Our house is the sort of house that a real estate agent would describe as “cute starter home.” Problem is, it isn’t cute. It’s mad ugly. There’s a lot of creativity here; maybe you’ll have some thoughts. I’m naturally thinking conservatively, but I’m willing to entertain some big ideas.
In the spring, I plan on painting the exterior and replacing the front door. But the facade has some problems with proportion:
– The awning looks like a tacked-on afterthought
– The living room window is large, which is good from the inside but is too close to the door, making that look crowded. There’s no room for decorative casing around the door.
– The other window is too small, but it’s above the sink: it’s constrained by the counter below, cabinets on either side, and a bulkhead above
– The roof has no overhang, and no molding or anything to ease the transition between roofline and gable end.
I’m thinking that shutters on the small window might improve things, but beyond that, I’m having trouble.
(Only one of the images is resized – woops!)
Replies
dump the awning and really start hacking at the roof. Hip the end and set the overhang far enough out to cover the entire porch.
edit to add: proportions are probably off in the attached but you can get an idea.
Edited 3/10/2008 3:57 pm ET by john7g
Yeah! I really like the look of that. That'd get me into the whole works: siding, framing and roofing, but in the end it'd probably be worthwhile!
Get rid of all that white stuff (snow)! You'll feel better.
So long as yer asking me (us) to spend your money.....
Blow the roof off the joint......raise it up, high. Maybe give it a "salt box" look.
Much as you enjoy the larger window from the inside....shrink it. Maybe a little in width, but mostly in height. Pull it away from the door a bit and bring the sill height in line with kitchen window.
Maybe add a portico.
But even just adding some window casings and rake moulding will give it a facelift.
New siding....maybe a clap board on the lower section, and shakes up above, inside the gable.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
to go with 2nd floor like JD suggested... add 2nd floor porch out either end
Adding a second storey is something my wife and I fantasize about quite a bit.Won't happen tomorrow, but perhaps eventually. We feel really settled where we are: love our location, our neighbors, etc.
Won't happen tomorrow, but perhaps eventually.
Well if that's the case, and you plan on being there a while....even out those windows, add the trim I mentioned and paint her up nice.
That'll be a nice face lift for the time being.
Save the bucks for when it's time to really blow her out.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
Looks kinda tight. Do you have enough room to put a porch across the front and a roof over it (either a roof going across the porch or extend the main house roof over the porch). Give it a bungalow look.
jt8
"A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world." --Leo Buscaglia
You can do a lot of things with that elevation. Obviously, it's at it's infancy now.
I wouldn't demo that little roof over the door just yet. Instead I'd try to balance it by adding to the window on the left.
One trick to make the window look bigger is to add a flat panel under it...maybe with a flower box or just a molding detail. Then, add shutters full from the bottom of the flat panel or window box to the top. The top can be extended easily with a panel and crown mold. Be sure to flash it.
I've got a pic somewhere of something similar...I just can locate it. If I'm lucky, the file will pop into my head.
One slightly harder way to greatly enhance the gable with an overhang. Heres a picture of an 8" overhang with dentils, which may be too busy for your small elevation.
Some of the other elements might work: a boxed out kitchen window with a roof over (moma will love the sill). Posts for the roof. Or, add a full porch. You could create a half wall of brick veneer rather cheaply too.
If I planned on being there for a loooong time, I'd design the thing with a 2nd story, then do all the improvements in stages. I'd stubbornly do each stage in a way that didn't force me to waste previous efforts.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Opps, I forgot to mention a very simple but effective improvement: hip returns. We call them Queen Anns when they are true hip returns. You'd get a lot of bang for your buck with them.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
BiffLoman,
In todays market you want to spend money on a starter home? That's like buying an old car and repainting it thinking you'll get more money for it.. Just won't happen..
Keep the price modest and you will quickly find a willing buyer..
The value in a home isn't in the building, it's in the land..
If you plan on "flipping" a house buy the worst building in the best neighborhood.. that way your efforts will stand a real cahnce of making money..
I dont think he's thinking about selling the place. Said they like the location and would like to stay.
How about buying an old car and repainting it becuase you like the way it looks??!!
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
m2akita,
Sure but then why would he mention increasing the resale value? I built my house the way I did because I wanted to.. it wasn't done as a part of some market value research or even with focus on future sales.
He should be allowed to do the same..
Didnt see him say anything about resale value, must of missed it.
