Help me make this house more appealing?

Hi,
This is my Queensland Scarborough Brisbane holiday let house, i'd like to make the front of the house look more appealing for guests so it will attract more bookings. Anybody keen to share any ideas?
Btw, guests love the house once they do book and stay, the street has water views and the home is just a 250 metre walk to the beach.

The house is in good condition inside.

 

The house looks great, maybe just a bit of landscaping. Some plants along the house line and then a nice path from the steps.

 

Yep and a fancier entry. Perhaps a deck coming out to the edge of the paving/stones that are there.
Make it a little grander

And paint some modern colours - wites and greys etc

 

I had the exact same thought when I saw the photo.

 

I'm thinking palms - not necessary the flag pole type, more low growing. If there's enough shade.
Frangipanis like full sun.
Magnolias
Hibiscus!

 

Take the photo from a different angle, include the driveway if there is one, use a wide angle Lenz.

The grass at front will look bigger.
I would try a side angle shot.

 

Photoshop nicer grass into the ad. It looks fine.

 

Agree with path and plants/ flowers along the house line.

Or you could just have no pictures of the outside?

 

The house is fine, but the big patch of grass out front detracts from it. Just have less in the pic.

 

Thanks everybody. I am thinking some plant life/flowers out the front would be nice...
No big trees though because I want to be able to develop the site later.

 

Landscape the like that the gardener guy from Masters of Flips do.

 

Maybe try a few slender pencil pines which seem to require nil maintenance. I would like to see the driveway and path concreted with maybe a low white fence at the front.

Trouble with plants is they will require massive maintenance in the tropics. Once you start paying for a gardener, it eats profits, unless it can be added easily to the regular lawn mowing. This week the grass grew about six inches. All my partly-shaded concrete is green and the grass borders all require snipping again after only a week.

 

Some plants in nice big pots down one side and an obvious pathway (not stepping stones) will help to draw the eye to the front porch/door in the photo. I'm not sure what the front fence is like, but it looks like the grass is well trodden down the centre of the front yard....is this leading to a front gate? If so, the pathway would go well here. If the fence looks good, try taking the photo from across the road, it should balance the house out. Happy to have a look and see if our gardeners can help out if you want?! Good luck

 

I have no front fence...

 

I know these homes aren't the same as your place, but you can see the difference in street appeal I am talking about. Nothing fancy, just a white picket fence to keep costs down. Just an idea.

 

Second one looks cute.

 

If this faces the water, then it's likely to get the bay breeze. I'd be putting a little deck out the front on the left side (looking at it from the front) & then pop a garden in front of the deck.

I wouldn't bother putting a garden in front of the other side (nearest the garage) is it looks as though the path from the garage runs pretty close the house. Maybe a couple of potted plants there would work better (you don't need to dig a bed etc)?

 

Not sure I'd go the deck on the front as the back of the house has a great sized deck already and the deck in the front would get a bit too much sunshine anyway and it's not a private space - people driving on the street would see you.

 

It definitely needs something to 'break up' the front of the place. You don't want plants too close to the house (potential termite issues), so a little deck with a small table and 2 chairs, might break it up a bit. Then plant a garden in front of the deck (give a bit of privacy and green space).

 

I would add a garden bed around the frontage and would use some black river pebbles to contrast with the white exterior. You can plant some low maintenance hardy grasses like lomandra and and maybe some red cordylines to break all the greenery a bit. A nice weeping Japanese maple tree would look awesome on the left side of the house(their roots are not invasive so can plant close to house ) Lots of potential! If you don't mind gardening, i would add a few roses to.