we use today. 

I don't care what Joanna Gaines or anyone else says, my experience working on brick buildings as a carpenter and house painter over 25 years tells me brick should not be painted, unless it is already painted, which is a shame. Just try painting it sometime, it becomes obvious quickly when the paint doesn't stick to the mortar lines and begins peeling and falling off soon after and looks awful. Sure it can be done with the right paint and tons of prep (a white wash or lime wash is the way to go if it needs to be done), but generally speaking painting brick just to be "on trend" or whatever is a bad idea because you lose the benefit of having a maintenance free surface that doesn't need to be repainted every few years. Raw brick will always come back into style because it is the ultimate building surface just as it is. 

[JD Martin]

Originally posted by @Steve K.:

Originally posted by @JD Martin:

OK, I am going to be the odd man out here on a couple of things, but that's OK :) 

1. It is perfectly fine to paint brick. In fact, early brick was *meant* to be painted. Even the Romans plastered their brick, understanding that the plaster was what prevented the clay in the bricks from breaking down. In the US, there is a long history of painting brick. Now, newer bricks are generally *not* meant to be painted, but that doesn't mean they can't be painted. It is just going to require more work and preparation. Here's a good primer on the history of painting brick:

History of Painted Brick

2. Having said that, I would not paint that brick because there's no need to paint it; I would paint the upper part of the house instead. You chose a color that clashes with the roof and the brick. Your roof and brick have warm brown and red earth tones, and you chose a cool gray color. They don't work together on a color wheel. You have the additional problem of the two shades cutting the house in half and making it look squat. I would paint the upper part of this house a color very close to the shade of brick such that, visually, it appears more seamless. 

3. The white garage door, white shutters and white front door also do not go with this house, nor does the white band under the siding. It's like a fat guy wearing a horizontal striped shirt - not a good look. Shutters are completely unnecessary on this house and out of proportion, and the lower windows have no shutters. You want to elongate that area instead of making it feel squashed. I'd lose the shutters altogether. Front door and garage door could stay white since your gutters, fascia and soffitt are white but they'd be nicer in a warmer white that complemented the warm tones of the brick, instead of cool white like they are.

4. *If possible* I would lose the post altogether. It doesn't appear to me to be structural, as the roof looks like it just extends deep enough for soffitt. It cuts the house in half terribly. If it is structural a good alternative would be a beefy corbel to carry the weight back to the house without introducing the visual break of the post. My last choice would be a wood post to the cement. 

 JD just to clarify, the article you linked states that brick should NOT be painted, except for a small percentage of brick buildings built prior to 1870 out of hand-made bricks. The bricks the Romans used are quite different from what we use today. 

I don't care what Joanna Gaines or anyone else says, my experience working on brick buildings as a carpenter and house painter over 25 years tells me brick should not be painted, unless it is already painted, which is a shame. Just try painting it sometime, it becomes obvious quickly when the paint doesn't stick to the mortar lines and begins peeling and falling off soon after and looks awful. Sure it can be done with the right paint and tons of prep (a white wash or lime wash is the way to go if it needs to be done), but generally speaking painting brick just to be "on trend" or whatever is a bad idea because you lose the benefit of having a maintenance free surface that doesn't need to be repainted every few years. Raw brick will always come back into style because it is the ultimate building surface just as it is. 

 I agree that modern brick is designed to just be left as is. That said, plenty of modern brick is ugly as hell and no amount of waiting for it to come back in style will ever change that. Painted brick has a quiet beauty to it, as you still get the effect of texture but the serenity of the single palate to calm down the riot of color. 

Latex paint is designed to be porous to water vapor; otherwise, all painted surfaces would peel and disintegrate in short order. Brick is not the only porous material out there. That's different from an issue with actual water intrusion into the brick, which will delaminate paint from brick for sure but is a structural issue that should be corrected. Commercial buildings use painted masonry all day long, all the time (think Walmart with its painted concrete blocks) without any trouble. Does that mean the paint will last forever? Well, of course not, and as a general principal of which is more maintenance over time, non-painted modern brick likely wins. However, paint does in fact protect mortar joints, which are not fired and prone to disintegration and required repointing over time, so there's that. 

