What can I do to improve the street appeal?
Comments (7)
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Improve street appeal
Comments (27)definitely remove the "blob". update the a/c. widen steps. paint gutter and eaves. kill the awning. texture coat the brick walls. I would suggest removing the lawn (weed killer or cover it with weedmat and let it die is cheaper than having it dug up and removed), remove the slope by placing a low retaining wall and cutting and filling it, weed mat, underground sprinklers, strategically placed plants - I would suggest agaves, dragon tree, dracenas, a large feature cactus? etc..., 100 mm thick layer of a nonorganic mulch of your liking. reuse the existing rocks amongst the mulch (half bury them). costs are high to set up, then it is very low maintenance, not much watering required. you may wish to consider a water feature or even 3 d wall panels instead of texture coating (pretty similar costs)....See MoreHELP - Need help improving street appeal!!!
Comments (12)IMO the picket fence is at odds with the plain and fairly timeless house. Nothing wrong with corner windows per se, however if your climate would benefit from it you could enquire about replacing them with a more modern and energy efficient style. I don't see the need to spend on painting the bricks or roof tiles with possible maintenance issues down the track, unless you genuinely dislike the existing colours and have a clear vision for what you want instead. Sure they're sold as modernising tricks but the results vary and if not well done the house can look like nothing more than 'an old house, modernised'....See MoreHelp! How do I boost my home's street appeal?
Comments (14)I think the task of transforming homes like these is an exciting challenge! If your budget is not huge then timber trimmings and paint can make a huge difference here. You could paint the brick, or better still clad it with weatherboard to soften the house, but if the budget does not allow the whole house to be clad just do the front and go around the corners by about a meter and then paint the bricks at the sides and back to match. You definitely need a verandah across the front, with the steps centred and going straight down to meet the gate - this will transform the facade and is worth spending the money on. If you dont want to change the windows consider framing them with timber to make them look larger and replace the front door with something nicer, luckily your door is centred with same size windows either side. Id suggest replacing the fence with a picket fence and matching gates to hide the concrete driveway and then screen off the long side driveway and camouflage the overhang with a picket gate to match. Paint choices here are really important, it looks like your neighbours homes are beige or grey? Consider painting the house a classic colour such as dusky blue or sage combined with light trimmings to make yours stand out from the surrounding neutral homes (ive done a couple of quick mock-ups below as examples) You need some plants but your front yard is not large so a single, low height feature tree with mulch or pebbles instead of lawn would look wonderful plus a couple of strategically placed pots. Good luck!...See MoreImproving street appeal
Comments (9)I'm disappointed to keep reading the negatives of gum trees. They are magnificent plants that dont deserve the derision. And I've been designing gardens for about 40 years. Your home lends itself to an interesting native garden. Eucalyptus (gums) are available in a range of sizes enabling the ubiquitous 'Australian garden' to stand out. You can underplant these with clipped Westringia, Correas (both demanding well-drained soil) and Lomandra grasses. A few rocks would also add to the effect. Lilly Pillies are native, but are better placed in contemporary situations as hedge plants and not the Australiana style....See More
PRO7 years agoWith all due respect I am going to disagree with amonymousanne, and say painting everything white is completely wrong for this style of home. It is in the "Sydney School" style where the rustic nature of the brickwork and oregon beams make up part of the character of the home.
This style of your home is about organic texture and drama, so I would only paint what was previously painted, possibly in a Dulux colour called "Luck" which complements your brickwork beautifully, and is a deep brown/black colour similar to this photo. Your home may even be one of the much loved Pettit and Sevitt homes which are currently undergoing a revival in popularity if they have not been modernised beyond recognition.
However the paint is only secondary to the main issue which is your landscaping which is at odds with the architecture. The style of home is more suited to an informal, native Australian garden, rather than trimmed, box-shaped shrubs that look quite alien. Your landscaping should also draw the eye to your entry, the current landscaping is concealing it. Improving the landscaping is the key to improving the street appeal, and new paint, without new landscaping won't be enough to do it.
Best of luck,
Dr Retroof Dr Retro House Calls
- 7 years ago
- PRO7 years ago
jostew5, yes I would. You may like to join the "Pettit and Sevitt Owners and Friends Club" on Facebook to see how Dulux "Luck" looks with your brickwork.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/259388951244530/?ref=bookmarks
Best of luck,
Dr Retroof Dr Retro House Calls
PRO7 years ago
7 years ago
julie herbert