Opinions for exterior on this ugly duckling...

Discussion in 'Styling & Decorating' started by Shady, 8th Jan, 2016.

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  1. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    Settle on this 'beauty' today and having trouble coming up with ideas to make the exterior a little more appealing.
    Medium term thoughts are to render the brick and paint the roof.
    Short term...just knock over the 'Berlin Walls' on the left, paint the fence and tidy up the front gardens.
     

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  2. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    Whats the idea behind the walls?? Reduce noise or light? Could you use them in any way, eg half the height or make them interesting somehow?
    I'm guessing it's on a busy road? Would some privacy screens of some kind be useful
     
  3. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    A few plants wouldn't go astray either.
     
  4. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    Render the Berlin wall, plug vertical garden and maybe a water feature, e.g.

    [​IMG]
     
  5. JacM

    JacM VIC Buyer's Agent - Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat Business Member

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    My thoughts...

    • Get rid of Berlin walls.
    • Paint roof a charcoal colour
    • Paint gutters and downpipes a creamy colour
    • Paint driveway and pathways a charcoal colour
    • Paint fence a creamy colour (or remove it). A burgundy colour may work also.
    • Get the grass to be more green somehow
    • Get some contoured garden beds happening with some coloured plants of varying heights
    • I am not a fan of those external window roller shutters. I understand they are useful for something, but don't have them down for your photos when you're ready to sell. Roll them all the way up and show off nice clean windows.
    • Ideally windowframes would be creamy colour. Paint if necessary.
    • Can't see the front door in the pic but that might need painting. I would imagine the security door is brown so either remove it altogether or replace it with a creamy colour one with a nice design.
    • Replace letterbox with a creamy colour letterbox. I think the official "cream" colour with colorbond and metal products is called "Primrose".
     
    Last edited: 8th Jan, 2016
  6. Jess Peletier

    Jess Peletier Mortgage Broker & Finance Strategy, Aus Wide! Business Member

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    The Berlin walls might be to stop a view of the cars from the living area - if it's not horribly dark inside i would consider putting up a gable roof carport and rendering the walls as mentioned above. Makes it more functional as well as more attractive.
     
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  7. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    Wow...thanks guys..

    The original garage was converted into a large bedroom with massive WIR.
    One garage door was replaced with a window, the other with a glass sliding door. The Berlin Wall was built as a privacy screen. It's not on a busy rd So probably not needed at all other than for a little privacy
     
  8. bob shovel

    bob shovel Well-Known Member

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    For practicality you should remove wall and put up a carport, more appealing to tenants plus few extra bob in your pocket.
    Before rendering, the carport and some timber work at the entrance may lighten it. Would be cheaper and less maintenance
     
  9. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    I should have mentioned that it's on a corner block and already has a double carport to the side. I've considered removing the concrete driveway and the Berlin Wall and extending the front fence to the boundary across the existing fence.
    The sun shades that are fixed to the two front bedrooms dont go up and down.
     
  10. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Is there any benefit of having a driveway there now if there is car accommodation to the side? If not, then I'd remove the concrete or disguise it so it doesn't look like a driveway to nowhere. I'd remove the brick walls if they aren't needed to block noise. Privacy can be obtained by a curtain or shrubs. If you think the wall is a benefit, then the idea of a plant wall is a good one. Anything to hide that brick jailhouse look would be good.

    To me the fence return to the house screams "this used to be a driveway" so I'd consider changing that, unless you do think extra car parking is a plus.
     
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  11. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, that's a new one I haven't seen before.
    Looks like a really bad courtyard.
     
  12. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    I think you should keep the " berlin wall" and put a nice fancy iron gate on it , i think it would look great .
    A lot of buyers and tenants would like that for security reasons.
    I know i would .
    Then put greenery , wall plants etc on the outside walls along with nice wall lights.

    You could build a footpath from the single gate to the door.

    You could change the color of the window awnings .

    You could even add a carport to the driveway .

    As for the front fence you can paint there a color probaly a green .

    It will look great once its finished.. Looks like a great buy !! Congratulations !:D
     
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  13. Andrew H

    Andrew H Well-Known Member

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    Type in 'cherie barbour' on youtube, she does good budget reno stuff on house fronts. Also has a show on the channel 9 app called 5 day flip and does some great stuff there too. She's very experienced to say the least
     
  14. Biz

    Biz Well-Known Member

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    I assume this is an IP? If it is I wouldn't do anything.
     
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  15. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    @Shady any updated pic on this?
     
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  16. markson

    markson Well-Known Member

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    Remove the walls and it would look a whole lot better.
    Carport and extend the front fence.
     
  17. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    Sorry no..Due to dodgy painter (another story) I ran out of time to address the berlin wall so it still stands....and will likely be there for a while now there's a tenant on a long lease
     
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  18. Biz

    Biz Well-Known Member

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    Nice one! See, in the end you saved money and no one cared anyway. Ugly IP's FTW!
     
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  19. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Good stuff.
    That saves you a bit of a headache.
    Nice courtyard.
     
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  20. Shady

    Shady Well-Known Member

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    true...although I'm planning on buying again in a few months and an improved facade and front yard may well have increased a valuation