Live by the sword, die by the sword....choose your sword wisely.
m2akita,
You're right I was wrong.. sorry!
Even if he didn't mention it (I think he did), he should be concerned about it. That's what wise men do. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Yes. You never know.
No, I didn't mention resale. It is always in the back of my mind. But mostly I'm embarrassed by my hovel. You can't see the house on the right, but it's beautiful. Our neighbours on the other side: nothing special, but still way better.
We love where we are, and don't plan on moving any time soon. I'm dreaming big and planning small right now. Think: paint in spring, see how it strikes me, and move on from there.
I do want the house to look pretty for my own pride, and also possible resale. It's the ugliest, plainest house on the street right now. We got it for less. . . that is why.
Not sure what the rest of the neighborhood looks like. And not that you have to follow what everyone else is doing but staying within the context in terms of scale or size may be a good starting point. I'd start by looking at the roofs up and down the street. If they're all gable ends and you wanted to extend the roof over the porch it would be nice from a design standpoint to continue that pattern. Likewise, maintaining continuity in scale in terms of overall massing, window proportions and building materials will help keep the house in character with the rest of the neighborhood.
What about putting on a covered front porch?? Does space permit it?? Would you guys use a front porch? Of course that might not work well with the 2nd floor that everyone is putting on for you :)
I would add a small gable overhang(12"-16") with 4x4 brackets to the front, or the whole house if you have the money since it would look original, and extend the porch to fill the right side of the house(split the front in half and push the porch to the right). Cover it with a matching gable end that follows the right side of the roof to the smaller peak. I don't have any fancy software, but it's easy to visualize. The entire porch is half the width of the house and the porch roof ridge is half the width of the porch. You could probably have it done for $10k-$15k(with decking), or $5k if you did it yourself.
I think shutters on the kitchen window would be nice too, but they should be wood and operable. Don't buy the plastic ####. It looks like plastic ####.
I attached a really, really bad computer illustration of my idea. I'm much better with paper and a pencil. I could have a career as a Southpark illustrator though.
Edited 3/10/2008 10:26 pm ET by remodelman
Dude.....I think you nailed it.
Purtys it up right nice, in an economical manner.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
Your pic is right on. It fits right in with the other attractive houses in the neighbourhood. I like that idea a lot, and I'm going to file it under ideas to keep up my sleeve.
BiffLoman,
Who do you know has a great sense of style? Is your wife, sister, friend, aunt etc. someone who automatically looks good on a modest budget? Have them help you with the paint selection. That's who you need to listen to. Removing things and painting can make the best improvement for the most modest budget..
Buy a few trees/ brushes etc.. and you can achieve a neat effect on a relatively tiny budget.
Don't forget the vine covered cottage effect look.. Ivy planted on a wall or hiding a less than ideal facade can do wonders even if it takes a couple of years to completely cover the are needed.
Ivy planted on a wall or hiding a less than ideal facade can do wonders
This idea may work fine for a stone built structure.....but is the worst possible idea for one which incorporates wood.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
ever thought of taking down th Christmas lights or do they stay up all year?
What, Christmas is over?
Those are not Christmas lights.They are festive, year-round, gollygee feelgood lights.At least, that's my claim at my place, and I'm sticking to it.
Life doesn't often leave a very easy trail to follow.
You & Biff must have relatives that live down the road from me. Do these lights need to be turned on to be festive, gollygee feelgood lights or just installed (precariously)?
They must be turned on.Well, except for the frequent times when there are bulbs burnt out.You are required by law, hereabouts, NOT to replace light bulbs in your festive gollygee feelgood lights, except during the quadannual feelgood bulb savings changeover time and possum barbeque celebrations.
Life doesn't often leave a very easy trail to follow.
That aint nuttin'....at least there's still snow on the ground in his photo, leading one to believe it coulda been the holiday season.
Neighbor across the street keeps his up year round. He's got the icicles running up the rake and across the eves.
You don't really notice them so much anymore, except on those August nights when someone inadvertently flips the light switch that they're tied to. The kids think it's hillarious...."Hey look...Sal is celebrating Christmas early again!"
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
you should ask the guy thats parked in front of your house. bet he could come up with some ideas with that big logo and all. lol
Ha! Yeah. Well, I've got zero experience working on exteriors.
Not that I have much experience with anything. I'm quite the newb. I'm hoping to finish off what I'm doing right now and get back into trying to find an apprenticeship position with a licensed trade.
