However, the outside looks very bland and uninviting... well, we actually call it UGLY!
As you can see from this picture taken in the snow, it has NO color - well, it does have the ugly Tudor green stripes and trim. We do not like it at ALL!
Here is a picture taken last March with some green grass. It looks a little better, but still not much beauty there.
Also, in the back of the house we have five very large floor to ceiling windows and a sliding glass door. It is beautiful to look out into the yard and really opens up the house so it feels nice and big. The problem there is the heat loss during the winter and a/c loss in the summer.
Now, here is our dilemma. We are looking at replacing the old leaky black windows with some nice insulated white ones. (yeah, I know... more white). That will make it look better and make us feel better. but..... a huge expense and is this what we want to do first? I mean, how much of a difference will it make to the way the outside looks?
Tonight hugsum and I were talking about all this. We know that the windows will make a huge difference as far as comfort and utility bills are concerned.
BUT... we also want to feel good about the outside of the house. We looked at siding and have had some quotes... yeah... $12,000! YIKES... that is for just the top part - and not even all of that! And yes, the siding will add some insulation... but again, there is as much or more brick as stucco, so will it make that much of a difference?
So, our next option is to paint. We have talked about painting the stucco (after we take down the hideous green wood trim) the same color as the bricks and then paint the trim white... but, yuck. We don't like the color of the brick... so, we are now talking about painting the entire house, brick and all, a darker color and then the trim a lighter color....
At this point we cannot do but one thing. Well, we could probably paint and do the windows, IF we paint it ourselves and don't "hire it out". But, then there is the problem of really wanting it to look good and not like we did it ourselves. Certain people in our family who would be doing most of the painting don't really like to paint and they are not known for their attention to detail and neatness - more of "get the job done"... which is not a bad trait in some instances.
Well, as you can see, we are in the middle of some large decisions. Thankfully, they are not life threatening nor eternal... although the windows do come with a lifetime guarantee!
Any suggestions or advice? I'd love to get HGTV to come in and do a curb appeal show and fix it for us! Wouldn't that be great?
5 comments:
This is one for builderman. Let me see if I can pull him into my blog world. : )
I think paint. I like a beige or yellow with blue trim. Beige also looks good with green trim. Look at some photos on HGTV.com and get some color ideas.
I say just move :) Just kidding, of course. Have you had any estimates done for getting brick all over (stucco and everything)? Maybe you should because that is what yall really want! It's probably more expensive,yes, but if that's what you want the most don't settle for something else that you still may or may not like!
Builderman was showing me a picture this afternoon of a house he is adding "curb appeal" to and I pulled him in here to look at your photos. Here's what he said:
1. Don't paint the brick
2. Pull the tudor boards off the stucco and repaint the stucco.
3. Add an octagonal louvre on the gable end and paint it a different color than the stucco. This would be decorative plus allow the roof to be vented.
4. Add shutters to both windows.
5. Put in a generous flower bed.
Home makeover at your service. ; )
I love your house!
I agree with paint. We put up siding on our old house and although it was an improvement the realtor told us it lessens the value of the house. Who cares really, it sold before we even put it on the market.
Have a paint party! Or ask for it for Mother's Day and who could resist. ;-)
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