I agree that painting something just to be "on trend" is probably a bad idea :) . I just don't subscribe to the "Never Paint Brick" monthly journal. Aesthetics *is* an important part of value - if not, all cars would be strong frames and unpainted plastic panels to cover the engine and wheel wells - and the most important part of the equation (to me) is how does the existing material and look affect the aesthetics (and by definition value) of this property? If I have a property with hideous, 1970s technicolor brick, and I can't work with it by changing anything else, you can bet it is getting painted or otherwise altered. If I have a house that has two different bricks that clash because of an addition or repair, it is probably getting painted. Whether or not something has to be maintained into perpetuity is rarely my concern; when people start paying for low maintenance over aesthetics, I'll change my mind. I'll do it the right way, as far as painting goes, but I don't believe in making anything verboten when it comes to making money on real estate!

[Steve K.]

Good points! My next Public Service Announcement regarding painting brick will be less absolute. I do feel like people are going overboard painting brick unnecessarily lately though. Not many seem to realize they’re making a decision that will permanently effect the property in a negative way in terms of operating costs. For example I own a beautiful brick triplex in Denver. At some point somebody decided to paint it, and to make matters worse they chose an atrocious lavender, which I’m fairly certain was never on trend but that’s beside the point. It’s white now and every few years I have to repaint it which costs several thousand dollars, or many thousands over the years, good money which would not be leaving my pocket if the brick had been left alone. So I see painting brick unnecessarily as a disservice to any future owners, not to mention it can damage the brick. But there are some cases where it is warranted, I mentioned a few in my PSA and you brought up some others. Perhaps my personal experiences dealing with the bad results of painted brick combined with the recent HGTV-led crusade to paint all brick surfaces white has left me jaded. I will leave it at this: think twice before painting brick people!

[Steve K.]

@JD Martin tag didn't work in my reply, see above...

[JD Martin]

Originally posted by @Steve K.:

Good points! My next Public Service Announcement regarding painting brick will be less absolute. I do feel like people are going overboard painting brick unnecessarily lately though. Not many seem to realize they’re making a decision that will permanently effect the property in a negative way in terms of operating costs. For example I own a beautiful brick triplex in Denver. At some point somebody decided to paint it, and to make matters worse they chose an atrocious lavender, which I’m fairly certain was never on trend but that’s beside the point. It’s white now and every few years I have to repaint it which costs several thousand dollars, or many thousands over the years, good money which would not be leaving my pocket if the brick had been left alone. So I see painting brick unnecessarily as a disservice to any future owners, not to mention it can damage the brick. But there are some cases where it is warranted, I mentioned a few in my PSA and you brought up some others. Perhaps my personal experiences dealing with the bad results of painted brick combined with the recent HGTV-led crusade to paint all brick surfaces white has left me jaded. I will leave it at this: think twice before painting brick people!

 I knew we really didn't disagree :)  . I definitely believe most people should seriously think it through before painting brick, especially modern brick, because it's largely irreversible. You can repaint the wood siding on your house if you choose the wrong color, but if you decide painting the brick was a mistake, that's too bad - taking it back to brick is a herculean undertaking. I always try to work with what I have first before I think about painting brick, and a lot of the time it's not the brick that's objectionable but the colors that were chosen to go along with the brick (like in this post). The brick on this house looks perfectly salvageable but hideous because it's paired with clashing colors. That brick also fits the style of the house, kind of a 1950's rambling midcentury modern/FLW inspired design. There's all kinds of things that can be done on this house without touching the brick. For me, it also depends on exposure - I would be unlikely to paint brick that has heavy exposure to the elements, i.e. is not under a deep covered overhang or was a two-story design. I have a house that is brick, that is going to get painted when I get a Round Tuit, but it has had two additions of mismatching brick and looks cobbled together and not in a good way. 

[Irina Belkofer]

Even white shutters/door/trim would be OK - this is not the most expensive neiborhood.

However, burgundy gives it a special look - everybody wanted the bench, too.....lol

The highest and best use of the money were these flowers - I've got two offers right after I changed my front photo - it cost $20 in August but gives that final touch.

Shutters are not expensive but the door cost dearly. If you're going to sell the house anyway, you have to count ROI and don't spend unnecessary

As for paving driveway - unless the city makes you, don't bother. There are all houses with such driveways.

Recently, the city became more picky though - there is no POS but exterior inspection usually includes all these expensive violations when you sell

[David Sisson]

get rid of the shutters. this is a modern home and stylistically shutters have no place on it.