I've been drifting since being laid off. If someone wants something, I'll quote it - or not, if I don't know where to start.
The logo was free. ;-)
Open it up . . . start by ripping down that thing on the right :)
Our house is the sort of house that a real estate agent would describe as "cute starter home."
I think you misunderstood. They said "acute starter home".
CaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com
Edited 3/11/2008 12:06 am by Huck
dang Huck, ya get one for trying so hard.
Saaalute!View Image View Image
Peach full,easy feelin'.
You could ask for design advice from Hudson Valley Carpenter...
;o)
View Image
Life doesn't often leave a very easy trail to follow.
Ha! Nice. I was confused until I found the other thread.
The house is what it is. Probably surrounded by homes of similar quality and design.
Rather than dumping a lot of money into it sell the house and move up to a nicer home. Putting a substantially amount of money into this house to try an make it anything more than a starter home is likely a bad financial decision.
That being said the best thing you can do is extend the roof ridge forward and put a covered porch across the entire front of the house.
MikeK
I do happen to completely agree with you regarding the wisdom of spending a lot of money on what promises to have a very poor return.
The sell and trade up idea is also fraught with risks and losses..
Aside form the obvious risk of buying a poor house or neighborhood going down the simple act of selling a house is extremely expensive..
Realitors commissions on modest priced housing tends to be uniformly around 7%. If you add the cost of moving and closing costs plus the inevitable need to change decor at your new location to suit furniture etc.. you will be hard pressed to spend less than 10%
Now look at that number.. Assume the house sells for $150,000 (I don't know market values there so I'm making a S.W.A.G.) that means selling will cost him $15,000.
Those aren't pretend dollars,, those are real asset dollars earned thru home ownership over an extended period.
If you look at your monthy payment book you will see how little of your payment applies towards the principle the first few years of ownership.. To acquire $15,000 worth of equity means many years of careful payments are wiped out in a single transaction..
If the purchase results in long term happiness and gain it will be money well spent.. If it's simply to step higher on the ladder with the intention of many more steps rethinking your plans might be called for..
"The house is what it is. Probably surrounded by homes of similar quality and design."
No. She's the ugliest house on the street, by a mile, and one of the smallest. Why the hell would I want to dress it up if the neighbours weren't any better? I'm embarrassed because my house looks like sh1t in comparison.
Edited 3/17/2008 1:32 pm ET by Biff_Loman
Is there any way to park your car and truck somewhere else? Alongside the house? That would make a big difference. Along with the change of the house you could do some landscaping. Plant a few trees. When trees grow up to fill a front yard it totally changes the way it looks.
No. The lot *itself* is only 30' wide.
Is there access to the back? An alley? Just looking for ideas.
Heh. No. Unless, of course, you're driving a motorcycle. Maybe even a Smart car.
Although all the houses in the area are *nicer* than mine, few of them have garages. It's normal to see everyone parked in the driveway and on the street.
It's just an older area. My house was built in the '60s as infill. I'm guessing someone severed a lot.
How ugly is it ?
But seriously,
You like your home, and don't let any one tell you the best thing to do is sell.
A good home is very hard to make let alone find. This entire Website
is devoted to achieving that very thing.
First it's a small house so fixing the cosmetics will be on a reasonable scale.
Second It's a simple house so the problems will be minimal.
Third a little powder and a little paint makes a Girl...
I'd like to address some of the naysayers
I've seen some of you over in the "Green" column.
Don't you think- it is very green to put some
love into this existing, modest simple house?
Aren't you getting caught up in the very consumerism that
you've so eloquently argued against.
Money is not the final answer.
Here, here.
My house was the eyesore of the neighborhood when I bought it some 14 years back. At a paultry 800 sq. ft. of actual living space, eveyone....and I mean everyone assumed I was buying it as a quick flip.
I bought it dirt cheap as a foreclosure....fixed it up....more than doubled its size...and it is now the prettiest house on the block.
I love this neighborhood and my neighbors.
I could sell it tomorrow and quadruple my investment.
But I aint goin' nowhere.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Pp, Qq
Right on.
I'll add that there's something about the neighbourhood that's just. . . good. Resale is at the back of my mind, not the forefront.
Our next-door neighbours have a house that's marginally larger than ours. They jacked the house and poured a new basement, then added a 1/2 storey, and added a fantastic porch out front with lots of ginger-bread and other detail.
Their kids are both teenagers, but they loved the neighbourhood too much to move.