Wednesday, May 19, 2021

The Curb Appeal Project

Sometimes you need to start from scratch

This house had nice curb appeal when we bought it, thanks to its classic bungalow styling.  But the front porch was its least attractive element, but that's about to change!

For some reason when they trimmed out the porch, they created these funky strips of soffit (the stuff that's supposed to go under the eaves), including the type with holes punched in it for ventilation.  And if that didn't look odd enough, they also cut them at wonky angles, which didn't exactly help the way they look.
 

The porch also only has a glass door (the screen part seems to have disappeared).  It's a narrow, short door and doesn't project a welcoming look.

And then there is the stair problem.  Stairs are all supposed to be the exact same height.  These are 5", 7" and 6"!  Technically they're grandfathered and we could leave them, but since that's a safety hazard we will be replacing them with steps that meet modern building codes.  Speaking of safety hazards, there isn't any exterior lighting, so we will be adding that as well.

Last problem, there aren't any house numbers - and it's been that way for many years.  The neighbors have already asked me to please make sure we install numbers, because they're tired of having packages delivered to the wrong house (can't say that I blame them!).  

So what's the plan?  First, I'd like to replace all the sheet metal trim with AZEK PVC.  It looks like wood, but doesn't require any maintenance. It comes with decorative styles that will add a bit more interest to the facade.

Next, we'll install a real front door.  This will provide a bit more privacy when you're in the house and will let us add a pop of color.  I did a couple of mockups and liked this simple door the best.


And the house numbers?  Well I want to do something special.  So I'm having house numbers custom made of stained glass.  This is a traditional look that will add a special touch to the front of the house.  This glass transom will be installed above the front door.  Here's the mockup I received for the glass. Won't it be great?

It was simpler to tear everything off and start fresh.  That let us properly install house wrap, as we start trimming it out.  Can you see the progress already?  The door and the house numbers are on order, but we won't see them for a bit.  But in the meantime, I'm already pretty excited about the changes!

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3 comments:

  1. I'm behind in reading - it's going to look so much better.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I can't wait to see it come together. The front door is on order, but MIA, so it might take awhile. That seems to be the way things go these days!!!

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  2. Hi, I just stumbled upon your blog and love what you've done! My husband and I just bought a project house and would love to play around with some exterior mockups. What software do you use?

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